Gareth Southgate waits on Bukayo Saka news ahead of England double-header
Boss Gareth Southgate will be sweating on Bukayo Saka’s fitness ahead of naming his England squad to face Australia and Italy on Thursday. The Arsenal forward came off in the first half of the Gunners’ 2-1 Champions League defeat at Lens on Tuesday night. Saka suffered a hamstring injury and boss Mikel Arteta admitted it was a concern ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday. Doubts over Saka’s fitness could open the door for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon after his impressive start to the season. Winger Gordon helped England Under-21s win Euro 2023 in the summer and has two goals and two assists in the league. Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is pushing for a recall with seven goals in all competitions this season, including two hat-tricks after his treble in the 6-1 thumping of Brighton on Saturday. Watkins, who has two goals for England in seven caps, was left out of last month’s squad to face Ukraine and Scotland but is a strong contender for a return, especially with Callum Wilson managing a hamstring issue. With Saka a doubt and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze sidelined for six weeks there are gaps in England’s forward line for the friendly against Australia on October 13 and Euro 2024 qualifier with Italy on October 17. Eze suffered a hamstring injury in Palace’s 1-0 win at Manchester United on Saturday. Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling could be one to profit having been left out of the last three squads. Ben Chilwell also has a hamstring injury, leaving Southgate short of options at left-back with Luke Shaw already out with a muscle problem. Brentford’s uncapped Rico Henry is also sidelined for the season with a serious knee injury so Southgate could opt for Chelsea’s Levi Colwill to fill in. The squad is also likely to come too soon for fellow Blues defender Reece James, who has been nursing his own hamstring injury. Harry Maguire has managed just three minutes of Premier League action since last month’s wins over Ukraine and Scotland – although he played the full game when Manchester United beat Palace 3-0 in the Carabao Cup last week. There are no suggestions Southgate is about to drop the centre-back, although Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa should be under consideration. John Stones is back in training with Manchester City, having been out since the Community Shield in August, but is lacking minutes. Kalvin Phillips continues to struggle for game time at City but is expected to be included. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Aaron Ramsey and Brennan Johnson out of Wales’ crunch qualifier with Croatia Kyle Sinckler: Rugby’s updated eligibility rule an improvement to the game Rasmus Hojlund says Manchester United must ‘stick together’ in ‘tough period’
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Oklahoma-Texas is the top game in Week 6. LSU heads to Missouri after defensive meltdown
Oklahoma-Texas is the main attraction in Week 6 of the college football season and one of three games matching Top 25 teams
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Vasilevskiy remains the choice among NHL skaters for the title of best goalie in the world
There's not much of a debate about who's the best goaltender in world
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Stealing the show: Acuña leads speedsters seeking October impact in pitch clock era
Fans who are returning to baseball for the postseason will find Ronald Acuña Jr. and other speedsters playing a different game
1970-01-01 08:00
Billionaire owner Shad Khan has the Jaguars reaching new heights after some dreadful lows
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has lifted the small-market franchise out of the league’s relocation realm and carried it to new heights both on and off the field
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Texans' C.J. Stroud off to a sizzling start as several other rookie QBs struggle
Rookie quarterbacks are getting their chances early this season with five getting a start in Week 4
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Soccer-UEFA confirms joint Italy, Turkey bid for Euro 2032, Britain and Ireland sole bidder for 2028
GENEVA UEFA confirmed on Wednesday its receipt of a request by Italy and Turkey to merge their individual
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Aaron Ramsey and Brennan Johnson out of Wales’ crunch qualifier with Croatia
Wales captain Aaron Ramsey and Brennan Johnson will miss next week’s vital Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia. Both players have been omitted from Rob Page’s squad for their friendly against Gibraltar on October 11 and Group D qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium on October 15. Ramsey damaged his right knee in training last month and there are fears the 32-year-old midfielder may need surgery after missing Cardiff’s last five games. Tottenham midfielder Johnson sustained a hamstring injury in his side’s recent 2-2 draw at Arsenal and sat out Saturday’s win against Liverpool. The pair’s absence is a huge blow to under-pressure Page, whose side sit fourth in their group after winning only two of their first five matches. Johnson had been expected to be included after Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said before the Liverpool game that his injury was “nothing too serious”. Wales are also without QPR defender Morgan Fox and Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo (both knee), while Reading midfielder Charlie Savage and Liverpool defender Owen Beck have received their first senior team call-ups. Leeds winger Daniel James returns to the squad after missing last month’s Euro 2024 qualifying victory in Latvia. Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore is available for the Croatia game after missing the last two Euro qualifiers due to the red card he received against Armenia in June. Page eased some of the pressure on him last month with Wales’ 2-0 victory in Latvia. But his side still face an uphill battle to secure automatic qualification for next summer’s finals in Germany through a top-two finish. Wales realistically need to avoid defeat against 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and win their final two games in Armenia and at home to Turkey in November to do so. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Kyle Sinckler: Rugby’s updated eligibility rule an improvement to the game Rasmus Hojlund says Manchester United must ‘stick together’ in ‘tough period’ Football rumours: Jadon Sancho keeping contact with Borussia Dortmund
