He has now all but abandoned his long-held dream. The DFB star remains a long way off from a World Cup call-up

“It’s going well,” ter Stegen told Swiss broadcaster TV3, adding: “I’m leading a normal life, I feel good and I can move around more easily.” However, the 33-year-old no longer realistically expects to make the World Cup. “At the moment, I’m a long way off. I feel quite good and we have to do everything we can to ensure I stay healthy.”

Nevertheless, he refuses to “force anything, because health is the most important thing. But the desire to be part of a World Cup and have that experience is unique”. Yet he acknowledges that the odds are long: “We’ll see at the end of the season whether I make it, but it’s difficult. With this kind of injury, you’re usually sidelined for a while.”

Years ago, Marc-André ter Stegen was already seen as the logical successor to Manuel Neuer as Germany’s number one goalkeeper. National team manager Julian Nagelsmann had officially confirmed this plan, but a series of health issues, including back surgery, repeatedly held him back. Last summer, he also lost his starting spot at Barcelona. New signing Joan García took the No. 1 shirt instead, sparking a protracted saga over ter Stegen’s exit. He even relinquished the captaincy after initially refusing to sign a declaration of consent that would allow Barça to forward his injury report to La Liga’s medical commission; the signature eventually freed up 80 per cent of his salary for new registrations.

Needing match practice, he moved to Girona in January and impressed until another injury struck. By late March, Nagelsmann had publicly labelled his chances of making the squad “very, very slim”. TSG Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann is now set to be Germany’s number one, with VfB Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel likely to start the tournament as the number two.

The identity of Nagelsmann’s third and final goalkeeper remains undecided. FC Bayern Munich’s Jonas Urbig was originally picked for the March training camp, but injury ruled him out. He was replaced by FC Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen.

Meanwhile, there are still calls for a return from Manuel Neuer, who had once again shone for the German record champions in the first leg of the quarter-final against Real Madrid. When asked about it afterwards, the veteran said he did not want to “open up the subject”. The 40-year-old thus reiterated his repeated denial of a comeback: “I’ve said my piece and am now focusing on FC Bayern.”