Ter Stegen, optimistic: his return this season is still on the table

Marc-André Ter Stegen continues to work tirelessly on the recovery from a complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee. The player is making positive progress and his intention is to shorten any timelines possible to return to play this season.

In the midst of this situation, the German attended the 'Sports Tomorrow Congress', an event promoted by the Barça Innovation Hub, as a speaker and gave a talk on the application of technology in football, referring to its use in areas such as refereeing or in training and injury management.

Regarding the topic of refereeing, the goalkeeper sent a message of solidarity towards a group that has been heavily scrutinized in recent weeks. "Football may not be perfect, but it always tries to adapt in search of the best, trying to reach a higher level," declared the German, who assured that "there are always doubts" about VAR, but that "one day perhaps we won’t have to worry about anything and just enjoy, although you cannot take away the responsibility from refereeing".

However, he maintained that referees "need help because it is very complicated. I sit in front of the TV and see that it is clearly offside, but then I see six or seven replays and they decide in a second. We have to believe in VAR because it makes it easier for them to make decisions and take responsibilities".

Ter Stegen leaves the door open for his return this season

At the end of his appearance, Marc-André stopped to speak with the media waiting outside the venue and was questioned about his physical condition and his possible return to the pitch this season. The German did not want to set a timeline, but he was optimistic and left the door open for his return by stating that "we’ll see, I’m working on it, I’m doing well".

Initially, it was expected that the goalkeeper would be sidelined for eight months, ruling him out for the rest of the season. However, if his recovery continues to be favorable, at Can Barça they see it as possible that he could accelerate his return, although both the club and the player are clear that they will not take any risks with his return and will continue to manage his recovery calmly and without rush, although optimism continues to grow around his progress.

Finally, he spoke about the great moment that the players under Hansi Flick are experiencing, opting for caution when asked about the team's objectives this season. "Triple? We have to take it step by step", he stated, emphasizing that the team's focus is "to work to win tomorrow in Lisbon".