Eintracht Frankfurt announced the excellent news on Thursday that Marco Russ has been given the all-clear from testicular cancer.

The defender was diagnosed in May, after initially failing a drug test due to the high levels of growth hormone hCG caused by the cancer.

He had since undergone extensive treatment, with a check-up on Wednesday confirming he had now beaten the disease. He could make his return to the pitch after the winter break.

Healthy again

"Marco Russ is healthy. He had permission from the doctors to resume his career again and to begin his rehabilitation,” revealed Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac at his press conference on Thursday. “We are all very delighted with the news about Marco. He was with us today and gave us the news."

The news comes just days after he appeared at the club’s game with Bayern Munich at the weekend, leading to an already iconic picture of his embrace with Bayern’s Rafinha.

Speaking on Saturday, he looked ahead to his upcoming appointment. “If the doctors give me the green light, I'll start working with our two fitness coaches again,” he said. “My goal is to join the rest of the squad for our winter training camp. I hope I can be ready for the second half of the season.”

Comeback against Leizpig?

He had been diagnosed just a day before the first leg of the club’s relegation play-off with 1. FC Nürnberg. He would play in that match, however he scored an own goal in the 1-1 draw, before receiving a yellow card that ruled him out of the second leg, which his side won whilst he was undergoing his initial surgery.

However despite his illness, the club showed its faith in the 31-year-old by offering him a new contract until 2019 last month.

He has made 256 appearances for the club over two spells since 2004, only briefly leaving the club for VfL Wolfsburg following their relegation in 2011, before returning, initially on loan, in 2013.

If all goes to plan, he could make his comeback at RB Leipzig in January, which is the club’s first game after the winter break.

Quotes via Eintracht Frankfurt and Bundesliga.