Special schedule in bid to overcome travel fatigue

Rafael Benítez has said that Liverpool are taking special measures to prevent travel fatigue wrecking their chances of securing a place in the inaugural Europa League final.

Liverpool are halfway through their gruelling journey to Madrid, where they will play the first leg of their semi-final tie against Atlético tomorrow night, and the club’s medical staff have come up with a programme designed to ensure that they are at their freshest when the game kicks off, despite the 24-hour trip by road, rail and air.

Special diets, high in carbohydrates, have been formulated and the players who were involved in the 3-0 win over West Ham United on Monday night were excused training yesterday, with sleep prescribed to aid their recovery.

“I’m sure the players will be tired but the journey so far has not been too bad,” Benítez said. “They had carbohydrates and ice baths after the West Ham game and we thought it was more important to let them get a night’s sleep than travel too early. We’ll see how the rest goes from here. It’s just something we have to get on with.”