LALIGA
Will Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen play against Rayo Vallecano?
The Barça goalkeeper has been ever-present so far this season but suffered a back injury on international duty with Germany.
Barcelona and head coach Xavi Hernández have been rocked this week by Gavi’s ACL tear, which is expected to keep him on the sidelines until next season. However, the international break has also dealt them another big blow, with goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen also suffering a back injury.
How long will ter Stegen be out for Barça?
As reported by Jijantes, La Blaugrana ran the rule over the German at their Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground on Friday morning, with AS learning he failed a fitness test. As a result, he has been ruled out of Saturday’s LaLiga clash away to Rayo Vallecano, which Xavi later confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
Ter Stegen had been willing to play through the pain barrier in Madrid but both club doctors and the coaching staff have opted to err on the side of caution. The hope is that the 31-year-old will be fully fit for their Champions League fixture at home to Porto on Tuesday.
Back-up goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, who has yet to play a single minute this season, will get a rare runout against Rayo on Saturday. The Spaniard has played just two LaLiga games for Barça but Xavi and his assistants have complete confidence in him after his fine performances in cup competitions last season.
Frenkie de Jong fit to return against Rayo
In addition to ter Stegen and Gavi, who will have surgery on his right knee on Tuesday, club captain Sergi Roberto will also be absent once again.
There is some good news, however, for the LaLiga champions. Frenkie de Jong is back in contention to play after recovering from an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for two months. The Dutchman is likely to be eased back into the fold and could play for between 25 to 30 minutes.