There are no doubts about certain players within Xavi’s version of FC Barcelona. While some players are understandably important, they are not exactly untouchable. On the other hand, certain players within Barcelona are indeed untouchable and seen as priority retentions for years to come.
Among such players, the name of Marc Andre Ter Stegen stands quite noticeably. The German goalkeeper has been with the Catalan giants since a glorious treble-winning season and continues to lead the team as their undisputed number one. However, the Barcelona captain has recently suffered a horrific blow to his season.
Due to complications with his back not allowing him to play, the German international had to undergo surgery. As a result of that surgery to correct his back issues, the Barcelona player is now expected to be out for quite some time.
The surgery itself was performed by Dr. Amélie Léglise under the supervision of the Club’s Medical Services, at Sports Clinic Bordeaux Merignac. However, as SPORT highlights through the words of specialist Dr. Victor Castillo, the wait for his return may be long.
“If the surgery has gone well (and I suppose it has), he will feel very good right from the start. He’ll be able to walk from the beginning and will soon start doing some exercise. In three weeks, perhaps some swimming, cycling…”
However, the specialist did advise against Barcelona following the norm in terms of how to deal with such players once they return. As per his words, Barcelona may be tempted to rely on him after two months but that would be hasty:
“Another thing altogether is, indeed, returning to the playing field. In my opinion, it would be best for him to wait for three months. In these cases where it’s so important for you to play, if they see that you’re doing well, they might let you play after two months, but it’s hasty. A normal patient wouldn’t play within two months.”
For now, the expectation remains to see the Barcelona captain return for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. However, if the timeline provided by Dr. Castillo is to be followed, that may be too early. With the clash expected to take place in February, that would still be quite a close call to make.
