From being one of the most wanted men in European football barely three years ago, Cesc Fabregas is now out of favour at Chelsea and the latest to hit him is his exclusion from the Spain squad.
Things looked bright for the mildfielder when he switched London for Catalania back in 2011, but a return to his local club barcelona didnt go well with him since things were very tough during Pep Guardiola’s final season, as well as the tough tenures of tito Vilanova and Tata Martino. Fabregas can be forgiven if he says he play mostly through injury and was utilised in different positions during his last year at Barca, He truelly really lived up to expectations.
Even with however, his stock remained high in England and a move to Chelsea was initially a success as he starred in the Blues' Premier League-winning campaign in 2014-15 - particularly in the first six months. After Christmas, for some reason, he always seems to fade, but this time the decline appears more long term and following a difficult second season at Stamford Bridge, and now seem unwanted under new boss Antonie Conte.
Fabregas and Conte came face to face at Euro 2016, when Cesc was included in the Spain line-up to play Italy in the last 16, despite his poor performances throughout the tournament. The Italian coach will have been pleased, because the 29-year-old's lack of intensity (and that of the rest of the team) allowed the Azzurri to take control of the match and advance to the last eight.
Back to club duty with Chelsea under Conte, Cesc was sent off for a late lunge on Liverpool's Ragnar Klavan during the International Champions Cup and missed the next match against Real Madrid, finishing pre-season with just 129 minutes of action under his belt. And by the time the Premier League opener against West Ham came around, Conte favoured Oscar over the Spain midfielder.
An unused substitute in that 2-1 win, Cesc played just 12 minutes in the next Premier League game against Watford, although his contribution was significant as he helped the Blues turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win, setting up Diego Costa for a late winner with a pinpoint pass.
He then played all 90 minutes in the EFL Cup clash against Bristol Rovers as Chelsea won 3-2, but was back on the bench for the 3-0 victory over Burnley, meaning he has played just 12 out of a possible 270 minutes so far in the Premier League this season, a clear indication that he is not in Mr. Conte’s plans more likely due to differnces in playing styles.
Fabregas, who has won over 100 caps for his country, was also left out of Julen Lopetegui's first Spain squad last week as the Basque opted for emerging talents like Saul Niguez and Marco Asensio, while also recalling Juan Mata and Javi Martinez.
As the transfer window drew to a close, Cesc was offered to a number of big clubs in Europe, but there was minimal interest in the Catalan from the top teams and Fabregas turned down a move to AC Milan on deadline day in order to fight for his place at Chelsea.
It is a battle that already appears lost and, for the first time in a career that has seen him win many of the game's greatest prizes, Fabregas is suddenly out of the picture for both club and country. It is a new low for a player who turns 30 in May and, unless he can reverse the situation soon, he may have to consider during the winter.
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