"The break obviously annoys me" - Marc-Andre ter Stegen releases statement after Barcelona confirm goalkeeper needs surgery 

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen recently took to social media and released a statement after the club revealed that he will be going through a surgical procedure for his back injury.

Ter Stegen last represented Barcelona during their La Liga clash against Deportivo Alavés on November 12, where they recorded a 2-1 win with the help of a brace from Robert Lewandowski. Since then, the 31-year-old has been out of action.

The Barcelona goalkeeper also had to withdraw from the Germany squad for last month’s international break. After the international break came to an end, Inaki Pena took Ter Stegen's place in the starting XI as Xavi Hernandez's side locked horns against Rayo Vallecano, Porto, and Atletico Madrid.

Earlier today (December 5), Barcelona released a statement confirming that the German goalkeeper will require surgery for the back issue. The statement read:

“First team player Marc Andre ter Stegen will undergo surgery this week in order to solve the lumbar pain he’s been going through. Once the surgery is completed, a new statement will be released.”

Soon after the update from the club, Marc-Andre ter Stegen took to X (formerly Twitter) to address his fans directly.

Ter Stegen wrote:

"After intensive conversations with the medical team of the Club and various supporting experts, we decided to undergo a surgical procedure. The break obviously annoys me. It is the right and safe decision in order to come back in the best conditions for my Club @FCBarcelona and National Team @DFB_Team."

As per the Athletic, the German goalkeeper is expected to stay out of action for around two months.

Lionel Messi confirms that returning to Barcelona was his first option this summer

Argentine legend Lionel Messi recently confirmed that returning to Barcelona during the summer transfer window earlier this year was his first option. The former Paris Saint-Germain attacker stated that he analyzed all the options before coming to a conclusion.

Messi stated that he wanted to return to the Camp Nou, but a move did not materialize. He said (via TIME):

“The truth is that fortunately, I had several options on the table that were interesting, and I had to analyze them and think, even weigh them up with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami.”

“My first option was to return to Barcelona, but it was not possible. I tried to return, and it did not happen.”

Lionel Messi also said that he had offers from the Saudi Pro League. Nevertheless, he decided to join David Beckham's Inter Miami on a free transfer in July.

Messi guided the Herons to a historical Leagues Cup triumph, scoring ten goals and providing one assist in the competition. However, the Herons failed to qualify for the postseason of Major League Soccer.