RB Leipzig captain Willi Orban is a doubt for his side's hotly anticipated clash with Union Berlin this weekend, as the 30-year-old prepares for life saving Stem Cell treatment.
Orban has been a key figure for Leipzig in their rise up the Bundesliga standings, with the Red Bulls unbeaten in all competitions since September 17th.
Leipzig sit just four points adrift of league leading Bayern Munich, and they have the opportunity to close the gap further when they take on second-placed Union Berlin on Saturday evening.
But they may have to do without their captain at the Red Bull Arena, as the Hungarian centre back prepares to donate his stem cells in order to save the life of a stranger in need.
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Leipzig launched a campaign altering their fans to the need for donors back in 2017, with Orban among those to sign up for the German Bone Marrow Donor File as a result.
After being notified that he had a match, Orban quickly got to work in preparing himself for the treatment and, as a result, has been unable to train for his club since last Sunday.
Speaking to German outlet Bild, Orban spoke of how he never had any doubts as to whether he would go ahead with the treatment:
"Of course I was surprised at first when I got the information that I was eligible as a donor.
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"But I never had any doubts, I wanted to tackle the donation directly. This is the possibility of saving 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."
The stem cell treatment is set to take place on Wednesday, but with a 10-day recovery period recommended for those who donate their cells, Leipzig are preparing for the prospect of taking to the pitch without their captain for the first time this season.
Topics: RB Leipzig, Bundesliga
Tom Young