COMO – Como head coach Cesc Fabregas addressed the media ahead of Monday’s fixture against Genoa, commenting on the expected decision not to start Álvaro Morata. “It would have been better if he had stayed here,” Fabregas stated. “We are lucky; we play on Monday and normally once a week. If you play in Europe, there’s no time. But he is used to it; his entire career has been like this. Only he can tell you how he feels. However, he is very close [to full fitness]; he also played 20-25 minutes for the National Team. The moment comes for everyone.”
In the lineup, Douvikas is favored to start, with the coach largely confirming the team that faced Bologna, a match which ended in defeat. Fabregas called for patience with new signings like the 22-year-old Buturina: “This could be his opportunity, or he will come on during the match. He comes from another country, with a different type of intensity. I am convinced he will give us a lot. Sometimes, when you try to force things, it gets worse. We must remember he is only 22. I often hear he cost €17 million, and there is pressure on him as if he were Maradona.”
Fabregas also discussed his upcoming encounter with Patrick Vieira, now at the helm of Genoa, noting both are now Serie A managers. “Patrick is a reference point as a person, a player, and now as a coach,” he said. “Before, he always used a zonal defense and built from the back, but now his team is very direct, finding solutions going forward and not so much from deep. Genoa is a strong team that defends well. I have a lot of respect for him in the world of football.”