Barcelona will be without their second captain and the world’s best goalkeeper for an extended period of time as Marc-André ter Stegen has undergone successful surgery to correct a lower back issue.
Barça didn’t set a timeline for his return, but there is optimism that the German will be ready to come back before the Champions League knockouts in February. Until then the Blaugrana will count on young Iñaki Peña, who has proven he’s good enough to play in Ter Stegen’s stead over the next couple of months.
But there has been at least some speculation that Barça could look for a low-cost goalkeeper option in the January market to have as insurance, with free agent David De Gea one of the names mentioned.