List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

West Ham boss David Moyes has confirmed Gianluca Scamacca will miss the Europa Conference League final next month. Italian striker Scamacca, the £30.5million summer signing from Sassuolo, underwent knee surgery in April but there were hopes he could return before the end of the season. However, Moyes has ruled the 24-year-old out of the final against Fiorentina in Prague on June 7. “I see him being nowhere near it. He’s not back training and not back,” said Moyes. “He’s still doing his rehab in Italy just now, so I don’t expect to see him back before then, no. “He had his operation about four weeks ago, so he has still a few weeks of rehab to do but hopefully, he will be back ready at the start of pre-season.” The Hammers face relegation-threatened Leicester on the final day of the Premier League season, knowing a win on Sunday could lift them as high as 12th, above Chelsea. That would not be a bad result from a campaign which looked at times destined to end in relegation. “I take every game one at a time, that’s all we can ever do,” added Moyes. “It’s a chance to get your league place higher up and we’re all well aware of the value of that in the Premier League. “If you’d given me this position a few weeks ago I’d have snapped your hand off because we go into the last day without any real problems and, more importantly we go into it knowing we’ve got a cup final in a week or so’s time.” Leicester need a victory and a favour from Bournemouth at Everton in order to stay up. “I’m glad it’s a game where it’s not us needing to win it, because it was always a hard-looking game,” said Moyes. “They’ve had a great team over recent seasons, they really have. “I think it’s a bit of a surprise to everyone that they’re in the position they are in. They have got some top players and we’re going to have to defend well and deal with it well. Hopefully, we can.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Just win – Dean Smith keeps Leicester message simple ahead of crunch final day Sean Dyche is not concerned with Everton potentially looking for his replacement Scott Carson commits to Manchester City with new 12-month deal

Leicester boss Dean Smith has said his message to his players ahead of their all-or-nothing game with West Ham on Sunday will simply be “just win”. The Foxes have to win and hope that Everton cannot beat Bournemouth if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship. Smith, who was parachuted in on an eight-game SOS mission following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, says that what happens at the King Power Stadium against the Hammers is the only thing the Foxes need to focus on. He said: “We have got to win the game plainly and simply, we have got to figure out and balance the best way to not give big chances away and create big chances against West Ham, who are in a European final and after a tough first half of the season have climbed away from danger and have got a very good manager there. “We have to win the game and not look at the Everton result until after the game. We have to do our job and see where it takes us. “We can only control what we can do. We have to control our performance, help your team-mates out and go and get a good performance and a win. “If we do our part we are looking at other people to help us, but we have to make sure we concentrate on what we do. It’s quite a simple message really and the lads have trained well so far. “The players want clarity of what their positions are, what we are asking of them and our job is to give them that. It doesn’t get any clearer for me: They have to win. That’s all they need to know and that’s all they do know. “We just have to concentrate on our own game. It’s simplistic, we have to win, it doesn’t matter what is going on at other grounds. Just win. “Whatever else is going on elsewhere we are not in control of. But we have seen how quickly things can change around in the last 15 minutes of games, whether it is this season or previous seasons. We win our games and then see where it goes.” Smith did not want to discuss his future beyond Sunday’s game, insisting that there will be a post-season debrief. Asked whether the outcome of the match will impact his future, Smith added: “Not at all, my future was to come in for seven weeks and eight games and that hasn’t change. My future is exactly the same. That is a question to have after the game and not before it.” The Foxes will be without Caglar Soyuncu, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira will all be fit. Wilfred Ndidi is a doubt with a hamstring injury. “Caglar is not fit, he has tried to get himself back into training this week but he just felt it, obviously it was too close but the fact he wanted to push it to be in contention shows a lot about his character. He’s definitely out,” Smith said. “Dewsbury-Hall is good, he’s been training with us for a couple of days now, so he’ll be available for selection. “(Kelechi) Iheanacho is fine, Jonny Evans had cramp he’s fine. Ricky we scanned him and he is fine, Wilf is the only question mark at the moment, we are waiting to see if he is good enough to train tomorrow.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche is not concerned with Everton potentially looking for his replacement David Moyes: West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca to miss Europa Conference League final Scott Carson commits to Manchester City with new 12-month deal

