The goalkeeper and captain of the FC Barcelona Marc-André ter Stegen was “satisfactorily” intervened This Monday of a complete tear of the patellar tendon of the right kneeaccording to the club’s medical services.
The operation was carried out by Dr Joan Carles Monllau, a traumatologist specialising in this type of injury, under the supervision of Barça’s medical services at the Hospital de Barcelona.
Ter Stegen, who had already had surgery on the same tendon twice four seasons ago, will now begin a long recovery period, the duration of which was not specified by the team’s doctors; however, doctors consulted by the EFE agency estimate that the goalkeeper will be out of action for between 8 months and a year.
The German goalkeeper He was injured at the end of the first half of the LaLiga match that the Barcelona team played this Sunday at the Estadio de la Cerámica against Villarreal (1-5).
Ter Stegen had to leave the pitch on a stretcher just before half-time after a play in which he tried to chase down an aerial ball and stepped wrong on the way down.
This season, the captain of the Blaugrana team had played in all the official matches of the season: the six in La Liga and the Champions League against Monaco. And, with his starting role against Villarreal, he became the third goalkeeper in Barcelona’s history with the most La Liga matches (289), surpassing Antoni Ramallets.
When will Ter Stegen return?
Although there is no official information, the traumatologist of the Cugat Institute Roberto Seijas, Consulted by the EFE agency, He said that the goalkeeper will be out for between eight months and a year. since his injury and his recovery is something serious that must be taken very seriously.
“It is a very serious injury, which requires recovery time from surgery and healing of the tendon.and then a very long rehabilitation process to move the knee again, gain muscle strength and regain balance on the injured knee,” explained the specialist.
Seijas explained that the total recovery time for this type of injury is usually around eight months, although he warned thatIn the case of professional athletes, “they can even reach a year (of absence) until we can play at a competitive level again.”
However, the doctor stressed that This injury has “nothing to do” with the previous ones that the 32-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper has suffered in his right knee, since it is “independent injuries”.
Instead, he admitted that “Age always has an influence” in the rehabilitation process, since “young patients have a much faster recovery capacity.” “They will probably recover in the same way, but the recovery rate may be a little slower. It will take between eight months and a year,” he stressed.
The doctor said that patellar tendon injuries are “less frequent” in footballers than those of the cruciate ligaments, but stressed that “the severity is similar,” and also clarified that the recovery process in these cases is “the same” regardless of whether the affected person is a goalkeeper or a field player.
Finally, Seijas claimed that there are more serious knee injuries because there is “a direct correlation between the number of hours that footballers train and compete, and the number of injuries.”This has to do with the match schedule and the level of demand placed on the players. “We need to find a balance,” he added.
*With information from EFE.
Continue reading:
· Ter Stegen has suffered a serious injury and joins the long list of players in Barcelona
· Barcelona make it official: Ter Stegen has torn his patellar tendon and will undergo surgery today
· FC Barcelona would go out looking for a goalkeeper with Keylor Navas in the picture