The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains of Izan’s room, casting a golden glow on his face.
Sitting up carefully, Izan swung his legs over the bed and stretched his arms, wincing slightly as his left ankle throbbed—a reminder of the injury that had kept him off the pitch for a week now.
He had started recovering imdiately after the diagnosis to help lessen the extent of the injury. "I really wished I had kept a bottle of the injury fluid in stock. I could have helped avoid the previous loss" Izan thought with his brush in his mouth.
After the match with Real Madrid, Valencia had to face an in-form Celta Vigo side that would punish any mistakes.
Coupled with their injury woes, Valencia couldn’t hold on and lost their first ga of the season in a 2-1 win for Celta.
A strike from outside the box by Gaya in the 88th minute of the ga gave Valencia consolation after Celta’s Iago Aspas’s brace in the 47th and 74th minutes of the ga.
Valencia were now 3rd place behind Barcelona in first place who had capitalized on Real’s slump. Valencia had the sa points as Atlético Madrid on 4th but led because of the Head to Head stat.
If they were to draw or lose their next ga, they might face dropping to the 5th position since Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Bilbao trailed just a point behind the two.
After freshening up, Izan took his bath before coming down, helped by his singular crutch.
The once-persistent pain had dulled now, replaced by a manageable ache that marked progress in his recovery journey.
Today was an important day. He had been cleared to begin light rehabilitation exercises under the watchful eyes of the club’s dical team.
The prospect of returning to the ga he loved filled him with anticipation, though he knew the road ahead required patience and resilience.
"Max, is there a scientific way to magically heal overnight without suspicions".
[It seems you understand it yourself if you used scientific and Magically in the sa sentence. For your convenience, the answer is no!]
"Harsh," Izan said while eating.
[ If the host had used the recovery and injury fluids before the diagnosis, then nobody would have known that you were injured.]
...
At the club’s state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre, Izan lay on a padded table as the physiotherapist gently manipulated his ankle.
The sessions were intense and designed to strengthen the ligants and restore mobility. While beads of sweat ford on his forehead, Izan gritted his teeth, determined to regain full fitness.
"How is the pain even worse than when I got injured," Izan thought as he winced at the pain.
Afterwards, he progressed to balance drills, carefully stepping on foam pads and wobble boards, his focus unwavering.
"You’re doing great, Izan," the physiotherapist encouraged, handing him a water bottle. "Keep this up, and you’ll be back on the field in no ti."
"Thanks, Dr Luis,", Izan said politely, receiving a curt nod from the latter. "Well, we are done for the day. See you tomorrow" Dr. Luis said before leaving.
.....
Later that day, Izan was scheduled for a photo shoot with one of Valencia’s sponsors. He arrived at the studio dressed casually in the team’s tracksuit, his sharp features catching the attention of everyone in the room.
"Who makes an injured person take a photo shoot," Izan thought as he approached the photographer.
The photographer, a lively middle-aged man with an artistic flair, was particularly captivated.
"Magnificent! Just magnificent," the photographer exclaid as Izan stepped onto the set, his piercing blue eyes gleaming under the studio lights. "That face! Those eyes! You could be a model if you weren’t a footballer."
Izan chuckled, slightly embarrassed but playing along. The shoot was a mix of casual and sporty poses, with him donning Valencia’s latest kit.
He moved with a natural ease, and every click of the cara seed to capture his charm and charisma.
By the end of the session, the photographer was fawning over the shots, declaring them "masterpieces."
Once the shoot wrapped up, Izan changed into his team tracksuit and headed to a small dia room for an interview.
Entering the room, Izan greeted everyone before they began to set up for the interview.
Sitting on a plush chair with a microphone clipped to his shirt, Izan smiled at the interviewer, a friendly journalist with a warm deanor.
"Tell us about your journey into the Valencia senior team," the journalist began.
Izan leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on his knees. "It’s been a dream co true. I rember the first day I trained with the senior squad. I was nervous, but the coaches and my teammates made feel welco. They pushed to give my best and showed what it takes to compete at this level."
