Ter Stegen has been in the spotlight in recent days at Barça. The German goalkeeper gave some good news ahead of the match against Real Madrid at La Cartuja by being included in the Barça squad more than 200 days after being injured. An injury that forced the Catalans to sign Szczesny, who is now out of the Champions League, at least for the time being.
The captain was injured on September 22 at La Cerámica in Villarreal, suffering a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee. Now, with the player back, the debate has opened up as to when he could return to the starting lineup. Everything seems to indicate that Flick wants to seal LaLiga as soon as possible and then give Ter Stegen a chance between the sticks.
However, the speculation and debate are rife. Flick was asked whether Polish goalkeeper Szczesny will remain in the starting line-up until the end of the season, given that Ter Stegen’s return is now a reality and he has already stated that he wants to play before the end of the season. “In football, many things can change very quickly, anything can happen, so I can’t answer 100%,” said the German coach at the outset.
Ter Stegen currently faces an uphill battle to take Szczesny’s place. ‘Tek’ has been Hansi Flick’s number one since the coach decided to put his faith in him and relegate Iñaki Peña to the bench. The coach has stated this publicly on several occasions and it will be difficult for him to lose his place unless there is a setback in the form of injury or suspension.
It seems highly unlikely that Ter Stegen will get any playing time in the Champions League, at least for the time being. The goalkeeper is not registered for European competition, with Szczesny already stating that he wants to play in a hypothetical final.
For the semifinals against Inter, Flick has called up Astralaga for the session prior to the first leg and he will complete the goalkeeping roster alongside Tek and Iñaki. For now, Ter Stegen will not be registered. Neither in the first leg nor in the second leg in Milan. From there, he will have almost 25 days until a hypothetical Champions League final. And the decision could be postponed.