Cesc may struggle on his return home says Pique

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique feels that Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas may struggle in their Champions League clash due to the media spotlight that will be on him.
Fabregas was brought up in the famous Barcelona youth academy before moving to the Gunners when he was just 16 and where he has established himself as one of the top midfielders in the game. Emotions are sure to be running high though when he faces the side he abandoned.
“All the attention will be on Cesc and while that will probably help us it also will be more of a problem for him. It will be an emotional game for him as he will be coming home.” said Pique, who passed through the Barça youth system with Fabregas and also remained good friends while he was at Manchester United, where he failed to make an impact.
“We are very close but when we go out onto the pitch our friendship will come to an end and we will both play to win. He is an important player for them and the captain so we will have to be wary.
“While there will be a lot of talk about him returning it will not be so important for me because I have already been against him at United so I know what it is like.”
The quarter-final match also sees Thierry Henry returning to Arsenal, having said earlier in the week it was the one draw that he did not want. However, he has struggled for form this season and is unlikely to be in the starting eleven.
“He is probably the best player in the history of Arsenal so it will be a special match for him but I don’t know what he feels about it,” said Pique, who is confident of Barça’s chances against a side who play a similar style.
“I like the way Arsenal play and it is better for us to face a team who look to pass the ball around but they are still a very difficult side who got to last year’s semi-finals and have chances of winning the Premiership.
“They are a young team but I don’t think that makes it any easier. I think this will be a good game for the players and the fans. We got a good win in the last round against Stuttgart which has boosted our morale and when you have the best player in the world with (Leo) Messi then it makes it easier.”
ends