Cesc Fàbregas close to the end of injury ‘nightmare’

Thanks to the power of social media, we already knew that midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, who has been out of contention since the end of preseason, was close to returning as he was caught doing fitness exercises outside at Cobham. He confirmed in an interview with the Chelsea’s official app, The 5th Stand, that his ‘nightmare’ is nearly over.

“It has been frustrating and a little bit of a nightmare to be honest. Now I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It seems like’s it’s nearly gone.”

Before the injury, Fàbregas got plenty of action in preseason, and he seemed set for a place in the starting eleven. He will now hope to pick up where he left off, although Sarri has since settled on a three-man midfield of Jorginho, Mateo Kovačić and N’Golo Kanté. Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities for rotation, though Fàbregas still has some learning to do it Sarrismo.

“We have a new coach with new tactics, new philosophy, new everything to be honest.”

“It’s always interesting and exciting to see what is going to happen. We have been winning, which is important but we need to be more consistent. It’s not easy - it takes time. I think the coach is happy.”

Questions about Fàbregas’s suitability for Sarri-ball remain. He was already a questionable fit for Antonio Conte’s more reactive tactics, and the intensity demanded by the new manager’s proactive methods could see Fàbregas drop definitely out of contention for the first-choice eleven.

But if we know one thing about Cesc, it’s that he won’t go quietly into the night. He convinced Conte two years ago of his qualities, and he has the confidence to so again with Sarri. After all, passing is The Magic Hat’s greatest skill.

“I believe a lot in this team. My type of football has always been to have the ball, to play with the ball, create chances. I have a forward mentality, I always look forward and have movement with and without the ball.”

-Cesc Fàbregas; source: Chelsea FC via London Evening Standard

Welcome back, Cesc!