The Premier League schedule was not designed for humans. After the glory of the FA Cup win and the arrival of Sergio Ramos the reality of the calendar hit Barnsley like a wet fish in the face.
It was Sunday morning. They had played on Wednesday. They were playing again today. And they had a flight to Kazakhstan on Thursday for the Conference League.
Michael Sterling sat in the physio room. The smell of Deep Heat muscle cream was overpowering.
Arthur Milton was standing by the door holding a clipboard. He looked worried.
"Boss," Arthur said. "Look at the list. It is longer than my grocery list."
Michael looked at the whiteboard.
Erik Olsen: Fatigue (85 percent)
Danny Fletcher: Sore Calf
Isaiah King: Hamstring Tightness
Diego Nunez: Needs a Nap
"Diego needs a nap?" Michael asked.
"He fell asleep during the tactical meeting," Arthur whispered. "He was snoring. It sounded like a tractor. Sergio Ramos threw a marker pen at him to wake him up."
