Ter Stegen leaves Barcelona for Girona on loan as World Cup looms

GIRONA, Spain (AP) - For the first time in 12 years, Marc-André ter Stegen is set to represent a club other than Barcelona as he heads to Girona on loan for the rest of the season.

Ter Stegen's move could boost his chances of being Germany's starting goalkeeper at the World Cup after injuries restricted him to just a handful of games in the last 15 months.

He's played only once for Barcelona this season and that was against third-division Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey last month, as coach Hansi Flick opts to continue with Joan García as his first-choice goalkeeper.

The move to Girona is the latest twist in a season that began with the 33-year-old ter Stegen in a standoff with Barcelona over a medical report which the club needed him to sign in order to free up salary cap space.

Ter Stegen has been with Barcelona since joining from his boyhood German club Borussia Moenchengladbach in 2014. He's won the Spanish league title six times with Barcelona and the Champions League once.

He's likely to start ahead of Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga at Girona.

While ter Stegen was out injured, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann started Oliver Baumann in all of Germany's last six games as the team qualified for the World Cup. Baumann's had a strong season at club level, captaining Hoffenheim to a surprise third place so far in the Bundesliga.

It won't be the first time that the World Cup has played a role in Girona's goalkeeping situation this season. Last month, coach Michel said backup Dominik Livakovic had refused to play and wanted to leave for another club to get more guaranteed playing time to represent Croatia at the World Cup.