Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, has announced that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will make his return to the starting lineup against Real Valladolid in La Liga on Saturday, marking his first match since September due to a significant knee injury.
Naija News reports that the 33-year-old German international underwent surgery after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee during a match against Villarreal earlier in the season.
Marc is progressing well and performing at a high level.
He has been training exceptionally well for some time,’ Flick stated to the media on Friday, confirming Ter Stegen’s participation this weekend.
Ter Stegen was included in the squad for Barcelona’s Copa del Rey final victory over Real Madrid on April 26, although he did not play.
He will take the place of Wojciech Szczesny, who came out of retirement to join Barcelona following Ter Stegen’s injury, as Flick aims to maintain player fitness while pursuing a potential quadruple.
Szczesny is anticipated to reclaim his position for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan on Tuesday after a 3-3 draw in Spain earlier this week.
Flick was less specific regarding the status of injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who was absent from the first leg against Inter due to a hamstring issue.
Currently, Barcelona holds a four-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga with five matches remaining, while Saturday’s opponents, Valladolid, sit at the bottom of the table and are likely facing relegation.
