This week there was a special guest on Udinese Tonight: Gerard Deulofeu. The Catalan forward, who hasn't played for three years due to knee problems, spoke about his efforts to return to the pitch.
“How am I? I'm good and I'm not so good,” he began. “Good because I'm improving a lot. Not good because I miss playing. However, I'm happy to be able to train every day. I couldn't do that before. I'm at the stadium every morning. I'll see if I can return in 2026 and we'll see how it goes when my leg is more ready. In the past I tried to rush back but the leg wasn't ready. I want to give it a go before June. It feels ready. The muscles are perfect; the problem is the lack of cartilage in my knee.
“I stopped playing when I was 28. Now I'm 31 and muscle-wise I'd be ready to play and do my bit. I just need my knee to be ok. The strength my family give me is fundamental. My kids want to see me play. What encourages me to try to make a return is the fact that on a muscular level I'm on a par with the guys who play every weekend. I'm working every day to get back on the pitch and if I succeed I'll be able to help Udinese. It's possible but it all depends on this damn knee.
“Unfortunately I feel pain all the time. It's less now than at other times, but I don't have any cartilage in my knee so the bones touch. I've had treatment. Maybe something is forming again between the two bones, but I feel pain with every step. All footballers live with pains. Mine is just stronger.”
In the meantime, the Catalan forward is following a similar routine to the rest of the team.
“I train at different times to the others because I don't want to disturb them but I spend a lot of time with them and we talk a lot. I train with Gokhan Inler, who is a wonderful person, and we motivate each other. I like the way he's working with the team. After the gym he goes for a run and I say to him, 'One day, we'll go for a run together.'”