Joan García Set to Replace Injured Ter Stegen as Barcelona’s LaLiga Debut Approaches

Barcelona will register new goalkeeper Joan García after LaLiga’s Medical Committee ruled Marc-André ter Stegen has suffered a long-term injury, opening the door for the new signing to play in the season opener.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Marc-André ter Stegen had back surgery in July, expecting a three-month recovery. However, LaLiga’s medical panel has classified his condition as a long-term injury. As a result, Barcelona can cut some of his salary and register Joan García. This will be official before Barcelona’s league match against Mallorca on Saturday. Ter Stegen’s absence follows weeks of internal tension at Barcelona, especially after the club opened a disciplinary case against him due to issues surrounding his recovery documentation as reported. García, signed from Espanyol for €25 million, will be available as Barcelona starts their LaLiga campaign.

THE IMPACT ON BARCELONA’S SEASON

Barcelona ended up as winners in LaLiga last season, finishing just four points ahead of Real Madrid. Ter Stegen played a secondary role, as the starting goalkeeper was Szczęsny for most of the season, with the German keeper only coming back to the team in the tail end of the season. His absence will be felt by manager Hansi Flick, especially since three other transfers—Szczęsny, Rashford, and Bardghji—remain unregistered. García, 24, impressed with Espanyol last year, keeping 12 clean sheets in LaLiga. Barcelona relies on García and Wojciech Szczęsny while Ter Stegen is sidelined according to reports. The club will call upon him to keep their title hopes alive, anxious to avoid early slip-ups with numerous new signings still unregistered.

BARCELONA’S NEXT MATCH AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

Barcelona begins the new season against Mallorca, hoping to successfully replace Ter Stegen with García in their lineup. However, the absence of other registered players restricts who Flick can start. Mallorca finished last season in mid-table and will likely test Barcelona early. With four players still unregistered, the next few days are crucial for Barcelona as they look to find a financial solution to register their new signings, aiming to avoid a disastrous start to the season as highlighted earlier.