Ter Stegen returns to Barcelona's goal seven months later

Seven months after seriously injuring his right knee against Villarreal at La Cerámica, Marc-André ter Stegen will be back in goal in a La Liga match. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick confirmed this in the press conference prior to Saturday's clash with Valladolid . The German also admitted that he will be rotating his starting lineup several times for this match, both due to the fatigue some of his key players are experiencing and, also, and probably above all, to have those players in top form ahead of a do-or-die return leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter at San Siro.

"It's good for Szczesny to be able to rest, and Ter Stegen is doing very well; he's performed well in training. I'm not thinking, for the moment, about changing anything else in this regard for the end of the season. The game against Valladolid is for him, and then we'll see what happens," emphasized the coach, who is well aware that it's not just the Pole who needs a break. "I think the game against Inter shows us that players like Koundé were already very stressed, and that's why he ended up getting injured. We'll look at the data, talk to the doctors to see who needs rest or less playing time. We're going to rotate, of course," said Flick, who wanted to emphasize that this doesn't mean, in any way, that they won't take the match against Valladolid very seriously, even though they're already relegated.

"You have to always play at the highest level. It doesn't matter where Valladolid is next season, they're in the First Division now. You can lose the title in these games. We suffered a lot against Leganés or Las Palmas , and the team knows that," said Flick, who hinted that, against Inter, while he might not even be in the squad for this Saturday, Robert Lewandowski might be able to play. "He's progressing very well, better than we expected, but there are still a few days left. He's very professional, he works hard, and maybe he'll have the opportunity to return on Tuesday," suggested the coach, who is aware that his team must improve defensively. Of course, without ever compromising his style. "There are times when it can be risky, but I love it," he concluded.