Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen said Monday he will undergo knee surgery to prevent future injuries.
He said doctors suggested the tendon surgery as a “clean-up as there were some irritations earlier this season.”
“It’s a proactive intervention in order to prevent and prepare for the future,” the goalkeeper said on his Instagram account.
He said he will need “some weeks” to recover and return to full strength.
“I'm calm and positive about the situation,” he said. “I will come back soon.”
Ter Stegen's final match of the season was the 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Friday in Lisbon.
Barcelona fired coach Quique Setién on Monday, three days after the team’s humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the first step in what it said would be “a wide-ranging restructuring" of the club.
The decision was announced after an urgent board meeting summoned by president Josep Bartomeu in Barcelona. The club also announced new elections for March 2021 and said “profound changes” were coming for the first team.
A replacement to Setién was not immediately announced but Spanish media said Dutch coach Ronald Koeman was the front-runner to take charge. The former Barcelona defender was reportedly already in Barcelona.
