Marco Russ, Eintracht Frankfurt Captain, Diagnosed with Tumour After Drug Test

Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed their 30-year-old captain Marco Russ has been diagnosed with a tumour following a routine doping test.

As reported by Karolos Grohmann of Reuters (h/t the Daily Mirror), a positive test was returned to the club on Wednesday “with Germany's anti-doping agency (NADA) suspecting that the high levels of growth hormone HCG found in the sample were due to illness rather than the use of performance-enhancing drugs.”

Part of a statement on the club’s website, per Grohmann, said, "Despite this tragic diagnosis the player has said he is ready to play, something that has been confirmed by the doctors." 

The club posted the following message to their skipper on their Twitter feed:

Per Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC, the club stated the defender has been diagnosed with a “severe tumour disease,” a condition that was confirmed after Russ underwent blood tests and a check-up with a urologist.

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Frankfurt have a crucial game coming up as they seek to preserve their top-flight status for next season. They face Nurnberg at home on Thursday in the first leg of their relegation playoff, having finished in 16th place in the Bundesliga table.

Russ is a forceful presence at the back for Frankfurt, who excels in aerial battles, reading the game and leadership. His current stint with the Commerzbank-Arena club is his second, having moved to Wolfsburg for two seasons between 2011 and 2013. He's made 257 Bundesliga appearances.