Tomori Returns as Coach Rethinks Defense
The injury list is dictating choices again. With Gabbia sidelined and no clear return date, the coach has turned back to a trusted name: Tomori.
“We’ve had a problem with Gabbia, and we don’t know how long he’ll be out,” he admitted, drawing a direct line to the issues they faced in the summer with Gila. The calendar offers no mercy either: four matches in ten days. That kind of run forces decisions, not debates.
So Tomori is back.
The defender has impressed in training and that, the coach underlined, tipped the balance. “Tomori, however, is an excellent player; I saw him training well. My priority is always the team, and at that moment, I felt it was the best decision to bring him back into the squad.”
A pragmatic call, but also a clear show of faith. When the fixtures pile up and bodies drop, reliability suddenly becomes a luxury.
Camarda Set for Real Chances Up Front
Up the pitch, another door is opening. This time for Camarda.
“I think we need to give Camarda a chance,” the coach said, making it clear this is not just lip service to youth development. He floated the idea of three rotating forwards, a fluid front line built on different profiles rather than a fixed, predictable trio.
Sometimes the game demands a different kind of striker. Sometimes it demands all of them.
“Sometimes changing the characteristics of our attackers can help us. There isn't a single team in the world that has all the right characteristics for every position throughout the season. We will use Camarda. Of course, it will depend on the matches.”
That last line matters. Camarda will not be a token name on the bench. He will be a tactical card, played when the matchup and the moment call for something new.
Rabiot and Moreira Pushing for a Place
The midfield and wide areas are no less competitive.
Moreira, after two full weeks of training, has stepped up his readiness. “He’s better prepared than last week. He’s an option, as is Rabiot, in two positions,” the coach explained, leaving the starting XI deliberately open.
Moreira is viewed primarily as a fifth midfielder or winger, a hybrid role that suits a congested schedule and evolving game plans. But the coach is already thinking beyond that. There will be matches where Moreira moves higher, or works in tandem with Chukwueze, stretching the pitch and unsettling markers.
“We have many players to rotate,” he said, and this time it sounded less like a cliché and more like a warning to opponents.
Injuries are forcing adjustments. The calendar is forcing rotation. Tomori returns, Camarda waits for his chance, and Rabiot and Moreira circle the starting spots.
The question now is simple: who turns opportunity into something permanent?
