Mascherano plays down Liverpool fatigue fears

LIVERPOOL midfielder Javier Mascherano is confident fatigue will not be a problem for the Reds against Atletico Madrid tonight despite a gruelling 24-hour trek to reach the Spanish capital.

Due to the volcanic ash cloud that has brought air travel to a virtual standstill over Europe in recent days, Liverpool were forced to make the trip for their Europa League semi-final first leg in a series of phases.

The 1,300-mile journey began on Tuesday – the day after facing West Ham in the Premier League at Anfield – with a train to London, followed by the Eurostar to Paris, where they spent the night.