FOUR members of Blackburn Rovers' Academy jetted off to Italy on a special fact-finding mission today after receiving an invite from one of the leading sports scientists in the world.

Academy director Bobby Downes, Under 17s coach Ian Miller, physio Tony Faulkner and fitness coach Russ Wrigley will spend the next four days as special guests of Italian giants Juventus.

And they are planning to use the trip to pick up some useful training tips from leading physiology expert Jens Bangsbo as the Italians prepare for their Champions League clash with Feyenoord early next week.

"It's a great idea because it's my belief that if you don't go to these places and see what's happening around you then you are never going to improve as an Academy," said Downes.

"Jens is one of the leading figures in the world when it comes to Sports Science and the books he has written about fitness conditioning are like the bible."

It was Wrigley who first suggested the trip after studying Bangsbo's work as part of his physiotherapy degree course.

He then took it upon himself to track down the fitness expert to Juventus, where he currently works as assistant manager.

And, after a series of emails were exchanged between the two, he got an invite to Italy to see him in action together with his fellow Rovers colleagues. "Tony Faulkner initially got an email address for Jens and we sent him a number of messages asking if it was possible to go over and see how he worked because we were keen to see if any of the stuff he does could be used at the Academy," explained Wrigley.

"At first, we didn't get a reply but then he suddenly got back in touch and everything has progressed from there.

"We are due to meet up with him in Turin on Monday to watch the first team train ahead of their Champions League game on Tuesday.

"Then on Tuesday we have been invited to go to the team hotel to observe how they prepare for the game first hand."

The Brockhall quartet will also meet up with several other leading figures on Juve's coaching staff while they are out there.

But it's the opportunity to meet Bangsbo, in particular, which should prove most beneficial.

As well as his job with Juve, he also has a leading role with the Danish national side.

But it's his work as a Doctor of Physiology at the University of Copenhagen which has singled him out as the leading expert in his field.

"This is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to see how the very top people operate," added Wrigley.

As part of the trip, the travelling party will also get the opportunity to watch Juve's game with Feyenoord on Tuesday evening and they were hoping to take in Inter's league clash with Bologna tomorrow night as well.

Downes has also lined up a similar fact-finding mission next month when he and assistant Academy Director Rob Kelly will visit Sporting Lisbon and Benfica in a bid to incorporate some of the techniques they pick up into the coaching structure at Brockhall.