Barcelona’s goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is set to miss out the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee on Monday. With the club reportedly looking out for a replacement, recently retired Claudio Bravo, who played alongside Lionel Messi for the Catalans, has offered himself as a potential option.
“If Barcelona wants me, I will be ready to come out of retirement,” Bravo, 41, said to WinWin Sports. Bravo played for Barcelona between 2014 and 2016, when he left the club to join Pep Guardiola in Manchester City. The Chilean keeper was the first choice for LaLiga in the 2014-15 season, winning the Zamora trophy for the best goals conceded average.
However, during that time, Ter Stegen was Luis Enrique’s first choice to play in the Champions League and Copa del Rey. Eventually, Bravo, who announced his retirement last month, left Barcelona, but he always denied having a bad relationship with the German.
Ter Stegen suffered a “complete rupture” of the patella tendon in his right knee after falling backwards while saving a ball during the game against Villarreal on Sunday. The Catalans confirmed that his surgery, which took place at Barcelona Hospital, was “successful.”
The club didn’t provide a recovery timeline for their captain. Reports suggest that for this kind of injury, his recovery will take between six to nine months. Catalan outlet Sport reports that Ter Stegen “believes” he can return in May. However, no one wants to “rush” his process of recovery.
Barcelona is reportedly looking for a new goalkeeper
According to LaLiga’s rules, Barcelona can bring in a new player to the squad in the event of a long-term injury. Even if the player is not a goalkeeper, Barcelona can sign him, as long as respects the same financial value as the injured player (in this case Ter Stegen). According to ESPN, Keylor Navas, Loris Karius and former Barça player Jordi Masip are among the goalkeepers currently without a club who could sign immediately.
For now, Barcelona’s goalkeeper is Iñaki Peña, who is 25 years old. Peña, who was part of Barcelona’s academy La Masia, played on loan for Galatasaray in 2022, made 12 appearances in LaLiga last season while Ter Stegen was out with a back problem.