Alvaro Morata suffers brutal injury blow as Como face long spell without ex-Real Madrid & Chelsea striker

Cesc Fabregas faces a major headache heading into the winter break after Como confirmed that their marquee summer signing has sustained a serious muscle injury. Morata limped off during the first half of the recent clash against Inter at San Siro, clutching his thigh after a challenge near the corner flag.

According to an official statement from the club, tests have confirmed a "high-grade lesion of the long adductor muscle in his left thigh". While the club stopped short of putting a definitive timeline on his return, reports in Italy suggest the Spaniard will be out for at least two months. He is expected to miss crucial fixtures as Como look to climb the table, with a potential return date pencilled in for mid-February 2026. They face two matches against AC Milan by then, one of which is supposed to be played in Australia, as well as Lazio and Atalanta. 

Morata took to Instagram to express his devastation at the latest setback. "When things don't go as you expect, when you give your best but can't reach where you want to go, frustration weighs heavily," he wrote. "And now, on top of that, this injury. But even in moments like this, I feel fortunate: because of my teammates, because of my club, because of the incredible fans. I will recover, I will get up and I will return to help achieve all our objectives."

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The injury compounds what has been a nightmare start to life at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia for the 33-year-old. Brought in to provide elite experience and goals, Morata has struggled to find his rhythm, failing to find the net in his first 15 competitive appearances for the club, eight of which have been as a member of the starting XI. 

His arrival was meant to be a coup for the ambitious outfit. The transfer saga was one of the stories of the summer, with Morata initially on loan at Galatasaray from AC Milan. A complicated three-way negotiation ensued, with the Turkish giants demanding compensation to terminate his loan early. Milan eventually agreed to pay a fee to release him, allowing him to join Fabregas - his former Chelsea and Spain teammate - at Como.

With their star forward out, Fabregas will be forced to reshuffle his pack for the foreseeable future. The burden of goalscoring will likely fall on Anastasios Douvikas, who has netted three times this season, as the club navigates a busy festive period without their most high-profile player. The injury may also force Como into the January transfer market if the diagnosis worsens, leaving Morata to watch from the stands as his wait for a first goal in Como colours drags on into the new year.

Como are sixth in the league and seven points behind leaders AC Milan and Napoli. They face fourth-placed Roma in their next game on Monday. Last week's 4-0 defeat to title candidates Inter was just their second defeat of the season, having last gone down 1-0 at Bologna in their second Serie A game of the season.