Barcelona to register goalkeeper Garcia after La Liga confirms the long -term injury to Ter Stegen

Barcelona will be able to register newly signed goalkeeper Joan Garcia for the new season after the Spanish league had confirmed a long-term injury to Marc-André ter Stegen, the club said Wednesday.

With the ruling, Barcelona can free up some salary cap room and register other players more easily without breaking the rules for financial fair play.

«Barcelona announces that the La Liga medical committee has ruled that goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury meets the long-term injury criteria set by the current regulations,» said it. «The club will continue to immediately formalize the registration of player Joan Garcia tomorrow.»

The length of the injury had caused a dispute between Barcelona and Ter Stegen, who initially refused to sign the medical report that the Catalan club had to send to the competition.

The 33-year-old keeper said it would take about three months before he would recover from a lower operation last month. However, the club said it would take longer and wanted to add it to the long -term bleat list.

After Ter Stegen refused to sign, the club opened a disciplinary procedure and discovered him from his captain. It restored him after signing the report last week.

Ter Stegen said after he signed the report that he was never planning to make it difficult for Barcelona to sign new players, and only wanted to be able to return to action as quickly as possible. He said, «In recent months, especially have been difficult for me, both physically and personally.»

Ter Stegen missed almost the entire last season due to a knee injury, and in 2023 he missed about two months due to another return. Inaki Pena and veteran Wojciech Szczesny started last season instead of Ter Stegen.

The club signed Espanyol -goalkeeper Garcia in June.