Sebastian Neumann of VfR Aalen will go under the knife in Stuttgart to try and correct a heart problem, which will let him play football again.
"I was told that I would lose the sports medical clearance for competitive sports, because the risk of sudden cardiac death," Neumann told tabloid newspaper Bild. However he is adamant that he'll do his best to make a comeback: "I will fight for my team."
It is not known how long the heart problems have affected the former under-21 international, although they were first discovered three months ago.
Having not been aware of the condition until three months ago, Neumann is thankful that he isn't dead: "I'm just glad that nothing happened and I'm still alive!"
He will undergo a similar operation to that of Daniel Engelbrecht, who suffered a triple cardiac arrest before being fitted with a defibrillator.
Engelbrecht made his comeback in November and has scored twice since then, including a last-gasp winner against SV Wehen Wiesbaden.
"There were no complications with him. This is encouraging," said Neumann. The operation is scheduled for next week and we wish him all the best with it, hopefully there is an equally amazing outcome as Engelbrecht's.