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Italy changes front row and rearranges backline to face France at Rugby World Cup
Italy has changed the front row and switched its best backs around for the Rugby World Cup match against France on Friday after being blown away by New Zealand
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UK and Ireland set to host Euro 2028 after Turkey withdraw bid
The UK and Ireland are poised to host Euro 2028 with their bid now unopposed due to Turkey’s withdrawal. The joint bid between England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, which was up against Turkey ahead of next week’s Uefa announcement, will secure hosting rights subject to final approval from the governing body’s executive committee. Turkey will now join forces with Italy to host Euro 2032 instead, with Germany the hosts for next year’s Euro 2024. Uefa officials are yet to confirm how the hosts would qualify for Euro 2028, with discussions over the prospect of teams participating in qualification to secure competitive preparation for the tournament. However some teams could still qualify even if knocked out. The Independent reported in July that Uefa were unlikely to grant all five nations a place in the 24-team tournament. While Uefa sees benefits to the joint bid in terms of commercial potential and most of the infrastructure already in place, the number of teams hosting brings an unprecedented element. Issues related to sporting integrity as regards qualification may now emerge, with Uefa likely to award a maximum of three guaranteed places. The anticipated expansion of the tournament to 32 teams is not expected to happen until 2032. The prospect of a mini-tournament before qualification officially starts is thought to be on the table. While the Independent understands there is a very minor possibility the tournament could have just four hosts if Northern Ireland's planned stadium of Casement Park in Belfast isn't reconstructed in time. But that isn't currently seen as a challenge, given five years until the competition. There is no confirmation on who would host the final, though Wembley Stadium would seem the likely favourite, meaning a second European final in three editions of the competition. England lost to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley, which took place in 2021 after its postponement due to Covid. Wembley is one of 14 venues across the five countries to have been shortlisted in the bid, with nine English stadia in total, two in the Republic of Ireland and one each in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The inclusion of Casement Park, a Gaelic sports venue which is in the process of being redeveloped, means Belfast is set to host matches should it remain when the final list of 10 stadia is submitted to Uefa in April. The nine English stadia include three in London – Wembley, the London Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium are on the provisional list, as are Newcastle’s St James’ Park and Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. Everton’s new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock is on the shortlist, as is Villa Park in Birmingham. The Aviva Stadium and Croke Park are the shortlisted venues in Dublin, while the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Hampden Park in Glasgow complete the list. Gareth Bale was due to help the bid by joining a Welsh delegation in Geneva this month. The legendary winger, who is Wales' most capped player and record goalscorer, retired from football in January, but the 34-year-old offered to help Wales secure joint-hosting rights. Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said: “We are hoping for a successful bid and Gareth is very much part of the FAW and what we do. He has been identified as one of the faces of the bid presentation. Gareth is globally famous. You can get into a taxi in Sydney or Peru and if you mention you are from Wales they will say ‘Gareth Bale’. It is an instant reaction. “When I go home to the west of Ireland the first thing people say to me is ‘how is Gareth Bale?’ Gareth is so good for us. We went to him and asked him if he would get involved in the Euro ’28 bid and he just said: ‘What can I do for Wales?’ It was instant – ‘how can I help you get the bid over the line?'” Turkey now looks set to host the major tournament in 2032, eight years after falling short in the race to host Euro 2024, with Germany outpointing them 12-4 in the voting. The Uefa Executive Committee will officially appoint host associations on 10 October at the governing body’s headquarters, the House of European Football, in Nyon, Switzerland. Read More UK and Ireland’s Euro 2028 bid unlikely to secure five automatic places Gareth Bale part of Welsh delegation to help UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid UK and Ireland shortlist 14 stadiums for Euro 2028 bid Gareth Bale part of Welsh delegation to help UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028 to be unopposed after Turkey withdraw interest Ed Sheeran and Ipswich players celebrate win with dressing room sing-along
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Marina Ovsyannikova: Anti-war Russian journalist sentenced in absentia
Maria Ovsyannikova, who protested live on air against the invasion of Ukraine, gets more than 8 years in jail.
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UEFA accepts Italy-Turkey co-host bid for Euro 2032 and leaves UK-Ireland as only candidate for 2028
UEFA has all but confirmed its long-expected hosts for the European Championship in 2028 and 2032
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