Confirmed: Surgery to sideline ter Stegen for eight months or more
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FC Barcelona keeper Marc André ter Stegen will not be able to utilize his new #1 status on the German national team for quite some time. The 32-year-old was stretchered off in a La Liga match-up against Villarreal last night after hitting the deck without contact shortly before the end of the first half. On Monday, it was confirmed that ter Stegen suffered a torn patella tendon and is set for surgery today.
The nature of the injury could sideline the 42-times-capped international for eight months or more. Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann - following Manuel Neuer's retirement from international football - will now need to chose a new #1 between the sticks. In the last international break, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann and VfB Stuttgart's Alexander Nübel backed ter Stegen up.
With Eintracht Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp also sidelined indefinitely, Leipzig loan-out Janis Blaswich or Fulham's Bernd Leno could conceivably return to the German national team during the coming October international break. Germany U21 keepers Jonas Urbig (Köln), Noah Atubolu (Freiburg), Felix Gebhardt (Regensburg), and Tjark Ernst (Hertha) might also be in line for promotion.