Como have confirmed that Nico Paz, their Argentine attacking midfielder, will be absent from Sunday's squad for the Serie A fixture against Parma, handing Carlos Cuesta GarcÃa's side a tangible opportunity to close a difficult season on a positive note.
For Parma forward Jacob Ondrejka, the news arrives at a moment when he needs it most. The 23-year-old has managed no goals and no assists across 16 league appearances this season, carrying an average match rating of 6.50 — numbers that reflect a campaign spent largely on the margins of Cuesta GarcÃa's plans rather than at the centre of them. With an AI overall score of 51 out of a possible 100, and a ceiling assessed at 58, Ondrejka sits at a crossroads: the potential is acknowledged, but the evidence on the pitch has not yet confirmed it.
Parma's season has been a study in defensive fragility and attacking scarcity. The club sit 13th with 42 points from 37 matches, a record of ten wins, twelve draws, and fifteen defeats, having conceded 46 goals while scoring only 27. That goal tally — the lowest among the numbers available — tells the story of a side that has struggled to convert possession and chances into results. Ondrejka's own blank return is part of that broader failure, though it also speaks to the limited platform Cuesta GarcÃa has given him.
Paz's absence removes one of Como's most creative outlets, and Parma will know it. Whether Ondrejka features prominently enough to exploit that gap is a question Cuesta GarcÃa must answer in his selection. A final-day appearance with something to show for it would at least give the Swede a foothold heading into the summer, when decisions about his future at the Tardini will be made.