Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will return to the starting line-up on Saturday against Real Valladolid, marking his first appearance since sustaining a serious knee injury in September.
The 33-year-old Germany international underwent surgery after tearing the patella tendon in his right knee during a match against Villarreal early in the campaign. His recovery has taken several months, but manager Hansi Flick confirmed on Friday that Ter Stegen is now ready to play.
“Marc is on the right track and performing at a high level,” said Flick. “He’s been training fantastically well for some time now.”
Although Ter Stegen was included in the squad for Barcelona’s recent Copa del Rey final victory over Real Madrid on April 26, he did not feature in the match. His return will see him take the place of Wojciech Szczesny, who joined the club temporarily after coming out of retirement to cover in Ter Stegen’s absence.
Szczesny, however, is expected to be reinstated for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Inter Milan on Tuesday, following a 3-3 first-leg draw in Spain earlier this week.
Flick provided no definitive update on Robert Lewandowski, who missed the Inter match with a hamstring problem. The manager said only that the striker’s situation was being monitored.
Barcelona currently lead La Liga by four points with five games left in the season. They face bottom club Valladolid on Saturday—a side all but certain to be relegated.
“La Liga is the most important title now,” Flick stressed. “It reflects consistency at the highest level over the entire season. That’s why matches like this one are crucial.”
Barcelona will also meet arch-rivals Real Madrid once more before the season ends, with a decisive clash set for May 11 at the Olympic Stadium. The Catalan giants have won all three previous encounters this season, including a 4-0 league win and a 5-2 Spanish Super Cup triumph.
