Cesc Fabregas joked that he still has some gas left in the tank as the Monaco midfielder returned from injury amid reports he could call time on his career.
The Spaniard, who moved to the south of France from Chelsea in 2019, has been forced to deal with a hamstring problem this term whilst he's also suffered from coronavirus. On Saturday he made a return to the pitch as he played for Monaco's second team against Aubagne.
Fabregas has made 20 plus appearances in each of his past two seasons in Monaco but has only featured twice this term. However he claimed he still had plenty to offer as he posted a video of himself playing on social media. "Didn’t play for a few months but felt good yesterday [with] the 45’ I played," the Spaniard wrote. "Still got a few tricks here and there!"
The World Cup winner, who is now 34, could yet play a late role in Monaco's charge towards the Champions League. They currently sit in fourth, which would see them play in next season's Europa League, but are eyeing a spot at Europe's top table.
Niko Kovac is the man in charge at the Stade Louis II and has implemented an intense game, which Fabregas concedes doesn't lend itself to him as a player. It also doesn't lend itself to a player of his age and the former Arsenal man is having to consider when to call time on his playing days.
“The closer the end comes, the more thoughts come to your mind, but at the same time, I love football a lot and I’m enjoying training everyday,” Fabregas told MirrorSport previously . “Going to the training ground, staying here with the boys, learning new things, competing, trying to make things difficult for the coach and I just feel like I can still play.
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“Of course, the way Niko [Kovac] likes to play is very aggressive, very intense, a lot of sprints, a lot of runs at high intensity. This is something that is maybe not so much into my game - not only now, but ever - but I’m learning, I’m improving, I’m doing good numbers and for this reason I still feel the energy to keep playing.”
Fabregas' contract expires in a matter of months and attention will soon turn to his next move. The Spaniard is keen on going into coaching and sees Monaco as an ideal location given the young players at the club.
He said: “This is my last year here, then I’ll see what I want to do. I’ll see where my head is and what I want to do, but yes, it is something that I want to do in the future, going into coaching quickly after I retire, whenever that is. But here is a good place to be because a lot of young players are willing to learn, they ask questions, they want to improve, they let themselves be advised on many things, so it’s great for me to have this approach with them.”
