Argentina is expected to easily win an historic all-South American contest at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday

Emile Smith Rowe would consider leaving Arsenal if he is not more involved in the first-team setup by the time the January transfer window opens. The 23-year-old wants to play for England at Euro 2024 and is wanted by Aston Villa, Brighton and Newcastle.

The best FPL midfield assets to replace injury doubts Bukayo Saka and James Maddison, including the likes of Son Heung-min and Bruno Fernandes.

Sprinter Kimia Yousofi said she was "here to represent Afghan girls" as she competed at the Asian Games on Friday...

The Minnesota Vikings are 0-3. While some people may argue that this is more than the beginning of the end, the offense may be more unlucky than bad. Let me explain...

With the final week of the regular season underway, the drama has intensified. Teams are fighting to play on. Some teams are playing spoiler. All of this could make or break a manager.

Lisandro Martinez faces around two months on the sidelines having aggravated a previous foot complaint as Manchester United’s injury-hit start to the season continues. There have been 16 different United players injured or ill already this season, with seven sidelined for Saturday’s Premier League home clash against Crystal Palace. United full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Sergio Reguilon are all ruled out, with Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Martinez also absent. The Argentina defender sustained a fractured metatarsal in April’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sevilla, keeping him out for around two months. Martinez is now understood to be looking at a similar timescale on the sidelines after United announced an issue with the same foot. “Lisandro Martinez will be out of action for an extended period due to an aggravation of the foot injury he suffered in April,” the club said. “The Argentinian defender experienced the setback in our Premier League game against Arsenal earlier this month. “Martinez bravely continued playing for the following two games against Brighton and Bayern Munich. Aaron Wan-Bissaka Amad Diallo Antony Jadon Sancho Kobbie Mainoo Lisandro Martinez Luke Shaw Sergio Reguilon Tyrell Malacia “But it has now been determined that he needs a period on the sidelines for recovery and rehabilitation. Assessment is ongoing to decide next steps.”Martinez’s absence in a gut punch for a United side that can welcome back Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay after missing Tuesday’s 3-0 Carabao Cup win against Palace through illness. Ahead of hosting Palace again, manager Erik ten Hag said: “We have seen some players back on Tuesday. “For tomorrow the players who were out of the squad for Tuesday, Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen, they are back.” Ten Hag recently admitted he was concerned about the number of injuries United have been picking up at a time when there are ever-increasing demands on elite players. “We already expanded the squad this season,” he said. “We had a World Cup in the middle of (last) season, so we had a longer season. “We had to play a longer season as well because of the FA Cup (final) then nations games, so a shorter break. “Every time the shadow is expanding, and the load on the players is just too much. It’s such a great overload. “But many colleagues have already pointed to that, and I have pointed to that as well. “But it kept going, we keep expanding the shadow, but anywhere it will stop and players can’t deal any more with this overload. “I think this is what you see across many squads in this moment.” The strain of injuries and illness have been compounded by the absence of Antony and Jadon Sancho. Antony has not played since the 3-1 loss at Arsenal on September 3, having been given a leave of absence to deal with allegations of abuse against him. United announced on Friday that the winger will resume training and is available for selection again as he continues to co-operate with police inquiries. But Antony will not feature against Palace this weekend, nor will Sancho. Four weeks ago the England international claimed on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” after Ten Hag said he left him out of the squad for the game at Arsenal because of poor performance in training. United later announced Sancho was training “away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue”. Ten Hag has not backed down and gave short shrift to the latest questions about the banished winger. “Many of you ask me so often these questions and I have said everything,” he said ahead of the Palace game. When asked how long this situation with Sancho can continue, Ten Hag said curtly: “What I said – I said everything.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Shane Lowry ‘lost it’ before even teeing off as Europe make dream start Russian athletes allowed to compete as neutrals at next year’s Paralympics Antony return to Manchester United will not be a distraction – Erik ten Hag

The felling of the famous Sycamore Gap tree in the North East has prompted an outpouring of grief from scores of celebrities – but few as unexpected as the Newcastle United football manager. Speaking at a pre-match press conference on 29 September, Eddie Howe said he was saddened by the incident, but that he had never seen the tree in person. The Magpies manager said he was disappointed someone would want to destroy “such a beautiful thing”. “I'm really, really sad that I wasn't able to get there before what happened. “I'm really saddened by it. I don't quite know how to describe it. “When I heard the news, I was just so disappointed that an act can ruin something that's there for the pleasure of everybody and it's such a beautiful thing. “Very sad.” A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday in connection with the tree’s felling. The tree at Sycamore Gap, beside Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was made famous by an appearance in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner. It was believed to be about 300 years old. Northumberland National Park Authority officials believe it was “deliberately felled”. Howe was joined by voices across the North East in expressing shock. The coach was joined by voices across the North East and the country in condemning the ruinous act which saw one of Northumberland's icons cut down. Si King, one of the Hairy Bikers, a celebrity chef due, said the tree was a “sentinel of time and elemental spirit of Northumberland”. In a video on X/Twitter, he said: “I hope whoever has done that has a conscience because you've just murdered a sentinel of time and elemental spirit of Northumberland. “I hope you feel really good about yourself for whatever warped reason you've done it. It's shocking. “I'm beyond words.” Meanwhile news anchor Stephen Dixon refused to see why it was so upsetting for nature lovers. “It's also just one tree, let's keep it in context”, he said on right wing TV channel GB News. He said the perpetrator should go on a National Trust course to learn to “appreciate things a bit more”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

World champion Qin Haiyang completed the breaststroke treble Friday and Zhang Yufei claimed a sixth gold as China's swimmers sent a final warning shot from the Asian...

Ryan Day Finds Romance in Beating Notre Dame

Nerfball, the first official team sport for Nerf and Hasbro, offers exciting potential for inclusivity in the world of active play.

The football association of Ukraine has written to Uefa’s member nations urging them to boycott matches against junior Russian teams. Uefa announced earlier this week that it would be reinstating Russia at under-17 level. The decision comes after a ban on all Russian sides by European football’s governing body after the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow in February 2022. England’s Football Association (the FA) had been among the national bodies that had said that they would not allow their sides to play Russia despite Uefa’s decision. And the Ukrainian footballing body has now urged all members to do the same. “We are convinced any step towards reintegration of Russian representatives is a hazardous and terrifying trend, which means nothing but support to the Russian terrorist state and all their crimes committed in Ukraine,” said the letter, according to the BBC. The next Under-17 male European Championship finals are due to be played in Cyprus next year, while the women’s U17 Euros are set to be hosted by Sweden in May. Sweden’s FA has also said that it will not allow age-group sides to face Russia and will not host the country, even if there is now a path to qualification. Uefa’s executive commitee is expected to meet on 10 October to confirm their position. Aleksander Ceferin, the president of Uefa, this week said that the move to relax the blanket ban came out of a desire to not punish children for the action’s of the Russian government amid the ongoing conflict. “Uefa’s continuing suspension against Russian adult teams reflects its commitment to take a stand against violence and aggression. Uefa is determined that this position will continue until the war is over and peace restored,” said the organisation’s president Aleksander Ceferin. “But by banning children from our competitions, we not only fail to recognise and uphold a fundamental right for their holistic development but we directly discriminate against them. “By providing opportunities to play and compete with their peers from all over Europe, we are investing in what we hope will be a brighter and more capable future generation and a better tomorrow.” Read More Russia to return to Uefa competitions as ban lifted on Under-17s teams EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024 Russia Olympic chief fuming over ‘unacceptable’ Asian Games exclusion