JAKARTA - Marc-Andre ter Stegen's hopes of appearing at the 2026 World Cup with Germany have suffered a major setback due to a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for a considerable period of time.
Launching ESPN, Ter Stegen, who was loaned to Girona from Barcelona, is waiting for the final results of the tests related to the problem. Both clubs are discussing the best steps to take.
With surgery a possibility not ruled out and a potential absence of more than two months, one option is for him to return to Barcelona less than two weeks after joining Girona to get regular playing time to secure his place in the 2026 World Cup squad.
"I just heard the news. I didn't speak to him, but I'm very sorry for him. However, we have to wait for the results and see what happens," said Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, on Monday, February 2, 2026, local time.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper has suffered a series of serious injuries since Flick became Barcelona coach in 2024, which led to him losing his place in the team and being replaced by Joan Garcia.
A knee injury limited him to just nine appearances in all competitions last season, while he missed the first four months of this campaign after undergoing back surgery.
He returned in the Copa del Rey against Guadalajara in December 2025, then joined Girona last month. He started in their last two games against Getafe and Real Oviedo.
The German, who has made more than 400 appearances for Barcelona since joining in 2014, now faces an anxious wait to see what this latest injury means for his hopes of the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Barcelona also announced that Raphinha would be out for a week due to a thigh muscle injury, which prevented him from playing in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Albacete on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
He could also miss the league game against Mallorca at home on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
The Brazilian missed the start of the season with an injury and was left out of the defeat against Real Sociedad last month as Barcelona attempted to manage his minutes.
"I'm not happy with this. He is a very important player. We have to see what we have to change and what he has to change."
"We will talk about it in the next few days. This is important. Now is an important phase of the season and we need every player to be able to play. When he is absent, it is not good," Flick said of Raphinha's latest injury.
Barcelona's match schedule is now very busy, starting with a trip to Albacete, a Segunda Division team who beat Real Madrid and Celta Vigo in the previous round to reach the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
"This is why we all love this tournament because of the unexpected results. Albacete has nothing to lose, only to win. The last two games are important to see what they do well or what the opponents do less well, Real Madrid and Celta."
"We have to adapt to this. It's about mentality and attitude tomorrow, how we enter the game," Flick said when asked if Albacete's result against Real Madrid would be a warning.
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