James Harden's season debut could be coming soon.

Of course, with the disgruntled NBA star who really knows for sure.

Harden participated in the Philadelphia 76ers' video session and walkthrough Sunday before their home opener against the Portland Trail Blazers - the first time he was with the team for a game this season.

Before the Sixers routed the Blazers 126-98, coach Nick Nurse told reporters that he expects Harden to practice with the team on Tuesday.

Harden, who has famously demanded a trade and critisized team president Daryl Morey, has been practising with the 76ers' G League as he works his way back into game shape. The 76ers have said he needs to "ramp up" his conditioning before he can make his debut.

"The report on him is, he had some good conditioning days," Nurse said. "All signs are positive, conditioning-wise. Just need to get in some live action."

He's expected to get his first live work with the team on Tuesday, and with the 76ers off until Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, it's possible he makes his season debut then.

Though, obviously, there's no guarantee of anything with Harden.

Harden returned from a 10-day excused absence last week and didn't travel with the Sixers on their two-game trip to open the season.

He reportedly tried to board the team flight to Milwaukee but was stopped by a security official and left the airport. The NBA then opened an investigating whether his absence from the 76ers’ season opener was a violation of the league’s new player participation policy.

In late June, Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season and then immediately requested a trade.

He could have declined the option and become a free agent but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.

In August, he then lambasted Morey while in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of.”

Harden has since reiterated his unwillingness to play for Morey’s Sixers, but by reporting for practice this week, has shown some acknowledgement that his best chance at being traded would be to play well in Philadelphia until a partner is found.

Sunday marked a rough day for NFL quarterbacks with Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Kenny Pickett all suffering injuries.

Cousins' injury appears to be the most severe with Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell saying the team fears he sustained an injury to his Achilles tendon. 

The four-time Pro Bowl QB has never missed a game due to injury in his 12-year career but is in danger of being lost for the remainder of the season if the tendon is indeed torn, which has been reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

He is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

Cousins left in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers after being sacked by Kenny Clark - the second consecutive play he was sacked.

"We are fearing an Achilles injury," O'Connell said. "The severity of that, I do not know at this point, but I do know that's what our fear is at the moment."

Cousins threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a third straight win to even their record at 4-4. The 35-year-old is playing some of the best football of his career, throwing for 2,331 yards with 18 touchdowns to five interceptions while posting a 103.8 rating.

His backup, rookie Jaren Hall, made his NFL debut upon replacing Cousins and completed three of four passes for 23 yards.

O'Connell wouldn't commit to starting Hall next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, so the Vikings could look to signing a veteran free agent to take over the offence.

Stafford injured his right thumb in the Los Angeles Rams' 43-20 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The 35-year-old initially hurt the thumb on his throwing hand on a failed 2-point conversion pass in the final seconds of the first half and then exited for good after aggravating the injury after catching a 2-point try on the Rams' first possession of the third quarter.

Brett Rypien entered at quarterback the next time the Rams got the ball and completed five of 10 passes for 42 yards in his first action of the season. Stafford finished 13 of 22 for 162 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Coach Sean McVay said he didn't have an update on Stafford's injury after the loss, which dropped Los Angeles' record to 3-5.

Pickett left the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-10 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a rib injury.

Pickett was injured on a hit by defensive end Adam Gotsis after throwing a pass that fell incomplete in the final minute of the first half.

After the game, coach Mike Tomlin said he didn't know the severity of the injury to Pickett, who was 10 of 16 for 73 yards before exiting.

The Steelers have a quick turnaround, with their next game Thursday against the visiting Tennessee Titans.

If Pickett can't play, Mitch Trubisky would make his 56th career start - and first of the season.

Trubisky, who played in the second half of Pittsburgh's 30-6 loss to Houston in Week 4 after Pickett left with a bone bruise in his knee, went 15 of 27 for 138 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Jaguars.

Minnesota Vikings made it three consecutive wins with a 24-10 victory over Green Bay Packers, but celebrations were subdued after head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed he feared quarterback Kirk Cousins might have suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the contest.

Future free agent Cousins, who has never missed an NFL game due to injury, is set to undergo a scan to confirm the diagnosis and was replaced by rookie Jaren Hall, who looks to be Minnesota’s solution for now.

There was also bad news for New York Giants, who sent Tyrod Taylor to hospital for further evaluation after he sustained a rib injury in their 13-10 overtime loss to cross-town rivals New York Jets.

The Jets were on the wrong side of a 10-7 deficit with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter but were saved by late heroics from Greg Zuerlein, who drew things level with one field goal then booted in the winning points with another in OT.

Miami Dolphins held on to top spot in the AFC East after securing a comfortable 31-17 win over New England Patriots, where cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has recovered from his meniscus injury, made an interception in his season debut.

The AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars extended their winning streak to five with a 20-10 victory over Pittsburgh Steelers, Trevor Lawrence completing 24 of 32 passes for 292 yards.

Carolina Panthers secured their first win of the season as they edged out Houston Texans 15-13 while NFC South rivals New Orleans Saints finished the weekend equal in the win-loss column following their 38-27 victory over Indianapolis Colts.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns despite a niggling knee injury to ensure his side, who now boast a 7-1 record, continue to enjoy their dominance at the top of the NFC East with a 38-31 victory over Washington Commanders.

