RB Leipzig captain Willi Orban could miss this week’s game because he’s making a STEM CELL donation

RB Leipzig captain Willi Orban could miss his side’s crunch clash this weekend against Union Berlin because he’s making a stem cell donation which will save a stranger’s life.

Orban, 30, has played every minute of Leipzig’s Bundesliga season so far and the centre-back has been a crucial part of their rise to fourth in the table under Marco Rose after they sacked his predecessor Domenico Tedesco in September.

They take on the league’s surprise outfit Union on Saturday at the Red Bull Arena but the Hungarian defender could be absent for the clash as he is unable to train all week ahead of his stem cell donation.

A stem cell transplant replaces someone’s damaged blood cells with healthy ones from a donor and it can be used to treat conditions affecting the blood cells, such as leukaemia and lymphoma. 

Orban registered with the German Bone Marrow Donor File back in 2017 when Leipzig launched a campaign on the matter.

Willi Orban will make a stem cell donation and may miss this week’s game vs Union Berlin

He was recently informed that he had a ‘match’ – effectively meaning there was a suitable recipient of a donation from him and someone in need with the same or similar tissue type.

And, according to German outlet Bild, Orban is set to undergo his stem cell donation on Wednesday, with the defender receiving injections over the past few days in preparation for the operation.

The 30-year-old has since outlined his excitement at potentially saving someone’s life.

He 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.’

The process of taking Orban’s stem cells will take place in Dresden and is expected to last several hours.

The RB Leipzig defender will make his donation on Wednesday after he was notified of a ‘match’, with Orban having registered with the German Bone Marrow Donor File back in 2017

The Hungarian international (R) has also urged more people to sign up for stem cell donation

Although the 30-year-old is not expected to be kept in overnight for observation, a rest period of 10 days is recommended for donors, throwing into doubt his participation in Leipzig’s game with Union.

Orban is considered an extremely fit player and his potential appearance on Saturday is likely dependent on his reaction to the process.

However, the defender claims that there is a bigger issue on show than just football.

He said: ‘Of course it’s possible that I’ll miss the game against Union – despite all my sporting ambitions, that’s secondary in this case.

‘And anyone who knows me knows that I will do everything to get back to the team as soon as possible.’

Orban has been informed of some details regarding the recipient of his stem cells such as their gender and location, and he may eventually meet them if a recovery takes place and both parties are interested.

However, the defender was focused on the importance of what he was doing and encouraged more people to sign up for stem cell donation.

He added: ‘I wish that many more people would register. It’s really really simple, I feel very well looked after. 

‘My example shows that registration makes perfect sense.’