Arsenal will welcome former captain Cesc Fabregas back to the Emirates Stadium this evening as his Como side travel to north London for a pre-season friendly, with kick-off scheduled for 7.30pm BST.
Fabregas has enjoyed a productive spell in charge of the Serie A outfit, guiding them to a fourth-place finish last season that secured Champions League qualification for the very first time in the club's history. The achievement has raised the profile of both the Spaniard and Como significantly, and his return to the club where he spent several seasons as a player and captain is expected to draw plenty of attention from the home support.
Given his subsequent history with Chelsea, where he also enjoyed considerable success, there is some intrigue over how Arsenal fans will greet him upon his return to the stadium. However, much of the focus from the home crowd is likely to remain on the performances of Mikel Arteta's squad, who have endured a difficult start to their pre-season schedule with back-to-back defeats, including a loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup. Fabregas himself was present at that fixture, taking the opportunity to watch his former club in action before this evening's meeting.
Arsenal's contingent of players who featured at the World Cup have only recently returned to training after extended rest periods, and several of them are unlikely to be involved against Como. Among those back in the fold but expected to be managed carefully are Mikel Merino, David Raya, Martin Zubimendi, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Their absence could give Arteta the chance to hand minutes to squad players and academy prospects as he continues to build fitness levels ahead of the new season.
For supporters looking to watch the match, the fixture will be broadcast free of charge in the UK via Arsenal's official YouTube channel, with coverage set to begin shortly before the 7.30pm kick-off. Fans unable to tune in can also follow live updates and expert analysis throughout the contest via written commentary from the Emirates Stadium.
The friendly represents another step in Arsenal's preparations for the upcoming campaign, following a pre-season that has so far yielded mixed results on the pitch. With Fabregas now firmly established as one of the more promising young coaches in European football after his exploits with Como, this fixture also serves as something of a reunion between the Spaniard and the club where he first made his name as a teenager before departing for Barcelona and later returning for a spell as a senior player and leader.
Como's rise under Fabregas has been one of the more notable stories in Italian football over the past year, with the club securing European qualification for the first time in their history. That achievement has heightened expectations around the Serie A side heading into the new season, and tonight's clash with Arsenal offers another opportunity to test themselves against Premier League opposition before competitive action resumes.
Attention now turns to how Arteta's side responds after recent setbacks, with the manager likely eager to see improved performances regardless of the number of first-team regulars involved.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.