Como’s European evening against Manchester United arrives as both reward and complication in a season still measured first by Serie A. The visit to the Sinigaglia offers the club, its players and the city a meeting with a giant, but Cesc Fabregas must also protect a squad already paying a price for its continental campaign.
Manchester United come to Lake Como with nearly 300 matches in the competition and 68 trophies in their history. Fabregas, however, is refusing to let that weight become a burden for his own side.
Quick facts
- Jesús Rodríguez suffered a potentially serious injury while shooting in training.
- Assane Diao sustained a muscle problem in Rotterdam and is expected back after the international break.
- Kean could be available for Saturday’s home Serie A match against Sassuolo.
- Como may consider replacing Rodríguez on their UEFA list with Maxence Caqueret if the injury keeps him out for at least 60 days.
- Nico Paz sees the Champions League as recognition for Como’s progress over the past two or three years.
Fabregas revealed that Rodríguez was hurt during Friday’s session, with the extent of the problem still to be assessed. The coach said the initial signs were worrying and made clear that it was not a minor issue.
The injury follows Diao’s muscular setback in Rotterdam last Wednesday. Fabregas expects Diao to return after the break, while Kean has a chance of recovering in time for the Sassuolo fixture, an important domestic appointment in Como’s wider campaign.
For Fabregas, the football calendar leaves little room for dramatic verdicts on Manchester United’s form. He dismissed suggestions that the English side are in crisis, arguing that teams playing every three days are quickly given another chance to respond.
“It will be eleven against eleven,” he said. “We respect them completely because they have outstanding players, but we will try to play our game, enjoy the occasion and win it.”
The Como coach does not intend to make United’s history the centre of his team talk. His focus is on finding ways to hurt the visitors and ensuring his players approach the contest with belief rather than intimidation.
Fabregas also returned to a theme from before the Rotterdam match: Europe is not necessarily easier than Serie A, but its opponents can be more clearly defined. In his view, European teams tend to preserve their identity through a match and across a season, while Italian football offers more rotation and tactical variation.
That, he said, is part of Serie A’s quality and part of the challenge facing Como as they balance two fronts. The Champions League may bring prestige, but the league remains the club’s principal target.
Nico Paz will again carry much of Como’s creative responsibility. The 22-year-old has become a central figure in Fabregas’ side, and his coach praised both his hunger and seriousness, describing the development of young players as a responsibility rather than a transfer-market exercise.
“My job is to develop champions, not to buy champions,” Fabregas said of the work around players such as Paz.
Paz believes the European campaign reflects the work Como have done since his arrival. He said the club’s decision to secure him permanently in the summer, and the confidence shown around him, convinced him that this third season was the moment to make another step forward.
The Argentine-born forward also knows that opponents have begun to prepare specifically for him. He wants to add more to his game by attacking space, moving more often and becoming harder to mark.
His headed goal in Florence brought comparisons with Hernán Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta, but Paz pointed instead to his father, Pablo, whom he described as especially strong in the air.
Como are now considering whether Rodríguez’s injury could require a change to their UEFA squad. Regulations permit an in-season replacement only for a serious injury expected to last at least 60 days. Should the medical prognosis meet that threshold, Caqueret is the player under consideration to take the place.
For now, the Sinigaglia prepares for an evening that underlines how far Como have come. Yet Fabregas’ message is shaped by the longer road ahead: enjoy Manchester United, compete without fear, then turn back to the demands of Serie A.
