Ter Stegen not included in Barcelona´s pre-season tour amid growing tensions

Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen will not travel on the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, amid a growing rift between the player and the club.

The move comes after Ter Stegen announced on Thursday that he would be out for around three months due to a back operation.

In a post on social media, he said: “Physically and athletically, I feel in very good shape, although unfortunately I am not free from pain.

“After intensive discussions with the FC Barcelona medical team and external experts, the quickest and safest way for me to fully recover is through back surgery.

“Emotionally, it hurts a lot not being able to support the team during this time. Fortunately, the rehabilitation is manageable and the road back is clear.”

Though the club confirmed this in a later post, reports suggest that they were not given prior notice of his actions and are frustrated with the goalkeeper.

That was just the latest in a series of incidents that have caused a divide between the club and Ter Stegen, who only started eight LaLiga games last season due to injury.

The German, meanwhile, has reportedly been frustrated with Barcelona after being benched for the final league match of the season, missing out on a bonus written into his contract as a result.

Those frustrations were amplified by the arrival of Joan Garcia from Espanyol for a reported €25m, with the Spaniard expected to challenge for a starting berth.

The squad is set.