BIG-HEARTED RB Leipzig captain Willi Orban could be set to miss his first game of the season.
That’s as he prepares to undergo a stem cell donation to save a stranger’s life.
Orban, 30, has missed Leipzig training since Sunday in order to make the incredible gesture.
The Hungary captain has played every minute of Leipzig’s Bundesliga campaign so far this season.
But Orban could now be absent for the weekend game against Union Berlin ahead of Wednesday’s operation.
The centre-back first registered with the German Bone Marrow Donor File in 2017 following a campaign by his club.
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And Orban was recently informed his tissue matched with someone in need of healthy blood cells.
A stem cell transplant replaces damaged cells with new ones, and is used in treatments for conditions like lymphoma and leukaemia.
Orban has been receiving injections to increase the number of stem cells in his blood, with tomorrow’s procedure in Dresden set to last several hours.
He will not need to stay overnight at hospital, but doctors usually advise donors to rest for 10 days afterwards, leaving Orban’s availability against Union Berlin in question.
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However, the defender has no qualms about potentially missing the game, revealing he has “no doubts” about the transplant which could “save a human life.”
Orban told Bild: “Of course I was surprised at first when I got the information that I was eligible as a donor.
“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.”
Orban added: “I might of course miss the Union game but even with my sporting ambitions, football is of secondary importance.
“Those who know me know that I will do everything I can in order to rejoin the team as soon as possible.
“I hope this inspires more people to register. The process was really simple and I feel like I’ve been very well looked after. My example shows that it makes total sense to register.”
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Orban has been at Leipzig since 2015, helping them achieve promotion to the top flight and becoming one of Germany’s top sides.
The ace has clocked up 269 games for Leipzig and led them to victory in the German Cup last year.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
