Source: Daily_Mail
Rafa Benitez relishing a tough test as Liverpool take on Thailand
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez warned his side will be tested to the limit when they take on Thailand in a pre-season friendly in Bangkok.
The Reds play the first of a two-match tour at Rajamangala Stadium today (Wednesday) against Peter Reid's side before moving on to Singapore later in the week.
While Asian trips by Premier League clubs are sometimes viewed as more commercially driven than of benefit to the playing staff, Benitez underlined he is expecting a stern challenge from the Thais.
'We know how they play, the system seems like it could be 4-4-2. They are a team that are good technically and physically so we have to adapt because it will be different for us,' he said.
'It will be wet and warm, physically they will run more than us so we have to be well organised.
'We have confidence that we can do a job but we also know it will be difficult.'
Yossi Benayoun is likely to be ruled out with an ankle injury while Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Xabi Alonso - who continues to be heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid - and Andrea Dossena will only feature briefly having played in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa.
But new signing Glen Johnson is confident he will be fit following a slight Achilles problem.
'I think I should be okay to play,' he said. 'The injury's getting much better now by the day.'
The full back also underlined how easy it has been to adapt to life at his new club following a summer switch from Portsmouth.
'The early days at Liverpool have been fantastic,' he added. 'Everybody's been brilliant to me and I feel like I'm settling in really fast.'
Liverpool have enjoyed plenty of attention from local fans so far, underlining their global appeal, and Johnson admitted he has been taken aback by the level of support.
'It's unbelievable,' he said. 'When we were travelling over, the lads were saying the support we have over here is fantastic and I've seen that for myself, it's absolutely brilliant.'