Dallas Cowboys, second in the NFC East, kept pace with their Pennsylvania division rivals with a decisive 43-20 victory over Los Angeles Rams.

Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari scored four goals in the last 20 minutes to complete a remarkable turnaround by beating Frosinone 4-3 in Serie A.

The visitors were seemingly cruising to victory following Matias Soule’s brace and a Marco Brescianini strike, but the comeback started in the 72nd minute.

Gaetano Oristanio scored Cagliari’s first and Antoine Makoumbou made it 3-2 shortly afterwards.

Just as it looked like the home side would be thwarted, Leonardo Pavoletti scored in the fourth and sixth minutes of stoppage time to secure the unlikeliest of victories.

Inter Milan returned to the top of the table as Marcus Thuram’s strike 10 minutes from time earned them a 1-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

Napoli came from two goals down to snatch a point with a 2-2 draw against AC Milan.

Olivier Giroud scored two headers inside the first 30 minutes to put the visitors in control, but Napoli earned a route back into the match through Matteo Politano before Giacomo Raspadori levelled things up for Napoli, who had defender Natan sent off late on.

Udinese’s wait for a first league win goes on but Lorenzo Lucca’s second-half equaliser secured them a seventh draw of the season – 1-1 with Monza.

Atletico Madrid moved up to third in LaLiga with a 2-1 win over Alaves at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Rodrigo Riquelme’s near-post finish before Alvaro Morata doubled their advantage with a powerful left-footed strike into the top corner.

Ander Guevara’s consolation was not enough to stop the hosts from moving above Barcelona.

Isco scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Betis their first league victory in three matches – a 2-1 success against Osasuna.

Willian Jose gave the home side the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Osasuna thought they had stolen a point when Ruben Garcia rifled home from close range.

However, the all-important decider came in time added on when Isco smashed the ball in off the crossbar from inside the area.

Substitute Bebe also left it late to hand Rayo Vallecano a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice to give Sociedad the lead after Abdul Mumin had put the hosts in front, but Bebe smashed the ball into the bottom corner from outside the box to level the scores.

Elsewhere, Alex Berenguer also proved to be a last-minute hero when he scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw for Athletic Bilbao at home to Valencia.

In France, Kylian Mbappe scored at the death to snatch all three points for Paris St Germain over Brest and move them back to within a point of leaders Nice.

Goals from Warren Zaire-Emery and Mbappe gave PSG a 2-0 lead, but they were pegged back by goals either side of half-time from Jeremy Le Douaron and Steve Mounie.

The decisive moment came when Mbappe missed his initial penalty, but slotted home the rebound.

Marseille’s match against Lyon was postponed after the visiting team’s bus was attacked before the match.

Footage appeared on social media showing items being thrown at Lyon’s team bus, with head coach Fabio Grosso pictured on a stretcher and with a bloodied face.

The match was due to kick off at 1945GMT but French football’s governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel, soon confirmed the postponement following an emergency meeting.

Elsewhere, Ivan Cavaleiro and Bafode Diakite scored to secure Lille a 2-0 win over Monaco, while Akor Adams bagged a brace in Montpellier’s 3-0 win against Toulouse.

Rennes and Strasbourg drew 1-1, while it was goalless between Metz and Le Havre.

Borussia Dortmund continued their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season as they twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Omar Marmoush struck a first-half brace to hand the hosts a 2-0 lead before Marcel Sabitzer and Youssoufa Moukoko brought Dortmund level.

Frankfurt went back in front through Fares Chaibi, only for Julian Brandt to level again seven minutes from time and earn a share of the spoils.

Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top of the table with their eighth win of the season thanks to Florian Wirtz’s first-half strike and Noah Atubolu’s own goal in a 2-1 victory over Freiburg.

Charles Leclerc was subjected to boos by Sergio Perez’s disgruntled fans following his first-corner collision with the home favourite in Mexico.

Perez’s afternoon in front of his partisan supporters at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was over after 14 seconds when he drove into Leclerc at the opening bend.

Perez was forced to retire with damage sustained in the accident, as Max Verstappen claimed his 16th win – a new record for a driver in a single season – with Lewis Hamilton second and Leclerc third.

But as Leclerc was interviewed by Jenson Button in the Foro Sol stadium – which holds 30,000 people – in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s 71-lap race, the Ferrari driver was targeted by the locals.

“A lot of booing,” said Leclerc as he addressed the angry crowd. “Guys I had nowhere to go. I was a bit in between the Red Bulls and unfortunately I touched Sergio.

“It’s life. I damaged my car and unfortunately it ended the race of Sergio. Of course, I’m disappointed to end the race of Sergio like that but I really didn’t do it on purpose and I had nowhere to go.”

A record crowd of more than 400,000 spectators passed through the gates this weekend – with 130,000 here on race day – hoping to see Perez triumph or at least finish on the podium.

However, the 33-year-old, who hasn’t won a race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30 and now faces further questions over his future at Red Bull, stood by his banzai move.

