Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is set to make his return in Saturday’s LaLiga match against Real Valladolid, ending a seven-month injury layoff following knee surgery, head coach Hansi Flick confirmed.
The 33-year-old tore a tendon beneath his right kneecap in September and underwent surgery shortly after. During his absence, veteran Polish keeper Wojciech Szczęsny came out of retirement in October to join Barça as a free agent.
Ter Stegen’s return is a timely boost for league leaders Barcelona, who sit four points ahead of reigning champions Real Madrid with five matches left, including a home Clasico following the Valladolid fixture.
“He’s ready—Marc will be back tomorrow,” Flick told reporters on Friday with a smile. “It’ll be good for Szczęsny to get some rest as well. Marc has been training well and is ready to compete at this level.”
When asked if Ter Stegen would keep his place for the remainder of the season, Flick responded: “I’m not planning any changes right now, but things could evolve. We’ll reassess after Valladolid.”
Barcelona face a quick turnaround with less than 72 hours to prepare for the match. On paper, the task appears manageable: Valladolid, already relegated, sit at the bottom of the table and have conceded a league-high 81 goals in 33 games. Barça thrashed them 7-0 in their previous meeting in August.
Still, Flick cautioned against complacency: “We must show the same intensity as we did in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan. It doesn’t matter if Valladolid are going down—they’re still a LaLiga team, and we must respect them.”
He also reflected on early-season setbacks: “Losses to Leganés and Las Palmas hurt us. The squad knows just how crucial this match is.”
