Ter Stegen faces tough setback in European Championship goal battle
Will the battle for the DFB goal at the European Championships be decided on the operating table? While Manuel Neuer has returned from his serious injury, his rival Marc-André ter Stegen is now plagued by problems.
Marc-André ter Stegen is in danger of being ruled out again in the duel with Manuel Neuer for the goal of the national soccer team. Spanish media even speculated that the 31-year-old might have to undergo an operation due to his persistent back problems. "The alarm bells are ringing: An operation is imminent," headlined the Catalan newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" in a report on the FC Barcelona goalkeeper. According to the report, the coaching staff and doctors of the traditional club wanted to discuss "the next steps" this Monday. There has been no reaction from ter Stegen or his club, nor has there been a prognosis on how long he will be out of action.
Coach Xavi Hernández merely acknowledged the prevailing uncertainty after Sunday evening's 1-0 win over Atlético Madrid: "Marc has some discomfort in his back and we'll see how things go this week. He has these ailments that he hasn't been able to cure yet and we'll see," he said. Ter Stegen had already missed the DFB team's two test matches against Turkey (2:3) and in Austria (0:2) at short notice due to back problems and also had to sit out three subsequent Barça matches.
Neuer is back
"Nothing has been decided one hundred percent yet, but as conservative treatment is not producing the expected results, it is time to consider other options," wrote the specialist newspaper "Sport". Ter Stegen had been in goal for the national team in eight of nine international matches this year until he was ruled out in November. Thanks to his good performances in the DFB team and with the Spanish champions, he was considered the clear number one in the absence of Manuel Neuer following his leg fracture and the designated starting goalkeeper for next summer's European Championship.
Following Neuer's comeback in goal for FC Bayern Munich in October, there are increasing signs that the 37-year-old could once again replace his long-time deputy as a regular. Neuer has recently reiterated this claim several times. At the European Championship draw in Hamburg on Saturday, national coach Julian Nagelsmann assured that Neuer would be back in the DFB squad for the next international matches in March "if he stays healthy and plays like he is now". Kevin Trapp was in the DFB goal in the November games. The Frankfurt man is regarded as the number three for the European Championship behind Neuer and ter Stegen.
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With Manuel Neuer's return from injury, the competition for the goalkeeper position in the German national soccer team is heating up. If Marc-André ter Stegen undergoes an operation due to his persistent back problems, his chances of participating in the soccer-em 2024 with the German team could be significantly impacted. Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann, the national soccer team coach, has indicated that Neuer could be back in the team for the upcoming international matches in March, given his good form and health.
Source: www.ntv.de
