Confirmed: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to undergo surgery

Marc-Andre ter Stegen swapped Barcelona for Girona last month in order to play regularly, but he has now been sidelined with injury. The 33-year-old suffered a hamstring problem during the weekend defeat to Real Oviedo, and a significant spell in the sidelines is expected.

Given that Hansi Flick put his faith in Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny, ter Stegen was told to leave in order to give himself a chance of being Germany’s starter for the 2026 World Cup, which gets underway in June. He moved to Girona to get minutes, but he has lasted only two matches before the injury.

He already missed almost the entire first half of the season after undergoing surgery on his back last summer, and he will go under the knife again in the coming days, as has been confirmed by Girona.

“Marc-Andre ter Stegen will undergo surgery this Friday for the injury he suffered to the hamstring of his left leg during the match against Real Oviedo. The recovery time will be determined after the procedure.”

World Cup hopes are in tatters for ter Stegen

Prior to surgery being announced, it was expected that ter Stegen would be out for around two months. This absence period is likely to be extended, meaning that a return before May would be the best case scenario, but even if he does make a comeback sooner, there is every chance that Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann decides against taking him to the World Cup, given his lack of action throughout the season.

It would be a hammer blow for ter Stegen to miss out on the World Cup, and for Girona, it is desperately disappointing to have lost their star January signing after two matches. Given they did not sign a replacement during the transfer window, it means Paulo Gazzaniga will return to the starting spot.