‘Maybe it’s the most difficult recovery in history’: Gerard Deulofeu’s battle to play football again

Gerard Deulofeu starts his gym work at 8am. ‘If I manage to come back it’ll be more than 1,000 days,’ he says. ‘But I’m a guy who takes care of himself and I think I can do it.’ Photograph: Marta Clinco/The Guardian

The morning light is still sharpening, training its beam through the windows at the far end of the gym. Around the walls, painted black up to halfway, are motivational slogans that have become common currency in training environments. “Go hard or go home,” one of them urges. “Hard work beats talent, when talent chooses not to work hard,” cautions another.

Beneath the second of those messages, Gerard Deulofeu stands in conversation with Angel Aceña, Udinese’s rehab fitness coach. They are a team now, working towards a goal that never quite stands still. It is 8.30am and, as always, Deulofeu has been here for half an hour. There has been a session on one set of weights and shortly he will cross the room for another, checking a monitor for the latest notes of optimism. There is not another footballer in sight.