German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is preparing for a challenging phase in his career with Barcelona, after undergoing back surgery three months ago, according to the Spanish newspaper "Marca".

The newspaper explained that ter Stegen is still in the recovery phase, and he is expected to be out for several more weeks, as the Spanish league estimated his absence to be around four months, which allowed the club to register young goalkeeper Juan Garcia as his replacement. With the countdown to his return beginning, the German goalkeeper faces significant challenges on both sporting and future levels.

Marca added that the relationship between ter Stegen and the Barcelona management has been strained due to the controversy over the duration of his absence, as the player initially insisted that the recovery period would be shorter than three months, which would have prevented the registration of his replacement. However, the international goalkeeper is expected to return before the end of this year after undergoing back surgery for the second time.

The newspaper confirmed that ter Stegen's return will be complicated for two main reasons. The first is that coach Hans Flick has decided to rely on Juan Garcia as the starting goalkeeper, while ter Stegen may find himself as a substitute for the first time since the 2016/2017 season, which could jeopardize his participation in the upcoming World Cup despite the confidence of German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann in him.

The second reason is that Barcelona has placed ter Stegen on the list of players available for sale since last summer, and they plan to offer him again in January. Although the goalkeeper is keen to stay at the club until the end of his contract in June 2028, the management wishes for his departure to reduce salaries, especially with ready alternatives like Garcia and Szczęsny.

The report indicated that several clubs in the English Premier League, most notably Chelsea, are closely monitoring ter Stegen's situation and considering signing him, while the player is focused on completing his recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible.