Plymouth Argyle defender Ryan Edwards is to undergo immediate surgery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Liverpool-born Edwards, 24, joined the Pilgrims from League Two side Morecambe in the summer and formed a solid central defensive partnership with Sonny Bradley - making 30 appearances and scoring four goals, the fourth of which came in Argyle's 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers last Saturday.
A statement on the Pilgrims' website said: "Ryan will obviously miss a period of football because of surgery, but his physical health and mental well-being are our only priority."
In recent years a number of sportsmen have suffered from testicular cancer, including current Millwall manager Neil Harris and former Argyle keeper Romain Larrieu, which affects around 2,000 every year.
Larrieu himself was diagnosed with the condition in 2006 whilst at Home Park and suffered a recurrence of the condition a year-and-a-half later, but managed a successful recovery and would continue to play for Argyle until 2012.
The Frenchman also had the support of BBC Radio Devon presenter, and one-time Plymouth Argyle commentator Gordon Sparks, who himself suffered from the illness, and the pair later joined forces to help raise awareness of the condition.
He has already offered his support to Edwards, as have many others on social media using the #WithYouEddy hashtag on Twitter.
