Cesc Fabregas has refused to comment on links to the Manchester United job, insisting it would disrespect Michael Carrick as Como prepare for their Champions League clash.

The Italian team have enjoyed rapid progress under the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder, who took over after retiring from playing in Lombardy.

Fabregas guided Como back into Serie A in 2024 following a 21-year absence, before securing European qualification for the very first time in the club's history last season.

Though the former Spain midfielder is regularly touted for a future move to the Premier League, he dismissed suggestions regarding a potential managerial appointment at Old Trafford.

Fabregas said: "As you can understand I won’t answer that question because I think that’s not a very nice question.

"I don’t think that shows enough respect to a great footballer and manager like Michael Carrick at the helm of a wonderful Manchester United side."

He also firmly rejected claims that United are in crisis, emphasising that hosting the English club at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia represents a "historic day once again for the club, the city of Como and fanbase".

"Man United is a historical club that I know very, very well," the Como manager said. "Tomorrow there will be two teams that will try to compete against each other. We have so much respect for who they are, for what they do because they have incredible players, good staff.

"I know (United assistant) Steve Holland very well because I worked with him for years at Chelsea and I know Michael has done really well in previous clubs as well.

"Last year he did really well bringing Manchester United back to where they belong, which is the Champions League, for the first time in many years, so not everything is that bad. It’s a big honour to host them for the first time in our history."

Heavy rain is expected for Wednesday's fixture on Lake Como's shores, where Fabregas' side marked their Champions League debut by beating RB Leipzig 4-1.

Following a 3-2 defeat at Feyenoord, facing United is comfortably their biggest European night to date, although Fabregas stressed this "is only the start of our development".

"I arrived here over four years ago as a player and I finished my career here," he said. "If you see what I saw when I came here and what it is now, it’s completely different. It’s not even night and day. It’s like we are in another world and it happened very, very fast.

"That’s why sometimes we need to touch base, be humble, keep doing what we’re doing. There’s a lot to do, a lot to learn."