Barcelona captain in disagreement with club over potential surgery after injury setback | OneFootball

Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been complaining of persistent pain in his lower back for several days and has not trained with the team thus far in pre-season.

Given the growing concerns, reports on Thursday raised the possibility of the 33-year-old club captain undergoing surgery, which would rule him out of action for four months.

Barcelona, Ter Stegen disagree over treatment route

Now, according to AS, Ter Stegen must decide by 24 July whether or not to undergo surgery to address his ongoing back problems.

This is not a new situation for Ter Stegen. Back in December 2023, he underwent surgery on his back. Now, a year and a half after that operation, the pain has returned, and surgery is once again emerging as the most realistic path forward.

As far as Barcelona are concerned, their position is clear: if the pain does not subside in the coming days, surgery is seen as the only solution.

However, Ter Stegen is hesitant to go through another operation and has asked for some time to assess how he feels. He may even take to the pitch in the coming days to evaluate his condition directly.

Will Ter Stegen opt for surgery or not? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

It must be noted that less than a year ago, Ter Stegen underwent surgery on his right knee, which sidelined him for most of last season. That difficult recovery process weighs heavily on his mind as he considers another operation.

Next move unclear

From the club’s perspective, surgery would serve a dual purpose: it would delay the decision on Ter Stegen’s long-term future until January and would allow them to register Joan Garcia using 80% of the captain’s salary, as the goalkeeper would be ruled out for over four months.

As of now, however, no one inside the club knows for certain what Ter Stegen will decide.

“He has been acting strange for days, complaining about everything,” say sources within the dressing room, describing his attitude since returning from holiday.

It is also no secret that his recent conversation with manager Hansi Flick did not go well, and since reporting back on Sunday, Ter Stegen has barely been seen around the training ground.

If Ter Stegen ultimately decides against surgery, it would create a new challenge for the club. Tensions between the goalkeeper and Barcelona could escalate further, potentially leading to wider complications across the club.