The interviewer nodded. "Any specific monts that stand out?"
"Plenty," Izan replied, his eyes twinkling. "One that I’ll never forget is scoring my first goal for the senior team. It was against RCD Espanyol —a mont of pure joy. The celebration with the fans and my teammates was unforgettable."
"And how’s your relationship with the coaches?"
Izan smiled. "They’ve been incredible. They’re tough when they need to be, but they’ve also supported through tough tis, like my injury. Their guidance has shaped as a player and as a person."
The interview flowed smoothly, covering topics from his early days in football to his goals for the future. By the ti it ended, Izan felt a renewed sense of purpose.
Before heading ho, he had one more stop to make—the club’s therapy session. The session was part of his recovery plan, focusing on ntal well-being and staying connected with the team.
Sitting in a quiet room with a therapist, Izan spoke openly about the challenges of being sidelined and his determination to return stronger.
"It’s tough not being out there," he admitted. "But I’ve learned to appreciate the process and focus on what I can control."
The therapist nodded. "You’ve got a strong mindset, Izan. That will take you far—not just in football, but in life."
After the session, Izan decided to visit his teammates at the training ground.
As he approached the field, the familiar sound of boots striking the ball and teammates shouting instructions brought a smile to his face.
His arrival was t with cheers and playful banter.
"Look who’s back!" Pietro called out, running over to give Izan a friendly pat on the back.
The players stopped training for a bit and approached Izan.
"How’s your ankle? Is it any better? When will you be coming? Your replacent is having a hard ti," Diego López fired rapidly without giving Izan ti to breathe.
"Ouch, Diego, I’m right here", Amallah said. "I know that this isn’t nice of to say, but take your ti and recover okay. Don’t rush and let play a few matches to recover my market value for the next transfer window".
After Amallah’s words, the players laughed. Although it wasn’t nice to say, Amallah knew his chances of playing would be limited as long as Izan was there so he had submitted a transfer request.
"The young will overtake the old" Amallah uttered. "For Christ’s sake, Amallah, you’re 27," Pietro said.
"Leave this kind of thing to us old people, am I right, Captain," Pietro said, wrapping his arm around Gayà’s neck.
"Pietro, Get down and give 20"
"Yes Captain"
Izan laughed, grateful for the camaraderie. Though he couldn’t join them on the pitch yet, being around his teammates lifted his spirits.
"Guess you still have the energy to joke around," Ruben Baraja said from behind. The players who were laughing froze.
Before Rubén Baraja could say another word, the players scattered leaving him alone with Izan.
Izam stood there alone smiling at Ruben Baraja. "Hello Coach," he said. "Hello, Hernandez. How are you doing?" Baraja asked, to which Izan shook his head.
"I know you get the reports from Doctor Luis Coach. I think you can see for yourself how I’m doing".
Baraja laughed heartily before patting Izan on the shoulder. The two talked for a few minutes before Izan left.
.....
Komi and Hori were up to sothing special. As Izan’s 16th birthday approached, the mother-daughter duo secretly planned a celebration worthy of his rising star status.
Komi, ever the creative mastermind, took charge of coordinating a surprise that would leave her son speechless.
She had spent late nights sketching out decorations, picking his favourite colours—gold and navy blue—to symbolize his growing legacy on the pitch.
She even reached out to Izan’s closest friends and a few football idols to record personalized ssages for the big day.
Hori, equally excited, handled the finer details. She knew Izan’s love for soccer extended beyond the ga, so she crafted a cake shaped like a football stadium, complete with edible players wearing his team’s colours.
Between school and her brother’s matches, Hori made ti to scout for the perfect gift—a custom jersey with "Izan 16" emblazoned on the back.
The duo whispered plans behind closed doors, stifling giggles when Izan passed by. Though their efforts were discreet, the house buzzed with anticipation.
They couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he realized the depth of their love and admiration for him.
After all, behind every star was a family that believed in him.
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