Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen stretchered off after horrible injury, fans left disturbed 

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen picked up a nasty knock during the match against Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday (September 22). He had to be stretchered off during the first half at El Madrigal.

Robert Lewandowski gave a flying start to the Catalan giants, scoring a first-half brace (20', 35'). However, the young Barcelona defense didn't have a good half, struggling to keep Villarreal runners at bay. Ayoze Perez got one goal back for the home side in the 38th minute.

On the cusp of halftime, Ter Stegen picked up a blow to his right knee while trying to catch a deep corner that saw him backpedal and fall awkwardly on the pitch. Teary-eyed and writhing in pain, the German was quick to signal to the bench and indicate that his time on the pitch had come to an end.

Fans were quick to hop on to X (formerly Twitter) and share their opinions on yet another injury for Hansi Flick's side. While some shared their sympathies, others tried suggesting alternative options going forward. A few popular reactions on X are as follows:

"That's a tough blow for Barcelona! Wishing ter Stegen a speedy recovery—he's a vital player for the team!" wrote a fan on X.

"Praying for him," added another.

One fan predicted that the goalkeeper's 2024-25 season with the Catalan giants has come to an end, tweeting:

"Could be the end of Ter Stegen's 2024/25 season, looked terrible."

"Feeling sad for Marc-André ter Stegen ...!!! Comeback stronger man," wrote another fan on X.

"Hope it's not a major injury and he recovers soon," tweeted one fan.

"Marc-André's exit on a stretcher is a tough blow for the team. Wishing him a speedy recovery—let's hope he's back on the pitch soon," inferred another fan on X.

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Ter Stegen's right knee has been the Barcelona shot-stopper's Achilles' heel for a while

The most concerning part about the injury is that the German took a knock on his right knee. It has been an area of concern for the goalkeeper for quite some time now.

In 2021, he had to undergo surgery on his right knee after an injury to his patellar tendon. Therefore, a blow to the same area could mean a long period of being sidelined for the German keeper.

If the shot-stopper is confirmed to have an ACL injury, he would be the third Barcelona player to suffer that fate in the last 12 months. Marc Bernal and Gavi also suffered the same injury. For now, fans can do nothing but wait for an official statement from the club.

Since arriving from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, Ter Stegen has kept 175 clean sheets in 419 games for Barca.