A lot of modern football grounds look like they could have been designed by the same person, often lacking in character and hard to pick apart. The same definitely cannot be said for Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road. The ground, which was built in 1905, has always been a point of curiosity for football fans, mainly thanks to its unique entrance. Rather than a conventional walkway and set of turnstiles, fans attending Luton games find themselves walking through what initially appears to be someone’s house, with a row of terraces on either side. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter What looks like an otherwise quiet residential street is actually hiding a football stadium holding more than 10,000 people. With Luton performing strongly this year and reaching the playoff final, people have been focusing on the unique entrance more than ever. With the side taking on Coventry in the play-off final, there’s a very real chance that the club will be experiencing Premier League football next year. @jordanevans1606 Everyone should experience Kenilworth Road at least once in their life 😅 #luton #lutontown #kenilworthroad #football #footballstadium While it remains one of the great curiosities in British football, a whole lot of changes to the ground are being planned for next year if they get to the Premier League. The owners of Luton Town have released details of planned upgrades, with the Bobbers stand set to be knocked down and the capacity upgraded to 19,500 – and a further 4,000 seats or safe standing section to be added in a second phase of upgrades. Luton CEO Gary Sweet, said: “We're delighted the infrastructure element is underway allowing us to develop the detail of the stadium's design and, in particular, work hard to capture the core characteristics that makes Kenilworth Road so atmospheric, so intimate and so special to us. “This season, perhaps more than any other, has demonstrated the incredible relationship we all have with The Kenny and that has been the driving force behind our design work… We know everyone is desperate for the new stadium to open – as are we! “It's clearly a hugely complicated project but the main aim has always been to maintain the architectural quality and to deliver a stadium that replicates an essential, unique character we are all so familiar with but also fit and ready to grace the Premier League stage.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Everton manager Sean Dyche insists he has no problem with the relegation-threatened club potentially already looking for his replacement. The former Burnley boss arrived late in January as Frank Lampard’s replacement with the challenge of avoiding the drop. Things have not gone entirely to plan with the Toffees just two points above the relegation zone, although their fate remains in their own hands as they seek to extend their stay in the top flight into a 70th season by matching the results of Leeds and Leicester. And reports this week suggested Everton were already thinking about what comes next. “It’s fair to say ‘interesting’ reports, but I don’t know where they come from,” said Dyche. “At the end of the day, good businesses should be succession planning. I’ve got no problem with that, even if that were true.” Everton go into their relegation-decider at home to Bournemouth without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin or defenders Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey. “They won’t be fit. We haven’t had Dom for two-thirds of my time here. We have still won games, still got points on the board and performed,” he said. “Patto has come into the side more latterly and performed well. We lose him as well.” Dyche holds out some hope Vitalii Mykolenko – his only remaining full-back on either flank – could return after a two-match absence. “He’s a bit better so we will see how he reacts tomorrow to training today,” Dyche added. Dyche was already without Seamus Coleman, Ruben Vinagre, Tom Davies and Andros Townsend so more injuries just increase the pressure in an already-tough atmosphere on Sunday. “I think it is part of being a professional footballer. You have to use the feeling in the stadium to your advantage and I think we have a decent experience level for the ups and downs of football to understand that,” added the manager. “We want players to focus on the game, which is not as easy as it sounds, but focus on the game and the idea and don’t worry about the noise. That’s the clear intention.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Just win – Dean Smith keeps Leicester message simple ahead of crunch final day David Moyes: West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca to miss Europa Conference League final Scott Carson commits to Manchester City with new 12-month deal

