DORTMUND’S HALLER AIMS FOR JANUARY RETURN AFTER CANCER TREATMENT

Sebastien Haller, a forward for Borussia Dortmund, expressed optimism that he will be able to participate in his team’s opening competitive game of 2023 while recovering from testicular cancer.

Haller said he was doing his best to be healthy for Dortmund’s home match against Augsburg on January 22 while speaking at the German team’s winter training camp in the Spanish city of Marbella. Naturally, anything is possible. There are no limitations on me. The 28-year-old forward claimed that only the trainer and the medical staff had the authority to impose restrictions on him.

The Ivory Coast forward, who was born in France, stated he would pay attention to Dortmund’s medical staff’s advice.

“I’ll play when everyone agrees that it would be a good idea for me to do so. I want to play on the field every day as soon as I can, of course. I’ll do everything I can to play on August 22 (against Augsburg) and be in top form.

For Haller, who only trained with the team for the first time on Saturday after returning from cancer treatment that included chemotherapy and two operations, a return in January would be a remarkable result.

Haller acknowledged that the experience “was not easy,” but added that “you now realise that all the work over the past half year was worthit.” Haller has trained alone as much as medically possible while recovering.

“Mental fortitude”

Since moving to Dortmund from Dutch club Ajax in the summer, Haller has not played for the team. The Dortmund captain Marco Reus, who also plans to return from injury in January, said, “I get goosebumps (to see him) back on the field again).

“We are just overjoyed that he’s back. He has demonstrated his mental toughness by battling back. It’s awfully powerful.

Haller might come off the bench when Dortmund plays Fortuna Duesseldorf in a friendly on Tuesday in the Spanish seaside city. On May 15, 2021, the former West Ham striker made his final appearance for Ajax against Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie championship match.

Haller, Timo Baumgartl of Union Berlin, Marco Richter of Hertha Berlin, and Jean-Paul Boetius are the other three Bundesliga players who have recently received a testicular cancer diagnosis. Haller recalled asking his teammates for support and advice while he was receiving treatment.

“I had frequent conversations with Jean-Paul Boetius, Marco Richter, and Timo Baumgartl. Despite the fact that we all had the same diagnosis, the illness affected each of us differently, but they still provided me with some helpful advice.