Barcelona Keeper Ter Stegen Out Months With Knee Injury

A knee injury will rule out Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen for months after he was carried off on a stretcher during Sunday’s 5-1 La Liga win at Villarreal.

Barça coach Hansi Flick confirmed the injury appears to be “huge and serious,” but added he could not offer any timeframe until he undergoes further tests.

Radio station RAC1 reported that Ter Stegen was taken to a hospital near Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica and could be sidelined for up to eight months, potentially missing the remainder of the season.

“It doesn’t look good for Marc,” Flick told Spanish television after the game. “We have to wait to know the full diagnosis of the injury, but it’s true it does appear to be serious.”

Ter Stegen fell to the ground after catching a corner at the end of the first half, and it was quickly evident that he could not continue. Iñaki Peña came on to replace him.

The injury to the German international tainted what was otherwise a good day for Barça, who scored five times to make it six wins from six in La Liga this season and remain four points clear at the top of the table.

“This injury makes us sad,” Flick said in a news conference. “When you win 5-1 at Villarreal, the fans here in the stadium, also those watching on television, saw a fantastic match.

“Also from Villarreal, [they played with] unbelievable speed and were dynamic in the match. With great goals from us, we are very happy with the 5-1, but in the end, we are sad because I think the injury will be huge, but we have to wait for information.”

Ter Stegen joins a lengthy injury list at Barça, with Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Fermín López and Dani Olmo all currently out of action as well.

Despite this, Barça boasts the best record in La Liga, with Flick once again placing his trust in young players at Villarreal.

He gave the first starts of the season to Sergi Domínguez and Pablo Torre, while Gerard Martín also joined the lineup as a left-back.

“At the end, the team has good character,” Flick said of Barça’s ability to overcome setbacks this season.

“I would say the attitude is unbelievably good. I love it, every day, the mixture between very focused and also enjoying playing football. This is what we like.

“We have to accept [the injuries]. Marc today, it was an accident. It’s tough, but we have enough players. I am proud of the team and how they played. Everyone who came in did fantastic. It was a big win for us.”