Barcelona has been counting down for quite some time, but this week is crucial for the Azulgranas for various reasons. Next Saturday, they will make their LaLiga debut away at Son Moix against Real Mallorca, and there are still quite a few players who are not registered, meaning Hansi Flick will not be able to call on them for the league opener. That is why the Catalan club is eager to hear the Medical Committee’s decision on Marc-André Ter Stegen‘s injury, which will be decisive in determining whether or not the German goalkeeper will be available to sign some of his teammates, such as Joan García.
The soap opera surrounding Marc-André Ter Stegen is still not over yet. It should be remembered that when the German international announced on his own that he would undergo surgery, he said he would be out for three months, which was detrimental to Barcelona, as it meant they could not invest part of his salary in registering other players from the squad. The Barça board, for its part, estimated that he would be out for at least four months, which would give them some leeway to release the former Borussia Mönchengladbach player and use his registration for new arrivals.
Waiting for the resolution of the ‘Ter Stegen case’
Obviously, the length of his absence had to be decided by a committee of experts, which is why four LaLiga doctors had to analyze the case in detail to see how long Marc-André Ter Stegen would really be out of action.
The German goalkeeper refused to sign the medical report, and Barcelona decided to open disciplinary proceedings against him and strip him of the captaincy. Finally, the German had to give in and issued a statement clarifying his position and assuring that he would sign the document, so the Blaugrana club withdrew the internal punishment and returned the captain’s armband to him.
Now, once the report has been sent with Marc-André Ter Stegen’s consent, Barcelona are eagerly awaiting the final decision of LaLiga’s Medical Committee, which is expected to be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday. From that moment on, once the official number of months the German will be out is known, Joan Laporta will be able to start moving to register Joan García and company, as depending on the length of the injury, they will be able to use a percentage of the current goalkeeper’s salary.
Joan García, first choice
For example, if the LaLiga Medical Committee considers that Marc-André Ter Stegen will be out for four months, Barcelona will only be able to use 40% of his salary to register other players, which would not be enough to solve the club’s problems. If the ruling states that it will be five months or more, they could reach up to 80%, which would be a more significant figure for Barcelona. However, they will have to comply strictly with the time frame, because if they return early, the Blaugrana could face a considerable fine.
The idea is that with this percentage of Marc-André Ter Stegen’s salary, Joan García will be the first on the list to be registered. The intention is for the former Espanyol player to be the first to be registered, so it remains to be seen whether they will be able to do so before the start of the league next Saturday. Other players who are part of the first team, such as Marcus Rashford, Szczesny, and Gerard Martín, are also waiting to be registered, which means they could end up watching the first game of the championship from the stands.