Played with Messi at Barcelona, out since 2023, hopes for miracle | OneFootball

The Spanish forward Gerard Deulofeu is going through a very distressing period that has jeopardized his future as a footballer because he went from sharing a locker room with Lionel Messi in Barcelona and winning titles in Europe to facing a medical problem that kept him off the pitch for years.

The nightmare began in January 2023, when he was playing for Udinese and suffered a severe knee injury during a match against Sampdoria. That rupture led to an uncommon infection that turned the recovery into an uncertain and painful journey.

The diagnosis was so severe that the player himself described it as an almost permanent disability. In a conversation with Flashscore, he explained that the cartilage got infected after the cruciate ligament rupture and compared the situation to “having a prosthesis in the knee,” an image that reflects the magnitude of the problem.

Beyond the physical aspect, the emotional impact was devastating. Amid unconventional treatments, the forward admitted, “I can't count the number of times I've thought about quitting… but this experience has made me tough.” And, referring to the pain of feeling “bone against bone,” he added, “I fight against biology.”

The uncertainty also affects his family life. The footballer confessed that his children, who always saw him as a player, now ask him to return to the field. “That breaks my heart,” he acknowledged, describing a motivation as strong as it is distressing.

As the months passed, encouraging signs appeared. The Spaniard confirmed that the cartilage area is already showing healing and explained the new goal: to strengthen the muscle to be able to train in double sessions. “Before, I would exercise one day and stop for two; now the knee reacts well,” he noted, although he clarified that the return still seems distant.

At Udinese, they accompany the process with patience and hope. Gökhan Inler, head of the technical area, assured AS: “We never abandoned him, he is still with us. He trains every day and we give him energy for the ‘miracle’ to happen.” He even emphasized that if he manages to return, it would be a record for the recovery time.

After more than two years without competing, the future remains open. There are no dates or certainties, but there is an intact conviction: to fight until the end to feel like a footballer again, even when the body imposes difficult limits to challenge.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.