Barcelona's post-season misery has been compounded with the news that goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has undergone knee surgery and faces an extended spell out.
The German has been one of the few consistent presences in the team as the club finished trophyless, culminating the 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The club were looking to trim down their squad this summer, with sub keeper Neto one of the players they were looking to offload.
But Barcelona on Tuesday confirmed that Ter Stegen has had a successful operation on his right patella, and that the player will now begin recuperation.
He is expected to spend at least two-and-a-half months on the sidelines, meaning he is unlikely to be available for selection until the beginning of November in this condensed 2020/21 season as a result of coronavirus disruption.
Ter Stegen's contract runs until the summer of 2022 and he has been coy so far on opening negotiations over an extension.
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Barcelona 