Roy Hodgson insisted he expects to be taking charge of Crystal Palace for the final time in Sunday’s Premier League season-ender at home to Nottingham Forest, but did not rule out staying on. Hodgson took the reins at his boyhood club for the second time on a short-term contract after the sacking of Patrick Vieira, and has taken 17 points from nine games to steer Palace well clear of relegation trouble. Such has been the turnaround in form that Hodgson has been seen as a candidate to take the job on a longer-term basis, but the 75-year-old said that was not on his mind. “As far as I’m concerned, this is my last game,” Hodgson said. “I signed a contract here until the end of the season and I was grateful to do so. All along, I have seen this as my last game on my contract and as far as I’m concerned that’s what it is.” When asked if he would be open to staying on if asked by chairman Steve Parish, Hodgson added: “I don’t know, I’ll wait until that day arrives if it ever arrives. At the moment I don’t have to concern myself with that. “What’s on my table is to see my contract out, thank everyone for the last two and a half months and hopefully help the team get a result…I hope to leave all my options open.” Hodgson confirmed that Wilfried Zaha – out of contract this summer – will miss Sunday’s match through injury, raising the possibility that the in-demand forward has played his final game for the club. “Wilfried’s injury was sufficiently severe to keep him out of the next game,” Hodgson said. “He’ll need a week or two more to recover, so it won’t keep him out of next season. He will be fit for pre-season, but we won’t have the benefit of him on Sunday.” Palace forward Ebere Eze has been celebrating his first international call up after being included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad to face Malta and North Macedonia next month, and former Three Lions boss Hodgson has offered the 24-year-old some pointers. “The advice basically, after the congratulations – because as you say I am delighted for him and I’m happy Gareth (Southgate) and Steve (Holland) have seen what we have seen in him as well – but the only advice I can give him is to be himself,” he said. “Go there and be relaxed enough to show how good he is. Show how good he is in training when he is here. If he does that, Gareth and Steve will be more than happy with him.” The pressure will be off for both sides in Sunday’s match at Selhurst Park, with Forest’s victory over Arsenal last weekend having ended the threat of relegation at the end of their first season back in the top flight. “[Cooper] has done a very good job,” Hodgson said. “In particular I think the last five games they have had an incredible upsurge in form. They have taken 10 points from their last five games. That’s top of table form not avoiding relegation form. “They have taken everyone by surprise at the bottom who are fighting relegation, because many clubs thought they wouldn’t do that well. Hats off to him, hats off to his players and staff. It was very touching last weekend when they beat Arsenal and you saw the scenes after the game. “It makes you realise how much staying in this league and doing well means to everyone, not just to your staff and people at the club but also to the fans.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Stormers boss John Dobson praises Munster’s ‘phenomenal’ run to URC final Jonny Hill urges Sale to seize the moment in Premiership final against Saracens Man City claim title for third successive time – The 2022-23 season in pictures

