Since September, Marc-André ter Stegen’s current condition has been considered “confidential information” by Barcelona’s coach. With most players returning from injury, Hansie Flick is feeling more comfortable. In some positions, he even has multiple players of equal caliber to choose from, making it a challenge to settle on a starting eleven. However, amidst the tough competition between Voight-Scheck Stansani and Inaki Peña, news of Ter Stegen’s recovery has emerged. But the Barcelona coach is unwilling to share any details about the veteran goalkeeper and captain’s current status.
Barcelona will face Sevilla in a La Liga match next Monday, starting at 2 AM Bangladesh time. Ahead of the match, Flick expressed his relief at having most of his players back.
“We now only have 11 or 12 players missing, and we have players of equal quality. The last match against Valencia showed that, and they all played well. We need fresh players in the match, that’s crucial.”
“We have 17 or 18 players who can play many minutes… I am really happy with that, and the atmosphere here is great. Everyone wants to shine and show how good they are, which is amazing.”
There is fierce competition between the returning Stansani and Barcelona’s second-choice goalkeeper, Peña, for a spot. Could Ter Stegen, who has been out since September, return towards the end of the season? At this point, Flick is unwilling to share any details regarding the captain’s condition.
“Ter Stegen’s situation is confidential information. We need to speak to our doctors. We are happy. He has already started working with José Ramón de la Fuente (goalkeeper coach). Everything is progressing well, and he has made great improvements.”
However, Flick did provide some insight into the overall injury situation within the team.
“Are Gavi, Olmo, and Inigo ready for the starting XI? They can all play. We will see what happens. Only Ter Stegen, Bernal, and Christensen are out due to injury. Everyone else, all 21 players, are available.”
According to Flick, that list includes Ansu Fati, whose career at Barcelona has somewhat stalled. Match after match, he has not been getting playing time. After suffering a severe knee injury in 2020, the forward has struggled to find himself. Barcelona’s coach is open to Fati seeking a new challenge elsewhere.
“Have I talked to Ansu Fati about leaving the team? That’s the current thought… but Ansu is improving too.”
