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Knee injury to sideline Barca keeper Ter Stegen for six weeks

Xinhua, August 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona will be without goalkeeper Ter Stegen for around six weeks after the club confirmed on Thursday that the German has suffered a knee injury.

Stegen has a twisted interior ligament on his left knee, a stroke of misfortune which comes at just the wrong time, three days before the first leg of the Spanish Supercup and 10 days before the kick off of the new Spanish league season in which Barcelona look to defend their title.

The German has been substitute to Claudio Bravo in the league during his two seasons at the club, but had been first choice in Cup and Champions league matches with Bravo dropping to the bench.

Stegen had stated that he wanted to play in the league this season and the issue of who should be first choice keeper at Barcelona has been an ongoing debate for a while among the press and Barcelona supporters and he was strongly linked with a move away from the Camp Nou Stadium this summer in his quest for more minutes.

It was thought he was due to start in the first leg of the Supercup away to Sevilla on Sunday, but Stegen's injury now means Bravo has the perfect opportunity to stake his claim to be coach Luis Enrique's first choice keeper for a third consecutive campaign. Enditem