Marc ter Stegen Undergoes Back Surgery: A Closer Look at the Keeper’s Decision
On Thursday, Barcelona’s goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen (31 years old) underwent back surgery in France, a development shrouded in secrecy as per the player’s directive. The operation, kept under tight wraps, awaits an official medical statement from the club, pending ter Stegen’s approval, which could come on Friday.
Accompanied by Dr. Pruna, the team’s chief medical officer, the German international traveled to Strasbourg for the procedure, overseen by Dr. Afshib Gangi and scheduled to return to Barcelona on Friday.
Opting for the expertise of Dr. Gangi’s team, known for his work with Formula 1 driver Kimi Räikkönen, ter Stegen chose Estrasburgo for the surgery, a decision aligned with his past choice of Sweden for knee surgery.
Following the surgery, expected to keep him sidelined for several weeks, ter Stegen will embark on the recovery process with no fixed timelines. While caution prevails, the goalkeeper’s aim, from the moment he made the decision, is to return in good form by January.
This decision comes after days of contemplation, during which ter Stegen missed the last three matches for Barcelona (against Rayo Vallecano, Porto, and Atlético Madrid). The goalkeeper opted for surgery on Tuesday, acknowledging that conservative treatment had not yielded the desired results, and discomfort persisted.
