Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday that German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen will not be part of the squad for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan, to be played at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
Rookie Ander Astralaga has been called up as the third-choice goalkeeper in his place.
The switch is mandatory, as Ter Stegen is not registered for the Champions League. Aside from that, head coach Hansi Flick has kept the same group of players that featured in last Saturday’s Copa del Rey final, where Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-2.
Flick will be without several important names for this clash. In addition to Ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Marc Casadó, Alejandro Balde, and Robert Lewandowski are all sidelined due to injury—Lewandowski being a particularly significant loss up front.
The full list of players called up to face Inter includes: Pau Cubarsí, Ronald Araújo, Iñigo Martínez, Gavi, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Iñaki Peña, Pablo Torre, Andreas Christensen, Fermín López, Pau Víctor, Lamine Yamal, Marc Guiu Olmo, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Wojciech Szczesny, Ander Astralaga, Héctor Fort, and Gerard Martín.
Despite the absences, Barcelona enters the semifinal with momentum after lifting the Copa del Rey and aims to keep its winning form alive against a tough, physically demanding Inter side.
The first-leg showdown promises to be intense, with Barça looking to take full advantage at home before the return leg in Milan. Without their starting keeper, the defensive unit will need to step up in a big way.
