Como midfielder Martin Baturina heads into the club's Serie A fixture against Parma with his coach publicly addressing his workload and form, a conversation that reflects both how central the 23-year-old has become to Fàbregas's plans and how carefully the Lombardy club is managing him across two competitions.
The significance is straightforward: a player who carries two goals and an assist across three Serie A appearances this season, with an average rating of 7.34, is not a rotation question in the abstract. He is a load-bearing part of a structure that has Como sitting sixth in the table with seven points from three matches. Fàbregas spoke before the Parma fixture specifically about Baturina's condition alongside that of another key forward, signalling that the coaching staff is monitoring both players with the kind of attention reserved for those the team cannot afford to lose.
That scrutiny is earned. Baturina's Serie A numbers — two goals, one assist in three matches — represent a contribution rate that few midfielders in the division can match at this stage of the season. An AI overall of 74 out of 100, with a potential ceiling assessed at 82, places him in the tier of players whose best football is still ahead of them. At 23, the margin for development is real, not theoretical.
The broader context sharpens the picture. Como's Champions League victory over RB Leipzig drew praise from figures across European football and confirmed that Fàbregas's side are capable of performing at the highest level. The domestic campaign has run in parallel with that European adventure, and the club has managed both without dropping a league match. That unbeaten record — two wins and a draw — is the platform Baturina is helping to build.
The Parma fixture is the kind of test that separates early-season momentum from genuine consistency. Como enter it as favourites, and Baturina's availability and sharpness will matter. Fàbregas has the data to make the call; what the season needs from Baturina now is the same output, sustained.