Leipzig defender Willi Orban could miss his side’s next Bundesliga game as he will become a stem cell donor ahead of the match.
Fourth-placed Leipzig take on second-placed Union Berlin on Saturday in a huge game for the title race, but may have to do without their captain Orban, who has played every minute for them in the league this season.
The 30-year-old Hungarian international told BILD he has been on the Germany donor register since 2017, and has been receiving injections ahead of the collection.
Orban, who was born in Germany to a Hungarian mother and Polish father, began the process after a 0-0 draw against Cologne at the weekend, and will now undergo the collection process on Wednesday in Dresden.
Speaking ahead of the donation, he said: “Of course I was surprised at first when I got the information that I was a possible donor, but at no time did I have any doubts.
“I wanted to approach the donation directly. This is the opportunity to save a human life with very little effort, there are no two opinions for me.
“I very much hope that my donation can help to completely heal the recipient.”
Stem cell transplantation is used to treat blood and bone marrow cancers, and can be life saving for patients with no other options left.
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Due to the nature of the blood collection, Orban stopped team training on Sunday, and is likely to return Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
That could impact his chances of playing against Union Berlin, but that is insignificant for the star centre back.
“Of course, it’s possible that I’ll miss the game against Union – despite all my sporting ambitions, that’s secondary in this case,” he said.
“And anyone who knows me knows I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to the team as soon as possible.”
Adding on the collection, he said: “I wish that many more people would register. It’s really very simple.
“I feel very much well looked after. My example shows that a registration makes perfect sense.”