Dortmund striker Sébastien Haller to undergo chemotherapy

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund striker Sébastien Haller needs chemotherapy treatment because his testicular tumor was found to be malignant, the club said Saturday.

“Sébastien will now receive the best possible treatment. The chances of recovery are very good,” Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said. “We wish him and his family a lot of strength and optimism, and our thoughts are with him during this difficult time.”

The club said Haller will miss “several months” but that it will not be releasing any further medical information on the player’s condition.

The 28-year-old Haller joined Dortmund from Ajax for 31 million euros ($31.5 million) on July 6 but had to leave a preseason training camp 12 days later for treatment and an operation after the tumor was found.

Haller was signed as a replacement for Erling Haaland after the Norwegian joined Manchester City.

Kehl previously said existing Dortmund players like Netherlands international Donyell Malen, Germany forward Karim Adeyemi and the 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko could help fill in for Haller’s absence.

Malen and Adeyemi both scored in Dortmund’s 3-0 win at 1860 Munich in the first round of the German Cup on Friday.

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