Assane Diao set to miss five Como games with thigh injury

Como will be without Assane Diao for five matches after the forward suffered a left-thigh flexor injury, with Fiorentina on October 18 the first game he is expected to miss. The setback is a significant interruption to a start in which the 2005-born forward has scored four goals and supplied one assist in eight appearances.

Diao was forced off shortly after scoring against Feyenoord, making way for Jesus Rodriguez. Medical tests confirmed the muscle injury, Calciomercato.com reported, citing Sky Sport. He is expected to be sidelined for around three weeks.

The five expected absences are Fiorentina, Manchester United, Sassuolo, Torino and Venezia. That leaves Como without one of their most productive attackers through a run of fixtures that begins with their next match. Fiorentina are 19th after six league games, with four points.

The numbers make the cost of Diao’s absence clear: his five goal contributions have come in eight appearances, and Como will have to navigate this stretch without that output. Jesus Rodriguez replaced him against Feyenoord, but the reports do not establish who will take Diao’s place in upcoming matches.

Diao’s first possible return points are Como’s November 4 meeting with Lens or the November 8 game against Inter. The three-week estimate makes either date a possibility, not a confirmed comeback. If he is not ready for those fixtures, Calciomercato.com reports that he could return after the international break, when Como face Cagliari.