Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has admitted he would accept a role on the bench if head coach Hansi Flick prefers German international Marc-Andre Ter Stegen when he returns to the squad.
The 34-year old came out of retirement to sign for the Catalan giants in October last year as a replacement for Ter Stegen, who suffered a serious knee injury against Villareal in September.
The Ex-Poland international initially struggled to stake a spot in the starting lineup, before usurping Inaki Pena as Flick’s preferred number one.
Szczesny however said he would accept the manager’s decision regarding his role, given Ter Stegen’s anticipated return to action sooner than expected.
“Look, I am here this season to replace Marc. If Marc is back and fit and the coach decides he’s back in goal, I am fine with it. But I want to play. If the decision is the other way, I think Marc will understand too”, Szczesny said in an interview.
“At this moment, there is no competition because Marc is only coming back to training. He’s not fully with the team. When he is available, it will be the coach’s decision, not ours, and we will respect it.
It’s not uncomfortable. There’s no tension between us. We both want the best outcome for the team at this crucial stage of the season.”
Barcelona are undefeated in their last 24 matches in all competitions with the former Juventus goalkeeper yet to suffer a loss in his 22 appearances for the club.
Due to his excellent form, Szczesny is set to receive a contract extension from the club, despite initially signing for one year.
“We have only big games from now until the end of the season and I want to focus on playing the best football I can,” he added.
“I don’t want to lose energy on contract negotiations or contemplating my future.
I want to win every trophy in front of us and leave the contract talks to the club and my agent. There is a chance they are talking, but I don’t want to hear it”, the Ex-Poland man added.
The former Arsenal man is expected to be in goal when the Blaugrana head to Germany to face Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their UCL quarterfinal, with a 4-0 advantage from the first leg.
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