Sebastien Haller makes Borussia Dortmund bench six months after tumour diagnosis

Sebastien Haller has been named on the bench for Borussia Dortmund’s friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf just six months after being diagnosed with a testicular tumor.

If Haller does get any playing time, it will be his first time playing for Dortmund since moving from Ajax for £31m last July.

Less than two weeks after signing for Dortmund, Haller fell ill in training and after undergoing medical examinations it was confirmed that he had a tumor.

Sebastien Haller has been included in Borussia Dortmund’s squad for the match against Fortuna Dusseldorf

Haller signed for Dortmund in the summer but has yet to play for the club after being diagnosed with a testicular tumor.

Having undergone treatment, Haller has made remarkable progress and is now back with the Dortmund squad for their clash with Düsseldorf.

Haller recently revealed that he is aiming for a return to competitive action when Dortmund host Augsburg in the Bundesliga on January 22.

Having been named among the substitutes for their final friendly 12 days before that match, this appears to be a realistic target for the striker.

Haller has also opened up about his journey since he was first diagnosed with a tumor, explaining that telling his children about his situation was the most difficult time for him.

“First I discussed with my wife how best to explain it to our children,” Haller said. picture.

Haller has remained positive since his diagnosis while undergoing chemotherapy.

“We search for advice online and ask other people. Then we find a way and explain it to you with a small video.

“The hardest part was getting them to understand that while I am fine right now, I am sick and need to be hospitalized, even for a few weeks or months.

“We wanted to be honest, kids are smart and have good senses, so we didn’t want to try to hide anything from them.”

“Luckily they took it well, I laughed a lot at home, I played a lot with them. It wasn’t business as usual at first, of course: my older son often wanted to jump on me, so I had to tell him: ‘not yet’. But now everything is fine.

Haller has remained incredibly positive throughout his treatment, which included four rounds of chemotherapy and two operations.

The Ivorian striker credits his family and the football community for helping him through his toughest moments.

Haller is now aiming for a return to competitive action against Augsburg on January 22.

‘I knew right away: I have no choice. Options are limited. It won’t do you any good if you put yourself in a slump,” Haller added.

‘So I said to myself: stay positive, get your family and friends together. You’re not alone. So go through it together with them.

‘When I got home, my wife had prepared some small posters with the news of my family. Mom, dad, brother, sister.

‘That was actually the most emotional thing. But there was also an incredible amount of uplifting news from the world of football, I can’t even list them all.

“The president of the Ivory Coast was there, my previous clubs and of course many players, Luka Jovic and Ante Rebic also wrote to me, which made me happy.”