OG offlaner Ceb could miss TI10 following eye surgery
OG's quest for a third-straight Aegis of Champions at The International 10 (TI10) is in jeopardy after the organisation announced on Friday (1 October) that offlaner Sébastien “Ceb” Debs could miss the tournament as he recovers from eye surgery.
OG said in a statement that Ceb was recently diagnosed with an eye condition that "could permanently damage his eye" and derail his playing career if not addressed immediately.
In a subsequent post on Twitlonger, Ceb revealed that he was undergoing a retinal detachment in his left eye and that he was a few hours away from "losing sight irreversibly." OG's offlaner added that the news "felt like the sky collapsing on me."
OG said that Ceb was quickly flown from the team's bootcamp in Portugal back to his home country of France to undergo the required surgery, which went smoothly. While Ceb is currently recovering, OG said that it is uncertain whether he will be cleared to play at TI10 and that they are waiting on his doctor’s verdict before making any final team decision.
"Ever since I have been fighting every day to try to gain ground on the pain and the fatigue, hoping my recovery process would still allow me to attend TI. Unfortunately, as of now, I still can’t know if I will be back in a playing shape in time," said Ceb.
With Ceb's availability still uncertain, OG has tapped Team Liquid carry player Michael "miCKe" Vu to be their official stand-in for TI10 in the event that their offlaner will completely miss the tournament.
"Players’ health and well-being is vital to us and we will ensure that he is not in any danger before returning to work. But we know for sure that Ceb is doing everything he can to expedite his recovery and compete in TI10," said OG.
"Every season, we seem to face new challenges, but the team is working together to keep their spirits high during this challenging time. We hope the Dota 2 community and our passionate and loyal OG fanbase will be supporting us, whatever the final outcome."
"It is a huge blow for me and the team, of course, but over the years I have learnt to look at the positives of every challenge life throws at me," added Ceb.
"The bright side here is that my determination and fire to get ready have never been as intense. The bright side is that I know my team is stepping up big time, because they have my back. The bright side is feeling your unconditional and loving support."
OG has made history by being the only team to claim back-to-back TI championships in 2018 and 2019, with Ceb being instrumental during those title runs for his leadership and excellent play on the offlane.
Now that one of their key players could be potentially sidelined, OG will definitely be facing an uphill battle in their quest for a three-peat at TI10.
TI10 is set to begin on 7 October and will run until 17 October. The tournament 18 of the best Dota 2 teams in the world competing to claim the title of world champions and the lion's share of the event's over US$40 million prize pool.
TI10's main event from 12 to 17 October will be held in front of a live audience in the Arena Națională in Bucharest, Romania.
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