Barcelona Star Suffers Injury Setback Amid January Transfer Links - Report

Barcelona are set to face Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup on January 7, 2026, in Saudi Arabia. However, before the game, the Catalan team had been hit with an injury setback, with the player set to return to Camp Nou.

Barcelona captain and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who was also in talks for a January exit, has reportedly sustained an injury during training and has now abandoned the Saudi Arabia camp to return to Spain for tests.

33-year-old Ter Stegen has been irregular on the pitch after his knee injury in September 2024, which was also the reason why he missed out most of last season. Meanwhile, this season, the German international underwent back surgery and missed out on 22 games.

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Marc-André ter Stegen Suffers Injury In Training

Ter Stegen was reportedly heading toward a January loan exit; however, after the recent setback, the transfer links seem to be in doubt. As per Fabrizio Romano, the goalkeeper left the session around 25 minutes early and has returned to Barcelona for further assessment.

While the severity of the injury is not yet known, any kind of time off the pitch would likely scupper a move away this month and his hopes for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Notably, after failing to have much luck in the international team, the upcoming World Cup was his perfect chance to prove his worth; however, the lack of games these past few seasons could cost him the position of Germany's number 1.

Meanwhile, following the setback, Barcelona have called up Diego Kochen, who is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia immediately and be available for the remainder of the tournament.

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Marc-André ter Stegen Made Just One Appearance Since Back Surgery

Ter Stegen has made over 400 appearances for Barcelona since joining from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014, but has been restricted to just one game appearance since returning from a back injury in December. The one appearance came in the Copa del Rey win against Guadalajara.