Barcelona star picks up injury while on international duty, set to return to Spain
Barcelona star Marc-Andre ter Stegen will leave Germany's national team camp due to a back injury, manager Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed.
The 31-year-old has been one of Die Mannschaft's regulars in recent years, making 38 senior appearances for the country. However, he won't be able to play in their friendly fixtures against Turkey (18 November) and Austria (21 November).
Speaking at a recent press conference, Germany's head coach Nagelsmann said, via SportsMole:
"Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss both games due to acute back pain. He will probably be travelling back to Barcelona tomorrow morning. The thing is, he won't be able to play or train."
There is still no confirmation of the severity and extent of Ter Stegen's back injury. Needless to say, he has been a regular fixture in Xavi Hernandez's starting XI this season, making 17 appearances across competitions and keeping eight clean sheets.
Last season was arguably one of Ter Stegen's best since making the switch to Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014. He played in every single La Liga game, keeping 26 clean sheets and conceding just 18 goals as his team won their first league title under Xavi.
It remains to be seen who Nagelsmann calls up to replace the Barca star. Goalkeepers Oliver Baumann, Janis Blaswich, and Kevin Trapp were named in the squad announced earlier this month.
Who do Barcelona play after the international break?
Barcelona will face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga at the Estadio de Vallecas on 25 November after the current international break.
It remains to be seen if Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be fit in time to start in goal for the Catalan giants. If he isn't, 24-year-old goalkeeper Inaki Pena will be the most likely alternative for him.
Pena featured in five games last season, with two of those appearances coming off the bench in La Liga. Barca, meanwhile, are in a delicate position in the league table with 28 points from 13 league matches.
They sit third — just two points above Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand. Real Madrid have amassed 32 points while Girona lead the table with a two-point lead over Los Merengues.
After the clash against Rayo Vallecano, Barca will host Porto on 28 November on matchday four of the UEFA Champions League. Both teams have nine points but Barca lead the table due to a better head-to-head record.