The anticipated return of Ter Stegen to FC Barcelona: When will it be?

The return of Marc-André ter Stegen to the official calls of FC Barcelona seems increasingly close to materializing. This idea has gained special strength after 'MATS', who is currently recovering from a rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee, completed a partial training session with the group. His return speaks very well of the sensations that the German goalkeeper is experiencing and that, sooner rather than later, he will be back under the orders of the German coach, Hansi Flick.

From the working 'staff' of FC Barcelona, they seem to be confident that they will be able to count on Ter Stegen again before the end of the 2024-25 season. In fact, according to reports from 'Mundo Deportivo', the forecast of the azulgrana team indicates that the '1' could be available for the Barcelona squad by the end of April.

It is worth noting that FC Barcelona will not rush the return of the former player of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who is also not in too much of a hurry to set an exact date for his return. Everything will depend on his sensations, always prioritizing caution, as he comes from a significant injury. This setback has affected an area of his body where he has suffered several previous mishaps, and to avoid relapses, precautions will be taken.

Ter Stegen's return could 'condemn' Szczęsny in the UEFA Champions League

With this scenario in mind, Ter Stegen could be available for the last five matchdays of LaLiga EA Sports 2024-25. At the same time, he would arrive at hypothetical 'semis' (April 29 for the first leg and May 6 for the second leg) and the final (May 31) of the UEFA Champions League, which could create a dilemma for FC Barcelona, since he was removed from the squad list for this tournament after his injury. To reintegrate him, the Barcelona team would have to let go of Wojciech Szczęsny. This is based on article 31.14 of the UEFA Champions League Regulations, which states:

"Once the injured or sick goalkeeper is fit to play again, he may resume his position instead of his substitute. The return of the original goalkeeper must be announced to the UEFA administration 24 hours before the next match in which he is expected to participate"

When Marc-André was injured (September 22, 2024), FC Barcelona opted to reinforce with Szczęsny between the second and third matchday of the 'group stage' of the UEFA Champions League. The current regulations allowed the Polish goalkeeper to be registered, who was on the bench against Bayern Munich (4-1) on October 23. His debut with Barça in the European Cup was in the penultimate match against SL Benfica in Da Luz (4-5).

Now, the regulations pose a serious debate for Hansi Flick: Should he drop Szczęsny to have the German under the three posts or trust the Pole until the end of the season? Betting on 'Tek' is not unreasonable, especially given the great level that the Warsaw player is demonstrating, which would make it difficult to let him go immediately.