Cesc Fabregas admits that his former club Barcelona probably have the greatest front three of all time as he prepares to take on the Catalans for the first time since leaving the Nou Camp last summer.
Fabregas, who won La Liga and the Copa del Rey while he was at the club, says the combination of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar is the most talented attacking trio he has ever seen, as Chelsea prepare to take on the Champions League winners in Washington DC on Tuesday night.
Messi and Neymar have been excused Barca's US tour because of their Copa America duties but Fabregas said: 'I think they are the best team in the world, especially when the front three are on form. I don't remember a front three like Messi, Suarez and Neymar, as powerful and talented as those three, since I was born. Obviously they are a threat to everybody in the competition again this season.
'We won't be playing against Messi and Neymar in this game, so we are a bit lucky because of that! But if we want to win Champions Leagues, we have to compete against the best. We will have to do well.
'We have players like Eden Hazard, Oscar, Diego Costa and Willian who play in the attacking positions and for sure we have a great team. We showed that last season by winning the League and the Capital One Cup and we want to show it again. Barcelona have the best strikeforce in the world and against that you have to play as a unit, you have to play very well. But there are no doubts that we can compete against anyone.
Despite having won near every trophy available to him – the World Cup, Euro 2012, the World Club Cup, La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the FA Cup, the Premier League and the League Cup – Fabregas has never won the Champions League.
'I always say that the Champions League was the one disappointment from last season,' he said. 'I gave the team a seven or an eight out of 10 for the year, but to complete a top, top season we needed to do better in the Champions League. Unfortunately we went out in the last 16 on away goals, we didn't actually lose the game. But we do have to play better in the Champions League this season.'
Fabregas will be up against former team-mates on Tuesday and said: 'I spent beautiful years there, some of the most beautiful moments of my career and my life personally as well. It will be great to play against them again.'
