Barcelona injured heavyweight could be for close to a whole year – report

Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a knee injury this past Sunday during FC Barcelona’s La Liga encounter against Villarreal.

It has since been confirmed that the 32-year-old has had a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee and he even successfully underwent surgery on Monday.

Following that, an exact recovery timeline for the German international has not been provided but multiple sources indicated that the goalkeeper would be out for eight months.

In fact, it was even suggested that Ter Stegen might attempt to make a comeback before the season ends – in April or May.

Ter Stegen could be out for a year

However, now, according to Mundo Deportivo, some sources close to the matter estimate that Ter Stegen’s absence could last for close to an entire year and not just eight months.

It must be remembered that the German international, 32, has had previous problems with his right knee and considering the seriousness of his latest injury, there may be a possibility that he could be out of action for a longer period than anticipated.

Ter Stegen had signed a new long-term contract with Barcelona last year, committing his future to the club until 2028.

But the nature of his injury and the fact that he will be turning 33 in a few months could compel the club to look for long-term replacements for the shot-stopper.

After all, there will be concerns about how he might return and whether he can return to his best form following such a lengthy layoff.

As such, FC Porto’s Diogo Costa has been identified as a possible long-term replacement candidate for Ter Stegen, if Barcelona decide to go down that route next year.

For now, though, the club will be hoping that their captain is able to recover swiftly and not spend an entire year out of action.