Ter Stegen not included in Barcelona tour squad
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 that he would be out for around three months with 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."
Although the club confirmed this in a later post, reports suggest that it was not given prior notice of his actions and is 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 because of 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 €25 million ($44.7 million), with the Spaniard expected to challenge for a starting berth.
It has been reported throughout the summer that Barcelona wants to move Ter Stegen on to free up salary space. However, he has outlined his intentions to see out his contract, which runs until 2028.
As such, fresh reports have emerged suggesting that the club may strip the goalkeeper of the captaincy, with president Joan Laporta, sporting director Deco, and manager Hansi Flick all in agreement.
In Ter Stegen's absence, Barcelona fans will get the opportunity to see new signing Garcia for the first time, while veteran keeper Wojciech Szczesny will also travel with the squad.
The tour will also see Marcus Rashford get his first run-out in a Barcelona shirt after the confirmation of his loan move from Manchester United.
Barcelona's tour of South Korea and Japan will take place between 27 July and 4 August, while it kicks off its LaLiga title defence with a trip to Mallorca on 17 August (AEST).
