Sebastien Haller has to go to the bench six months after being diagnosed with a tumor at Borussia Dortmund

Sebastien Haller was called up for Borussia Dortmund’s friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf just six months after being diagnosed with a testicular tumor.

Should Haller be given playing time, it will be the first time he has played for Dortmund since his £31million move from Ajax last July.

Less than two weeks after his move to Dortmund, Haller fell ill in training and medical tests confirmed a tumour.

Sebastien Haller has been included in the Borussia Dortmund squad for the game against Fortuna Dusseldorf

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

After the treatment, Haller has made remarkable progress and is now back in the Dortmund squad for the clash against Dusseldorf.

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

Twelve days before that game, he was called up as a substitute for his last friendly, which seems like a realistic goal for the striker.

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

“I first talked to my wife about how best to explain it to our children,” says Haller picture.

Haller has remained positive since his diagnosis, when he underwent chemotherapy

“We searched the internet for tips and asked other people. We then found a way and explained it to them with a small video.

“The hardest part was getting them to understand that although I’m fine, I’m sick and need to be hospitalized – even for a few weeks or months.

“We wanted to be honest, the kids are smart and have good minds themselves, so we didn’t want to hold anything back from them.

“Luckily they took it well, I laughed a lot at home, played a lot with them. In the beginning it wasn’t like usual, of course – my older son wanted to jump at me a lot, 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 surgeries.

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

Haller is now aiming to return to the competitive game against Augsburg on January 22nd

“I knew immediately: I have no other choice. The choice is limited. It won’t do you any good if you put yourself in depression,” Haller added.

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

“When I got home, my wife had prepared some small posters with news from 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 football world, I can’t even list them all.

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