Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen to undergo knee surgery

BARCELONA:

 Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is set to undergo knee surgery having had trouble with his patellar tendon this season, the La Liga club said on Monday.

The Germany international played 46 times for Barcelona in a season that culminated with Friday's humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich as the Spanish side were knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon.

However, the goalkeeper was still one of the brighter sparks in a season where Barcelona failed to win a trophy for the first time in 12 years as the club sacked coach Quique Setien and brought presidential elections forward to March 2021.

"Based upon the exchange with the medical team the first team player Marc ter Stegen will do a voluntary medical intervention tomorrow on his right patellar tendon," the club said in a statement.

"It is a proactive measure which is now done in order to prevent and prepare for the future, since the player had some irritations on the tendon earlier in the season."

The club did not say how long the 28-year-old would be sidelined for, with the new La Liga season starting in less than four weeks on Sept. 12.

Ter Stegen kept 14 clean sheets in the league as Barcelona finished second, conceding the lead and then the title to rivals Real Madrid after the restart.

Barcelona's backup goalkeeper is 31-year-old Neto, who played four times this season and kept one clean sheet.