'Me and Messi speak less - because of the game'

In an indepth interview with the English newspaper, Fabregas lifted the lid on his relationships with his playing friends and gave his thoughts on the Round of 16 tie between the two European heavyweights.

"I speak to some of them (Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique) nearly every day. Probably now [though], we speak less - maybe because of the game," the Spanish midfielder conceded.

When asked if the fixture will be emotional for the former Barca star, he replied: "It's my hometown, it's the club I supported all my life. In that way, yes, it will be emotional. But once you step onto the pitch, that just goes away. I did it with Arsenal (2003-2011)".

Turning his attention to the match itself, Fabregas said: "It will be a massive night for the players, for the club, for English football in general, so hopefully we can do well and give a good image of what we can do."

"Barcelona are still a great side. They try to put the first pressure very high, always work[ing] towards the ball. But if we can past this first phase and not put ourselves under too much pressure then I think that we can hurt them. They will leave a lot of spaces at the back. We have three days to work on the game and I'm sure the manager will find the best solution".

Chelsea will be hoping to cause an upset on Tuesday after turning momentum back in their favour through victories against West Brom and Hull City this week.