FC Barcelona to hold press-conference at 19h45 CET.
(Live on Barça TV)
Barça has cancelled all functions that were organised for this Wednesday, including a Christmas lunch with the press and an evening event planned for the club's workers.
Vilanova underwent an urgent operation on his parotid gland in November 2011 in the city's Vall d'Hebron Hospital. Then acting as Pep Guardiola's assistant, he rested for a number of weeks, and it was widely thought, even by club doctor Ricard Pruna, that he had recovered satisfactorily from that ordeal.
On that occasion, the shock news was broken to the team as they travelled to Italy for a Champions League game against AC Milan, the Catalan coach did not travel with the side as he rested before his operation at home.
Only last Sunday Vilanova commented how he had overcome cancer and felt completely recovered on the local TV station TV3. Coincidentally the news breaks only a day after Barca's French full-back Eric Abidal had received the all clear to return to play bfrom the club's doctors, after recovering from a liver transplant.
Marca
Not my favourite source, but it's the one I could find in English. To those who speak Spanish, here is the original source, and a much more credible one at that.
As an aside, Real Madrid have already released an oficial statement expressing their support for Vilanova.
UPDATE: Acording to El País, Vilanova will have surgery tomorrow and subsequently undergo radio and chemotherapy.