Fabregas dismisses Manchester United crisis talk as Como face injury setbacks
Como coach Cesc Fabregas says his side will try to beat Manchester United in the Champions League, but Jesus Rodriguez and Trevoh Chalobah face spells out.
Como coach Cesc Fabregas rejected talk of a Manchester United crisis on Tuesday, 20 October, ahead of their Champions League meeting in Como, Italy, on Wednesday. He said Como would try to win, although Jesus Rodriguez faces a lengthy absence and Trevoh Chalobah is expected to be out for two weeks.
Fabregas called the match at Stadio Sinigaglia a historic occasion for the club, its supporters and the city. It is scheduled to kick off at 18:45 local time on 21 October, with Como hosting a club that has won the Champions League three times.
Fabregas on Manchester United and Como’s approach
Asked about United’s form, Fabregas disputed the premise of a crisis. Football Italia quoted him saying, ‘A crisis is invented by you journalists,’ and that he did not believe in one. He described United’s players as an exceptional group and said Como needed to respect their opponents while playing their own game.
He said Como would approach the match with focus and ambition, study United’s weaknesses and try to win. When asked whether he would like the United job, he declined to answer out of respect for manager Michael Carrick and the club, Football Italia reported.
Rodriguez and Chalobah injury updates
Fabregas said Rodriguez’s injury appeared serious and would keep him out for a long time. Goal reported his account that Rodriguez hurt himself while taking a shot at the end of training on Tuesday. No precise diagnosis or return date was given.
Chalobah will be out for two weeks and miss four matches, according to Fabregas’s comments reported by Goal. Football Italia also reported that Moise Kean was unavailable against United and that Assane Diao had sustained a thigh strain in Como’s previous match. Fabregas said Kean’s availability for Saturday would be assessed, while Goal reported that Diao was expected back after the international break.
Como’s Champions League position before United visit
Como began their Champions League campaign with a 4-1 home win over RB Leipzig before losing away to Feyenoord after taking the lead, according to Football Italia. The club had been in Italy’s second division three years earlier, giving Wednesday’s home fixture a different scale from its recent league schedule.
The Cult of Calcio reported that Como beat Fiorentina 3-1 at the weekend, ending a three-match winless run in all competitions. Its preview said United had won only one of their previous ten Champions League away games and had yet to win a competitive away match this season. Those records frame the fixture, while Fabregas’s comments made clear that Como were preparing for United’s established quality.
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Sources and context
- Fabregas: ‘No crisis at Manchester United, but Como have new injury problems’Football Italia (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Fabregas: “Manchester United in crisis? A big lie. Jesus Rodriguez faces a long spell out, Chalobah is out for two weeks. Kean? We’ll see on Saturday”Goal.com
- UEFA Champions League Preview: Como vs Manchester United – Team News, Lineups & PredictionThe Cult of Calcio (republished by Yahoo Sports)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.