The number of German players in the FC Barcelona squad has decreased this season as Ilkay Gundogan left the Catalan club to rejoin Manchester City this summer. Currently, there is only one notable German player in Hansi Flick’s squad, the goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen.
However, he is also out with a serious injury as he tore his patellar tendon during the game against Villarreal, and is expected to remain on the sidelines for around a year.
However, as SPORT has reported, the German Football Federation is more optimistic about the goalkeeper’s recovery and believes that he can return to the pitch before the current season ends.
This was from some comments of the Technical Director of the German Football Federation, Rudi Voller, as he appeared in an interview on the eve of the recent draw for the German Cup.
Providing an update on the goalkeeper’s situation and his recovery, the German official said: “He deserves for us to wait for him and give him the sense that he’s going through a bit of a struggle, not just for the club but also for the World Cup.”
Voller went on to reveal that Ter Stegen’s recovery is going quite well and that he can even return to the pitch before the current season ends: “Maybe he can do it this year, and if not, next year he will go full speed ahead.”
There is no doubt that Ter Stegen remains one of the most important players in the German national team, and the Germany head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has also frequently publicly highlighted his importance for the team.
As is the case at Barcelona, Ter Stegen is important for Germany not only for his skills and experience as a goalkeeper, but also as a leader of the dressing room, and thus Die Manschafft will be waiting eagerly for his return.
