Attacker Sébastien Haller, who is suffering from testicular cancer, has had a successful operation. This was confirmed by his club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday afternoon.
“The operation went very, very well and he is on the right track,” said BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl in a video interview with Dortmund’s jersey sponsor “1&1”.
The 28-year-old Haller switched from Ajax Amsterdam back to the Bundesliga for BVB in the summer for 31 million euros. On the outskirts of the training camp in Bad Ragaz, the Ivorian suddenly complained of being unwell, whereupon an initial examination revealed cancer.
“He was super stable and incredibly positive and also said to the team: ‘Do your job, give everything. Make sure that when I come back we’re still in the running.’ And the boys will do that too,” said Kehl.
The sports director did not give any further information on how long the center forward will be missing from BVB.
Speculations about a possible Haller replacement at BVB
Haller had already spoken up from the hospital himself last week. He thanked him for the numerous get well wishes that had reached him from all over the world and for the support of the club.
Since the shock diagnosis, those responsible for black and yellow had made it clear in unison that the recovery of the new center forward was the top priority. There were at best loose considerations as to whether the club would sign another central attacker in the short term.
Nevertheless, rumors have increased in recent days that numerous strikers have been associated with a move to the Revierklub. BVB managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke had made it clear to “Sky”: “We shouldn’t always take the second step before the first.” He announced that one would only start thinking more carefully once the final diagnosis had been established.