Overview
- He says his knee now feels prepared to run and that his muscle levels match those of available players.
- He has not played since a brief January 2023 appearance for Udinese at Sampdoria after an ACL tear and a post-surgery infection that destroyed cartilage and meniscus.
- An early attempt to resume running set back his recovery, prompting cell therapy, additional injections, and six months of concentrated gym work.
- He continues training three to four hours a day, five days a week at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli despite his contract being mutually terminated in January 2025.
- He is driven to return to competitive football for his three children, though any comeback remains uncertain due to the knee’s structural damage.