Barcelona’s second captain and number one goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen should be fit for their return to Champions League action when the knockout stages begin in Febuary, according to his surgeon.
The Blaugrana shot-stopper underwent surgery last week on the 7th of December, and was not given a recovery time, but speaking to SER Catalunya, as carried by MD, his surgeon Amelie Leglise gave an estimate.
“Whether it’s a protrusion or a hernia, the time off is more or less the same. It depends on the athlete and the type of sport they do, but it’s around two months. The time off depends on many things. The type of injury, whether there is an associated disease or not in the disc… It depends on the type of sport, whether there is impact or not… There are athletes who are discharged in a week.”
“In the case of a freelance worker there is no time off, at The next day they are working. For a player, in this case a goalkeeper, the movements are different, they punish the vertebrae more. Our intervention, however, guarantees a shorter time out because it is less aggressive for the muscle tissues than a conventional operation.”
When asked, Leglise said there was little chance of a relapse of the injury, despite the infamy that back injuries have of complications, putting the chances at less than 3%. If Leglise’s estimate is accurate, ter Stegen would be back just in time for the first leg of their Round fo 16 Champions League clash. The first legs begin on the 13th and 14th of February, although it could also be the following week depending on the draw. That said, Barcelona have been pleased with Inaki Pena’s performances in ter Stegen’s absence, and Xavi Hernandez appears to have confidence in him come what may.
