Gerard Deulofeu wants to make ‘history’ more than three years after injury

If it had just been a matter of repairing his anterior cruciate ligament – and Deulofeu stresses that this is a “crazy” injury in itself, but one that most modern footballers recover from – he would have been back playing for the Bianconeri more than two years ago.

In fact, the winger made a successful return eight months after tearing his previous anterior cruciate ligament at Watford in 2020.

“You do the surgery and change the ACL and your system, and then you gradually heal,” he says. “But the problem was infection.”

This infection had eaten away at the cartilage in his knee, and every x-ray showed it gradually deteriorating, reducing Deulofeu to the feeling of bone on bone.

“I wasn’t the luckiest person,” he shrugs.

He has consulted fellow Spaniard Santi Cazorla, who was sidelined for 636 days after gangrene destroyed his Achilles tendon, and is inspired by the former Arsenal midfielder’s comeback.

“It’s a great example,” Deulofeu says. “To imagine how he suffered during those two and a half years, I can feel it now.”

Deulofeu’s first step was to undergo cell therapy in an attempt to rebuild the cartilage, but he faced a setback after trying to run again.

“My knee needs to heal,” he explains. “In order to train hard, you first have to recover.”

Almost two years later, after continuing to receive injections to treat the cells, he believes he is about to try running again.

It is the product of what Deulofeu says was six months of building “muscle, muscle, muscle” in the gym, working with a physical therapy and fitness coach for three to four hours every morning, five days a week at Udinese’s Friuli stadium.

“Let’s see if I can accept the effect,” he says. “I’m very happy because I feel like my legs are really strong. The more muscle there is, the less pain inside the knee, so now I feel like my knee is ready to run.

“I feel close. If we talk about muscle, I’m at the same levels as the players available now.

“But let’s see how they respond, without cartilage or meniscus…”

Deulofeu admits there were times when he felt like quitting, but he remains remarkably optimistic and focused on his goal of returning to professional football.

“There are three things that are really important,” he explains. “One of them, of course, is family and home. To try to move forward in this period, first and foremost your home must be filled with peace and love every morning.

“Happiness, seeing your children growing up with your wife, good peace and love at home. It’s really important that you go to training every day in a good mood.”