BERLIN (AP) — Hertha Berlin winger Jean-Paul Boëtius has been diagnosed with a testicular tumor, becoming the fourth Bundesliga player to receive such a diagnosis this season.
The 28-year-old Boëtius was given the news after a urological test on Wednesday and will undergo an operation on Friday. He will “be out for the foreseeable future,” Hertha said on Thursday.
“As bitter as this news is in the first instance, we’re full of hope that Jean-Paul will be able to recover and return to us as soon as possible,” Hertha sporting director Fredi Bobic said. “He will receive every possible support from us until his return. The Hertha family are by his side and wish him all the best.”
The club said it will provide further information on Boëtius’ recovery as it occurs and asked for the Dutch player’s privacy to be respected in the meantime.
Boëtius’ teammate, Marco Richter, was diagnosed with a testicular tumor in July. The 24-year-old Richter underwent treatment and returned against Borussia Dortmund on Aug. 27, scoring twice in three more Bundesliga appearances since.
Union Berlin defender Timo Baumgartl returned last Sunday in the win over Wolfsburg, five months after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The 26-year-old Baumgartl’s previous league game was against Eintracht Frankfurt in April.
Dortmund forward Sébastien Haller is undergoing treatment for a malignant tumor. The 28-year-old Haller had to leave Dortmund’s preseason training camp after the tumor was found 12 days after he joined from Ajax on July 6.
Boëtius joined Hertha in the offseason from league rival Mainz once his contract expired.
“The whole Mainz 05 family are behind you, Djanga! We’re wishing you a full and speedy recovery,” Boëtius’ former club wrote on Twitter.
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