Liverpool face a further test of their resolve ahead of Wednesday's big night in Barcelona after claims Craig Bellamy has been made the scapegoat for incidents of misbehaviour involving other senior players.

It is understood manager Rafael Benitez has not yet taken a decision on who will be fined for breaching club rules during last week's training trip to Portugal, because he has been focusing his thoughts on the midweek match.

The dust has yet to settle, however, on the saga of the Algarve trip, which led to allegations Wales striker Bellamy attacked team-mate John Arne Riise in their hotel after a night out.

It has now been suggested details about the incident involving Bellamy were leaked to take the heat off other players, a number of whom are thought to have breached a curfew.

The Liverpool Echo today quoted "an Anfield source" as saying the information "was designed to kill Bellamy's Liverpool career".

That state of affairs will be worrying to Benitez ahead of Liverpool's first match of the Champions League knockout stage against the side who replaced them as holders.

The club have striven to present a united front and have even published pictures on their website of yesterday's training session, including shots of Riise and Bellamy arm in arm.

Benitez has made it clear he is ready to punish any of his players found to have breached club rules in Portugal — there have also been reports of a separate drink-related incident involving Jerzy Dudek, Robbie Fowler and Jermaine Pennant.

Bellamy and Riise are both expected to fly to Barcelona tomorrow morning with the squad.