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Erik ten Hag says Jadon Sancho’s progress and potential is one of the reasons Manchester United have a “good base” to kick on from next season. The 23-year-old arrived at Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 in a £73million deal following a prolonged pursuit. Sancho has shown flashes of his outstanding talent but has yet to fully live up to the billing, with the United winger falling out of the England reckoning as a result. Ten Hag has worked carefully with Sancho, who went on an individual winter fitness programme in the Netherlands rather than travel to the squad’s World Cup camp in Spain. Back then the patient United boss said the player was “not in the right status or fitness state”, but he has since made strides and the Dutchman expects even more from him. “He did very well on the right side and I think he played a very good game,” Ten Hag said after Thursday’s 4-1 defeat of Chelsea. “I think Jadon Sancho is one of the players who made progress in the season and there were many players in our squad who made good progress. I think it’s a good base to build further on.” Asked if he preferred Sancho on the right or left, Ten Hag said: “He can do both. “I think he prefers to play on the left, but we have seen today he is very good on the right as well.” United’s win against Chelsea sealed qualification for next season’s Champions League with a game to spare. Ten Hag immediately underlined that summer signings are needed, but also stressed there is far more to come from the likes of Sancho. “Still, we can also improve with this squad, as we did this season,” the United boss said. “I said (signings) is one part of it. The other thing is progress in the current squad and the current players. “That is the job that I have to do, in togetherness with that squad and with my coaching staff. “As (of) now, I think we make huge progress during the season. The team, many individuals play a fantastic, great season. “Now we have a good base but, as I just mentioned, I think there is still a lot of room for improvement also in this squad. “But then when you get the right players in, that will help and even give you more depth and a better standard and level. “Then you have more chance to be in the top four and then it gives you more chance to win titles and trophies.” United have already won the Carabao Cup this season and return to Wembley to face Manchester City in a mouth-watering FA Cup final on June 3. But first comes the Premier League season finale against Fulham – the last home match before long-serving David De Gea’s contract expires. Both parties have spoken positively about agreeing new terms but talks have dragged on, although Ten Hag downplayed the suggestion Sunday could be the goalkeeper’s last Old Trafford appearance. “I think we want him to stay and he wants to stay, so I think we will find each other,” he said of the Premier League Golden Glove winner, who joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011. “I never will give a comment about that, about how negotiations are going.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jonny Hill urges Sale to seize the moment in Premiership final against Saracens Man City claim title for third successive time – The 2022-23 season in pictures From Conte and Tuchel’s clash to Kane’s heroics – Premier League best moments

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel says this season has been one to forget for the Bavarian powerhouse, even if still manages to pip Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title on Saturday

An independent regulatory commission says in a published ruling that Ivan Toney was diagnosed with a gambling addiction after being charged with 232 counts of breaching English soccer’s betting rules

Tyson Fury has reiterated that he would only be open to fighting Jon Jones in a boxing match, as his back-and-forth with the UFC champion continues. UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed earlier this year that Fury, the WBC heavyweight boxing champion, would have ‘no chance in hell’ of beating Jones, who holds the UFC heavyweight title, in a fight. Fury, 34, took exception to that suggestion, before clarifying that he would only ever fight Jones, 35, in the boxing ring. And on Thursday (25 May), the Briton doubled down on that stance. Responding to quotes from UFC president Dana White, who offered to organise Fury vs Jones in the Octagon, the “Gypsy King” wrote on Instagram: “I don’t roll round the floor, I stand up and punch. “If you guys want to fight me, it’s got to be under boxing rules.” Jones is widely considered to be the greatest light-heavyweight in UFC history, and he made a long-awaited move up to heavyweight in March. Returning to competition after three years away, the American submitted Ciryl Gane in Round 1 to win the vacant title. Jones and Fury are both without opponents as things stand. The American was expected to defend his title against former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic this summer, but that bout appears to have fallen through. Meanwhile, talks between Fury and unified heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk collapsed in March. Usyk is now set to defend his titles against Daniel Dubois in Poland in August. The Ukrainian is unbeaten, while Briton Dubois – his mandatory challenger – has suffered just one loss as a professional. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Tyson Fury seen consoling devastated boxer after first pro loss Oleksandr Usyk promoter provides major update on Daniel Dubois fight

Harry Kane said he is “proud” to represent London as he received the Freedom of the City at a ceremony in Guildhall on Thursday 25 May. The Tottenham Hotspur and England striker has been honoured for his outstanding sporting achievements. “I’m extremely grateful to London, what it’s given to me and the opportunities it has given me, I have been lucky enough to live here my whole life,” Kane said. “To represent not just England - but London as well - is something I’m extremely proud of.” Click here to sign up for our newsletters. Read More Furious Mikael Ymer smashes tennis racket on umpire’s chair at Lyon Open Crystal Palace star Eze receives first England call-up as Southgate names squad Ten Hag quizzed on Neymar links as he hints Rashford ready to return for Man United

Fernando Alonso fancies his chances of a victory in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix