Girona’s on-loan goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss several months following a hamstring injury in just his second game for the Catalan club. The Barcelona club captain joined on loan until the end of the season just before the end of the transfer window.
Ter Stegen only recovered from knee surgery in December, playing for Barcelona once in the Copa del Rey before moving to Girona in January. After making a great save in his first match against Getafe (1-1), ter Stegen came out with a problem in his second appearance on Saturday against Real Oviedo.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s statement about the operation
The German stopper made the statement on Thursday morning after it was announced he would undergo surgery on his Instagram account.
Most of you don’t know me personally, so I want to share something with you.
I am a straightforward person. I have always had this mentality and carried it through all the challenges I have faced, but this one is the hardest for me.Last weekend, the worst happened: I got injured during the game. I had just arrived in Girona, where I was treated with great warmth and closeness from the first minute. I was looking forward to being a part of the team and helping to achieve our shared goal.
Now my role has to change completely, but my support for the team will not change. It’s not just a great team of players and coaching staff; it feels like a family, and from the beginning I have felt their support and closeness.
As athletes, our greatest joy is competition: training and playing. I have to put all that on hold for a few months, as I have decided to have surgery.
I will be back.
Quique Carcel is looking for alternatives for Girona
Speaking about Girona’s transfer market on Thursday, Sporting Director Quique Carcel confirmed that they will be looking for a free goalkeeper to sign to replace the German. Paulo Gazzaniga is their only top option as things stand.
“What happened with Ter Stegen is difficult, he signs a goalkeeper and then he gets injured, it’s a disaster. We are full of Gazzaniga and Vlad, but we have to see if we have the budget for a goalkeeper who does not have a team at the moment. The truth is that if the goalkeeper of the reserve team plays with us, we will be under 23, so he will not be very comfortable. We are fixing this situation and we will see what we can do,” he told MD.
“We signed Ter Stegen and everything that affects it – Marc is determined to overcome this situation, but it was very difficult for him. He will prepare himself to be at his level next season because I see him as a strong person. I can talk a lot about Gazzaniga because he has been important to him for three and a half years and his role has been fundamental. For me, he is the most important and he has given us a goalkeeper.”
🚨 Hansi Flick emphasizes two aspects of Marc Bernal to adapt to the great demand. [@didacpeyret]
– Improve his physical condition
– Release the ball as quickly as possible. pic.twitter.com/wf7g7n8p9Z– barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 5, 2026
Can ter Stegen still play in the World Cup?
It is not yet clear whether ter Stegen still has a chance to join the German team that will play in the World Cup. The 33-year-old notes that he will be out for a few months – the diagnosis will be made after his surgery on Friday. If it’s a three-month absence, he could have a few games in the latter part of the season to prove his fitness, but Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann may consider playing him as a big risk at this point.
