Former Barcelona and Everton forward Gerard Deulofeu has opened up about his devastating three-year injury ordeal, calling it 'the most difficult recovery in history'. The 31-year-old Spanish footballer, whose last game was in January 2023, is fighting for a miracle return to the sport he loves after an infection destroyed the cartilage in his knee.
Deulofeu working on injury return
Deulofeu is battling to save his career as he targets a miraculous return to football, nearly three years after his last competitive appearance. In a candid interview with , the 31-year-old has opened up on his devastating and complex knee injury, a recovery process he believes may be "the most difficult in history," but one he is determined to overcome.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe brutal reality of a career-threatening injury
Deulofeu's ordeal began in January 2023 while playing for Udinese, but a standard knee injury soon spiralled into a career-threatening nightmare. The forward revealed that a severe infection contracted during surgery caused catastrophic damage, effectively destroying the cartilage in his knee and severely limiting his mobility. The complication has meant his recovery has been anything but straightforward, with progress painstakingly slow and setbacks a constant reality.
"It’s not like a usual injury. As an old person it can happen that your knee is completely destroyed and now it happened to me because the infection was getting worse and worse," he said.
"I knew from those early months that I couldn’t be back quickly. In every MRI I had, the cartilage had deteriorated. I lost my muscle, my knee wouldn’t flex properly, there was a lot to recover and it was very slow."
'If I manage to return, it will take more than 1,000 days'
The timeline for any potential return underscores the severity of the situation. Deulofeu is facing a period of more than 1,000 days on the sidelines, an almost unprecedented layoff in modern elite football. Despite the monumental challenge, the Spaniard remains resolute, drawing on immense self-belief and a disciplined approach to his rehabilitation as he continues to work relentlessly at Udinese's training ground.
"I know I’m trying something special. If I manage to return, it will take more than 1,000 days," he stated. "But I am a person who takes care of myself and I believe I can do it. If there is anyone capable of doing it, it is me.”
He is refusing to set a definitive date for a comeback, instead focusing on the daily process, but is clinging to the hope that, at 31, time is still on his side to write a final, triumphant chapter.
A career of unfulfilled promise and flashes of brilliance
The injury represents a cruel blow to a player once tipped for superstardom. A product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Deulofeu was a prodigious talent who drew comparisons to the club's greatest icons. However, a consistent run at the highest level proved elusive. After breaking into the Barcelona first team, he embarked on a journeyman career that included loan spells at Everton and Sevilla, before a permanent move to Goodison Park.
He later returned to Barcelona before finding a home at Watford, where he showcased his best form in the Premier League, making 70 appearances and scoring 17 goals. A move to Udinese in 2020 saw him become a talismanic figure for the Serie A side.