Now it’s official: Sébastien Haller will not return to Borussia Dortmund soon after his operation. Rather, BVB has to do without the newcomer, who is suffering from a testicular tumor, for several months – and now “find solutions” as quickly as possible.
A final diagnosis is still pending, but the hope of a speedy return from Sébastien Haller is finally gone. Borussia Dortmund will probably have to do without their goalscorer, who is suffering from a testicular tumor, for the rest of the year. “He had a successful operation last week. He will definitely be out for a few months,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Haller received the shock diagnosis last week at the runner-up’s training camp in Bad Ragaz/Switzerland. In the meantime, the 28-year-old has had an operation after further examinations and, according to Kehl, is “on the right track”. “The treatment path is currently being discussed with the doctors,” he added, and the investigations are still ongoing. “We support him fully,” assured coach Edin Terzic before the start of the competitive game on Friday (8.45 p.m. / ZDF and Sky) in the first round of the DFB Cup at the ambitious third division team 1860 Munich.
Those responsible left it open whether BVB would be active again in the transfer market in view of the longer absence of the striker. Terzic had “various options” available, said Kehl: “Nevertheless, Haller’s profile is missing. We’re working on different options. But we’ll only do something if it makes sense in the end.”
Terzic follows the discussion calmly. He is in “daily exchange” with the bosses, he said, emphasizing that “something is lost” without Haller. You have to be ready to “find solutions”. In the past, however, Borussia had “played successful football without a striker,” said Terzic and announced that he “wanted to try one or the other”.
Haller, who has just come from Ajax Amsterdam for at least 31 million euros as the most expensive attacker in the club’s history, should replace top star Erling Haaland, who has migrated to Manchester City. Youssoufa Moukoko is currently the only central attacker in the Dortmund squad. Terzic pointed out that Donyell Malen, Karim Adeyemi or Thorgan Hazard could also play at the top.
He must have found a solution by Friday. Because in the cup there is “always a form of tripping”. On the other hand, the title is “the quickest to reach”. Maybe then with Haller? “He was super stable and incredibly positive and also said to the team: ‘Do your job, give everything. Make sure that – when I come back – we’re still in the running.’ And the boys will do that,” Kehl said in a video interview with Dortmund’s shirt sponsor released on Tuesday
