Barcelona star will miss friendly clash with national team due to gastrointestinal infection

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is one of many Barcelona players set to represent their respective nations in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The in-form goalkeeper has been one of Barcelona’s best performers in this new season and could be a reliable alternative for Manuel Neuer for Germany, in this coveted competition.

However, as confirmed in an official statement, ter Stegen will not travel with the rest of the German team to Qatar just yet. He is expected to stay back for now, due to a gastrointestinal infection.

Therefore, ter Stegen will receive some treatment before he can be cleared for travel. This means that the custodian will miss Germany’s friendly encounter against Oman on Wednesday before Hansi Flick’s side begin their World Cup campaign.

The announcement of his delayed departure comes just a few days after the goalkeeper featured in Barça’s narrow 2-1 win over CA Osasuna.

Although the German had missed out on a clean sheet in that game, he has been by far the best goalkeeper of the league so far, having conceded just five goals.

The German team, therefore, will be desperate to have ter Stegen in Qatar as soon as possible. His training, along with the two other goalkeepers in Neuer and Kevin Trapp, could be essential, in the nation’s bid to restore their lost glory in the upcoming World Cup.

In terms of hierarchy, it is debatable whether ter Stegen is the second or third-choice goalkeeper for Germany, after Neuer.

This is because his other competitor Trapp has been in a sizzling run of form ever since he rejoined Eintracht Frankfurt and was one of the protagonists of the club’s sensational triumph in the UEFA Europa League last season.