Following Hansi Flick’s confirmation that top custodian Joan Garcia will not be participating, Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen might make his first appearance of the season on Tuesday night. In the Copa del Rey, the Blaugrana will play Guadalajara away from home.
After having back surgery earlier this year, Ter Stegen was out until last week. Despite the Barcelona captain’s comeback, Flick clarified that Joan Garcia would still be his top pick. Given that Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has stated that ter Stegen must play in order to be their top player at the World Cup, there has been a lot of conjecture over Stegen’s future. Thus, there has been talk about a loan transfer for ter Stegen.
“He made this choice.” We talked about his predicament, and because Marc is an excellent goalie, I greatly like him. He’s a great player for us and a fantastic teammate, but in the end, it’s up to him to make the decision, so that’s what matters,” he told ESPN.
Flick asks Ter Stegen to decide his future
But as I mentioned earlier, Joan is the top priority. We’ll see what transpires from there.” “We won three titles with Tek (Szczesny) last season; he was outstanding. Additionally, he provided us with steadiness throughout Joan’s injury this season. “For me, Tek is not only on the pitch but also in the locker room, a very important player for us,” commented Flick.
In an attempt to carry over their strong league performance—winning seven straight games to build a seven-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table—into the domestic cup, Flick stated his team was prepared to face a lower league team.
It has to do with the mindset and attitude we displayed. The players are aware of it. It concerns how we began the game and serves as its foundation. “We must prevail in these games. We are the favourites when we play in La Liga. Thus, this is what I hope the team will do.” “They have to be ready and show our quality on the pitch,” the German coach stated.
