Bild: Ter Stegen can return as early as December, and it is impossible for him to play again under Flick

November 19th: German coach Nagelsmann has not confirmed who will serve as the number one goalkeeper for next summer's World Cup. German media "Bild" said that a key factor in this issue is still Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen, who may return as early as next month.

In the pre-match press conference against Slovakia, Nagelsmann was asked how likely it was that Bowman would now stand in front of the German team's goal at the World Cup, and his answer was: "It depends on a lot of factors. He is performing very well now, but I don't make the decision alone, I also have a goalkeeper. Coach, he is an expert in this area."

Nagelsmann put aside the responsibility of a single nomination, but actually wanted to keep all options. These options are: Bowman, who is currently in good form and performing well; Neuer, whose return is still a potential issue; but the most critical one is still Ter Stegen.

A big question for the German team is: What is the current status of the originally envisioned No. 1 goalkeeper in the World Cup? Ter Stegen has resumed individual training with Barcelona after undergoing back surgery in July and missing several months. In early November, he himself posted a video on Instagram.

You can see in the video: The goalkeeper is practicing easy passing and is wearing goalkeeper gloves. Ter Stegen has had no further setbacks since then and continues to make progress in his recovery. He is currently in Barcelona and no longer with a personal trainer in France.

Ter Stegen's World Cup dream is still there. "Bild" learned that his next goal is to start team training. The earliest possible return date: mid-December.

However, it was considered impossible for Ter Stegen to play another game under Flick. It is reported that even Barcelona's new main goalkeeper Garcia (torn meniscus) will return to health at the end of November, and Szczesny is also ranked ahead of Ter Stegen in the goalkeeper order.

The situation remains the same, that is, if Ter Stegen wants to keep goalkeeper in the World Cup, he must change clubs and play. It is said that Barcelona is prepared to accept a loan deal with a purchase option in the winter window to realize Ter Stegen's World Cup dream while saving his high salary of about 18 million euros. Recently, Newcastle, Manchester United, Tottenham and Monaco have been mentioned as potential clubs, and now there is news that Besiktas is also considering a loan move.

German star Effenberg clearly suggested Ter Stegen transfer in the Sport1 program: "If he still wants to participate in the World Cup, he should do it. He must play."