Como have made the pre-match call that stands out most for Como vs Sassuolo: Samuele Ricci is handed his first Serie A start for the club, while Nico Paz is left out of the starting XI. Cesc Fabregas has also made four changes compared to the choices made for the 4-1 win over Manchester United in the Champions League.
Ricci's first league start
Ricci has only made four Serie A appearances for Como this season and has played just 80 league minutes, so this is a proper test of trust rather than a routine team-sheet tweak. Fabregas is backing him in a busy spell, after the 3-1 win at Fiorentina three days earlier.
The selection also leaves Sassuolo with a different challenge to the one they might have expected a few days ago. They arrive on eight points, with just one point from their last three league games, and they have not won since beating Juventus in Round 4.
How Como are handling the run of games
Como are unbeaten at home in Serie A this season, and that home record gives the rotation a bit of cover. Even so, the larger story is still the same, Fabregas keeps moving pieces around after the midweek win over Manchester United, and Ricci is the one who gets the opening here.
Sassuolo's start has been flat enough that this is not the kind of fixture they can treat lightly. Como have changed four from the side that beat Manchester United 4-1, but the team news still points to confidence rather than caution as the match approaches.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
