Ter Stegen does not give up: his return to Barça could have an epic outcome

Marc-André Ter Stegen is tirelessly working to get back in goal before the end of the season. The recovery of the FC Barcelona goalkeeper, who has been sidelined since last September due to a patellar tendon injury, has exceeded expectations and is progressing positively, so the German has set a major goal to be available to Hansi Flick in the coming weeks.

The ambition of the goalkeeper is at its peak, and he dreams of playing in the Champions League final if the Catalans reach Munich. The player has made significant strides in his rehabilitation and has been back working with gloves on the pitch for over a month. In fact, the newspaper 'SPORT' has revealed that club sources claim that, if everything continues on its current path, the German could train with the group in approximately three weeks, estimating his return to the pitch for mid-April.

If this forecast materializes, this timeline would allow Marc-André to gain minutes in LaLiga before the hypothetical title match of the European competition. Ter Stegen wants to follow in the footsteps of Thibaut Courtois, who was out for almost the entire 23/24 season due to a torn ligament but managed to return in time to play in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, which he ended up winning with Real Madrid.

The big dilemma for Barça with Ter Stegen

However, a significant obstacle hinders the goalkeeper's dream. In order to make room for Wojciech Szczesny in the Champions League, the Catalans deregistered 'MATS', forced by the urgency to register a 'Tek' who arrived in the City of Barcelona with the season already underway and the transfer market closed.

In this sense, UEFA rules state that Barça could only recover Ter Stegen if they deregistered the player who replaced him. In other words, for the captain to play in the Champions League, the Catalans would have to let go of the Pole. A true 'headache' for the Catalans, as the '25' has become indispensable for Flick and one of the fans' favorites.

Thus, a new debate in goal has opened at Camp Nou. If Barça manages to reach the Champions final, should Hansi Flick return the starting position to Ter Stegen, his captain and leader in goal, or keep Szczesny, who has performed reliably in his absence? A dilemma that could have an answer in the coming weeks.