Ter Stegen suffers season-ending knee injury in Barcelona win

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a major knee injury during the side’s win at Villarreal. In first-half stoppage time, the German goalkeeper claimed a deep corner. Upon landing, Ter Stegen was grabbing at his knee, writhing in pain on the ground. There was no contact with any Barcelona defender or Villarreal attacker. Regardless, Ter Stegen was unable to continue, and backup goalkeeper Iñaki Peña replaced him for the remainder of the game.

Requiring carts and an ambulance to exit the pitch, concern was high regarding Ter Stegen’s short- and long-term future. On Monday, Barcelona released a statement delivering unfortunate news for Barcelona’s goalkeeper and its fans. Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a full tear of his patella tendon. That requires immediate surgery, which the club said will happen on Monday afternoon.

The injury and subsequent surgery yield a major loss for Barcelona. Marc-André ter Stegen will be out of the squad for as many as eight months. Liverpool defender Joe Gomez suffered a similar injury in 2020. That ruled him out of the Liverpool squad for over 230 days, and that was most of the 2020/21 season. Likewise, Ter Stegen will miss the rest of the 2024/25 campaign. Barcelona named Ter Stegen its captain ahead of the season after the departure of Sergi Roberto in the summer.

In his stead, Iñaki Peña will take over the starting role between the sticks for Barcelona. A seasoned backup, Peña has been on standby as Marc-André Ter Stegen’s replacement for the better part of the last five seasons, including the current campaign. When Ter Stegen was healthy, Peña was on the bench. Only a half-season loan stint with Galatasaray stopped his streak of being the reserve goalkeeper. In that time on the bench, Peña made 23 appearances for Barcelona.

Barcelona to miss Ter Stegen despite recent criticism

Marc-André ter Stegen has been instrumental in Barcelona’s side since coming over from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2014. His start against Villarreal was his 420th competitive appearance with Barcelona in all competitions. Conceding fewer than one goal per game, the German has kept 175 clean sheets in those 420 games. Despite that record, Barcelona fans have slowly turned on their goalkeeper.

Cheap giveaways and the occasional lack of commitment to saving shots have, on occasion, cost Barcelona. The fandom of the club blasted the goalkeeper on social media so regularly that he turned off comments on his social media platforms. Despite Peña being serviceable, Barcelona will soon realize just how important Ter Stegen is for the club. After the side’s next five games, it plays Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in back-to-back fixtures. Those high-scoring offenses will put immense pressure on Barcelona’s backline and goalkeeper.

The injury does not mean Ter Stegen’s career with Barcelona is over. The German signed a contract extension in the summer of 2023 that holds Ter Stegen down with the club through the 2027/28 season. By that time, he will be 36 years old. He will not play any more games this season, but he figures to be important to Barcelona in the years to come.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.