'It's his decision' - Marc-Andre ter Stegen told he can stay at Barcelona as Hansi Flick hints at possible starting XI return with Joan Garcia dropped for next game

Ter Stegen, who has been a pillar of the Barcelona defence for over a decade, has found himself in an unfamiliar position this season following the ascent of summer signing Joan Garcia to the status of undisputed number one. The German only recently returned from a long spell out following surgery, but he had been told before the season began that he would not be called upon this season, with Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny getting preference ahead of him. With his hopes of playing at the 2026 World Cup depending on his playing time, the 33-year-old may look for a move away in the January window if there is no route back to the first-team at Camp Nou. However, Flick was quick to dismiss any notion that the club is looking to push the goalkeeper out, emphasising his personal respect for Ter Stegen while acknowledging the player's autonomy in this scenario.

"I think it is his decision," Flick said at a press conference. "We have spoken about his situation and I respect Marc a lot because he is a great goalkeeper and personally is a good person for the team. But in the end, it is his decision and it is he who must decide it, not me."

The press conference also covered the immediate team selection for the midweek trip to face Guadalajara. With the fixture schedule remaining congested, questions were raised regarding potential rotation in the goalkeeper position. Flick confirmed that there would be a change between the sticks for this specific match, ruling out a start for the current number one. He stopped short of confirming if Szczesny will be given the nod, leaving room for suggestions Ter Stegen could make his first appearance of the season.

"We are going to give Joan a rest tomorrow," Flick stated regarding Joan Garcia. "First of all, we want to talk to the players and before the match, we will tell them who is going to play. Today is not the day to make decisions, we are in the recovery process."

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The Barcelona boss subsequently discussed the broader state of his goalkeeping department. He referenced the depth available to him, mentioning Ter Stegen alongside Szczęsny who came out of retirement to act as a backup option and was part of the squad that secured silverware last season.

Flick reiterated the current pecking order while praising the contributions of all three senior goalkeepers in the squad.

"Marc is a fantastic goalkeeper and in goal, we have three excellent goalkeepers," Flick continued. "We will see what happens. I have already said that Joan is the number one and from there we will see what happens. Tek played last season and we won three titles with him. This season when he was injured he gave us stability. Tek in the dressing room is also a very important player for us."

The game against third-tier side Guadalajara will take place on Wednesday with Flick's side aiming to reach the round of 16 of the competition. Three days later, they will return to La Liga action with a trip to Villarreal as they aim to at least maintain, if not extend, their four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table. Villarreal, however, are third and eight points behind Barcelona after winning a sixth consecutive game in the Spanish top-flight at the weekend.