Fulham manager Roy Hodgson admitted his side would struggle to be fully prepared for Sunday’s meeting with Aston Villa after a five-hour flight back from Russia.
The Whites reached the Europa League group stages despite losing the second leg against Amkar Perm but the 2,250-mile back from the Russian border will make matters difficult at Villa Park.
“It will be tough this weekend because the players I have returning from injury are battling to be fit and I don’t know quite how many will make it. It was a long flight and we were there a long time. We had a five-hour time difference to deal with even though I thought we dealt with it in the most intelligent way possible by keeping our watches on British time but it’s not always easy to sleep when the sun is creeping in through your window.”
