Arduous trek will not affect 'Pool - Jurado
Hamburg hoping to sink modest Fulham
Liverpool's 2,000km odyssey to arrive in Madrid for today's Europa League semi-final first-leg against Atletico is unlikely to affect their performance, according to Atletico midfielder Jurado.
Airspace restrictions caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland have forced coach Rafael Benitez and his players to find alternative means of transport to the Spanish capital.
They took a train to London around Tuesday lunchtime and then the Eurostar rail service to Paris. They boarded a train to Bordeaux yesterday and then a flight to Madrid.
"I am sorry they have to travel so many kilometres, although I don't think it'll make any difference on the pitch," Jurado said.
"I think that more than the journey they will be tired because they played on Monday," he said, in reference to Liverpool's 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham.
"But in a semi-final like this you use all your energy and you don't notice fatigue."
The Liverpool players passed the time on the train to London reading newspapers, playing cards and browsing on laptop computers, according to a live blog called "The Longest Journey" on the club's website.
Spain striker Torres, a fans' favourite at Atletico before moving to the Premier League in July 2007, had knee surgery on Sunday and will be out for around six weeks. Atletico forward Aguero is suspended.
Erratic Atletico have struggled in La Liga this season but have made the final of the domestic cup and Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard said the Spaniards are capable of beating anyone if they hit form.
"It depends what version of Atletico takes to the pitch," the England midfielder said.
"They're a bit like us: sometimes you expect them to win and they don't."
Labbadia pressure
Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia knows he could be out of a job if they fail to advance past Fulham in the other Europa League semi-final, tonight.
Getting a good result in the first leg is crucial for the northern German side, who have slipped to seventh in the Bundesliga after a disastrous second part of the season.
Labbadia said his team had not played to their full potential in a shock 1-0 defeat to visitors Mainz at the weekend, but he could be the one paying the price if Hamburg fail to advance to the Europa League final on May 12 at their own stadium.
Fulham have had to travel by train under the English Channel due to the flight disruptions. The semi-finals of a major European competition represents uncharted waters for the west London club.
A little more than two years after coach Roy Hodgson arrived with the club in dire danger of relegation, any sense of inferiority on the European stage was blown away by their stunning victory over Juventus and their elimination of German champions Wolfsburg in the last two rounds.
Bobby Zamora, who has scored six goals in the competition this season, is Fulham's key weapon and is seeking his 20th goal in all to support his late bid for an England World Cup call-up.