RB Leipzig captain Willi Orban could miss Union Berlin clash after making stem cell donation

• Orban has featured in every game this season
• Could miss Saturday's fixture
• Donating stem cells

WHAT HAPPENED? RB Leipzig may be without captain Orban next time out as the defender has undergone a blood stem cell donation. The Bundesliga side have confirmed that Orban, who has been on the bone marrow registry in Germany since 2017, donated his stem cells on Wednesday after being found as a match for a patient with blood cancer. Orban dropped out of team training this week and had injections to boost his stem cells ahead of the procedure.

WHAT THEY SAID: “Of course I was surprised when I received the info that I was a match. I without a doubt wanted to make the donation as soon as possible," he told the club's official website. "I have the chance to potentially save another person’s life with very little effort. It was a no brainer. I hope my donation will help the recipient to recover from their illness."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Orban also said he he is hoping to inspire other people to register for bone marrow donor registry. Stem cells donations are used to treat patients with blood cancers and disorders and can be life-saving.

"I might of course miss the Union game but even with my sporting ambitions, football is of secondary importance," he added. "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."

IN A PHOTO:

Orban has been focused on something far more important than football this week.

Getty

WHAT NEXT? RB Leipzig take on Union Berlin on Saturday in the Bundesliga but the club have said "it is unclear" whether Orban will be able to feature in the fixture.