[News] Borussia Dortmund striker, Sebastien Haller returns to training with former club Ajax just three months after he was diagnosed with a malignant testicular tumour

 

Borussia Dortmund striker, Sebastien Haller returned to training with former club Ajax to continue his recovery from a testicular tumour.

 

Haller received the diagnosis shortly after signing for Borussia Dortmund for £31m in July following an impressive 2021-22 season which saw him score 34 goals in all competitions for the Dutch side.After feeling unwell during Dortmund’s pre-season tour of Switzerland, he underwent tests that revealed a malignant tumour.

He has since undergone chemotherapy and his return to the training pitch is a welcome step in the striker’s recovery.

 

Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder confirmed Haller’s return ahead of their clash with Liverpool on Wednesday.

 

He said: ‘He asked us if he could come and train because he was rehabilitating here.

 

‘Then it is of course wonderful that he can be there for a while. He was able to train on a different pitch to help his Haller is yet to make his debut for the Bundesliga giants and has previously opened up about the treatment he has undergone.

Speaking to UEFA earlier this month, he revealed he has spent ‘five days at a time at the hospital, where I am hooked up 24/7’ and cannot get out of bed while the treatment is injected. He then has a two-week rest period.

 

‘That’s one phase, and I have to do that four times. Four phases of chemotherapy lasting roughly three weeks each,’ he added.

 

‘After that, depending on how my cancer is progressing and how it is spreading, I may be forced to undergo surgery.

 

‘A lot of people are asking me when I will be back, but there’s a lot to take into account so it’s hard to give them a straight answer.

 

He was expected to be out of action for ‘several months’ but said in a positive update on his treatment earlier this month that he had a ‘timescale in mind’ for his return.

 

‘I’m lucky enough to feel well,’ he added. ‘I am physically able to work, I feel fine from both a mental and a physical point of view, which is of course helpful to fight this disease. I have a timescale in mind.

 

‘If I’m lucky enough not to need surgery, things can go very quickly. Three weeks after the final phase, checks are made to see what stage the metastasis is at, and whether you require surgery or not. If I don’t need an operation, with the way I train, I’d like to think that I will be in good condition at the end of those three weeks.