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Former Tottenham defender Serge Aurier has been ruled out of action for his new team for six months after his shock hepatitis B diagnosis.
Aurier, who signed for Iranian side Persepolis FC in July after being without a club for a year, has been placed in isolation and cannot take part in training or matches.
After taking part in a handful of sessions with his team-mates and missing out on the draw with Fajr-Sepasi on Monday, the 32-year-old was officially diagnosed with the viral liver infection, which is spread through bodily fluids and is highly contagious.
As a result, Aurier has been forced to step away for at least three months and his exact return date will be determined by the results of regular testing.
The virus, which usually lasts for one to three months, is present in most bodily fluids and is typically transmitted through blood and sexual contact. Symptoms include a high temperature, fatigue, feeling sick or being sick and pain in the upper stomach.
The Iranian Football Federation confirmed Aurier has been banned from all football-related activities as long as the virus is active in his body.
Serge Aurier has been ruled out for six months after a shock hepatitis B diagnosis
Aurier, who joined Spurs from PSG in 2017, has been placed in isolation while he recovers
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‘By virtue of a temporary order issued by the disciplinary committee of the Football Federation, Mr. Serge Aurier is banned from all football activities, including attending club training, until further notice,’ a statement on the governing body’s website read.
Aurier is under medical supervision during his confinement and he will undergo an initial test in three months to monitor his viral load and assess his health status.Â
What is hepatitis B?
According to the NHS, hepatitis B is a liver infection that is spread through blood, semen and vaginal fluids.
Symptoms include:
- A high temperature
- Tiredness
- Pain in your upper tummy
- Feeling sick or being sick
- Patches of raised skin that may be itchy (hives)
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
Depending on the outcome, the full back could be cleared to resume training or will have to wait an additional three months, pending another test.
According to local media outlet Varzesh3, Persepolis weighed up whether to terminate Aurier’s contract in light of his long-term absence.
However, the club hierarchy ultimately opted to retain his services, taking into account his image and the ‘symbolic weight’ of his arrival in the league.
Aurier signed a deal running until 2026 after being without a club since leaving Turkish giants Galatasaray as a free agent in July 2024.
He previously played for PSG, Spurs, Villarreal and Nottingham Forest.
The defender departed Spurs by mutual agreement in 2021 after his deal was ripped up a year early.Â
He played 110 times for the club after arriving from PSG in 2017, but dropped out of contention and admitted he had ‘reached the end of a cycle’.
