The news regarding starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been released, and unfortunately, it is indeed the worst case scenario. Having suffered a full tear of the patellar tendon (an injury that many would say is even worse than an anterior cruciate ligament tear), he is done for the remainder of the season.
That means Inaki Pena is now the first choice shot-stopper, the rest of the way.
FC Barcelona at Osasuna FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Sept. 28, 9pm, El Sadar, Pamplona, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing, Form: Osasuna 7th, 11 pts, LWLWD FC Barcelona 1st, 21 pts, WWWWW
Google Result Probability: Osasuna 15% Draw 19% FC Barcelona 66%
FC Barcelona Team News
With that in mind, the No. 2 is USMNT Youth international Diego Kochen. But he’s not available right now, either, as he’s got a hamstring injury. Elsewhere when are Frenkie de Jong and Gavi going to finally feature again? They have been back in full training for awhile now, but we haven’t seen them on the pitch.
If they do play on Saturday, at Osasuna, it would only be in a cameo role off the bench. They’re obviously being brought back into the team at a slow pace. Ferran Torres came off the bench in midweek against Getafe, having returned from suspension.
He could get a first team starting assignment.
Finally, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo remain out as long-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.