“To be honest, I feel I would have let the fans down more if I didn’t go for it,” said Perez.

“I saw the gap, I went for it. I decided to take a risk, I knew it was going to be very risky, and I ended up paying the price.

“I’ve had some really sad moments in my career, but this is up there, and as a race, the saddest one, because of the end result.

“But at the end of the day, this is just racing. I go home very sad, but I also go very proud of my team and of myself. We gave it our all. I knew that today a podium was not enough for me. I really wanted to go further.”

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea must rebuild trust with their fans if they hope to reverse their woeful home form that has seen them win just one of their last 13 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge.

That run dates back to a 1-0 win against Leeds in March, since then they have picked up a single home victory against newly promoted Luton in August.

The 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday was their third home loss in six this season, and saw them revert to the hesitant, goal-shy habits that have been a feature during owner Todd Boehly’s 18 months in charge.

At one stage in the first half Pochettino was drawn into a confrontation with a supporter who challenged the contributions of striker Nicolas Jackson, and there was a notable souring of the atmosphere once Brentford took the lead just before the hour mark.

In all there have been just three home league victories in 2023, with the team having failed to score on 10 occasions in all competitions.

“The key is to create a good atmosphere,” said Pochettino. “I think you need to be in the right way with the fans, with the team. The team need to translate to the fans the idea that they can trust them.

“I think it (takes) time. We have many talented players but still they are so young. I’m not talking about the mentality of the club or the badge because Chelsea is about victories and a strong winning mentality.

“The team is young and we need to match this level of capacity to compete always at your best.

“We can talk about Cole Palmer who arrived in the last moments (of the transfer window) who is showing character, taking the responsibility to take penalties. It’s always about getting a good balance.”

Pochettino had 10 first-team players unavailable from the start against Brentford, with the in-form Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez joining a lengthy injury list before kick-off with minor knocks.

Captain Reece James was for the second consecutive game fit only for a late cameo for the bench, whilst Ben Chilwell was also absent.

“Not to complain or make excuses, but we need all the squad fit,” said Pochettino. “We have too many circumstances at the moment where we are competing but we are missing things. When we have all the players fit, I think the team is going to find its balance.

“It’s not easy to build trust (with the fans) and be mature and to accept sometimes that the game is going in a direction that you don’t want.

“You need to be calm in this moment to have the character, to be mature enough and to have the capacity to say ‘we play in (our) way’. You need time. It’s about the maturity that we need to get.”

Max Verstappen equalled Alain Prost’s tally of 51 victories with an emphatic triumph at the Mexican Grand Prix – as Sergio Perez’s home race came to a sorry end after just 14 seconds.

Verstappen’s remarkable winning sequence, which now includes a record 16 in one season, continued in the breathless Mexico City air following two pulsating starts after Kevin Magnussen’s high-speed crash resulted in a reg flag at the midway stage of Sunday’s 71-lap race.

Verstappen mastered both getaways to draw alongside four-time world champion Prost, with only Lewis Hamilton (103 wins), Michael Schumacher (91) and Sebastian Vettel (53) ahead of the all-conquering Dutchman in Formula One folklore.

Hamilton impressed to finish runner-up, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Lando Norris drove from 17th to fifth, passing George Russell with four laps remaining on a strong afternoon for the Brit, in an event that Perez will want to forget.

As Verstappen sliced through the middle of pole-sitter Leclerc, and his Ferrari team-mate Sainz on the 830 metre charge to the opening bend, 130,000 Mexican hearts sank when an over-eager Perez crashed into Leclerc.

Perez, who started fifth, ran line astern with Leclerc and Verstappen as the trio stamped on the brakes from 200mph for the opening bend – and Perez, occupying the racing line, sensed his opportunity for glory. But his banzai move was badly misjudged.

The 33-year-old turned into Leclerc, and was sent airborne before landing back on four wheels and spinning into the run-off area. Perez limped back to the pits but the damage sustained to his machine left his race in tatters.

Perez banged his steering wheel with both hands in frustration. Children were left seeking comfort from their parents in the grandstands.

Perez’s Red Bull mechanics attempted a quick fix to get their man back on track. But after a handful of laps they conceded defeat. Perez departed his Red Bull cockpit to watch team-mate Verstappen gallop to victory.

Question marks hang over Perez’s future at Red Bull. He has one year to run on his deal, but the paddock is awash with rumours that he could be replaced next year.

Daniel Ricciardo is mooted as a possible candidate, and Perez’s first-corner disaster – coupled with the Australian out-performing his modest AlphaTauri machinery to take the chequered flag in seventh in just his fourth comeback race, will do little to dampen the speculation.

Perez last won a race in Azerbaijan on April 30, and his failure to finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez leaves his second place in the championship under threat from Hamilton. Indeed, the seven-time world champion reduced the gap from 39 points to 20 with his strong display.

For Verstappen, this was his 32nd victory – remarkably the same tally double world champion Fernando Alonso has managed throughout his entire career – from his last 41 appearances, dating back to his controversial triumph over Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Hamilton, who has not won a race during that period, crossed the line a close second to Verstappen in America a week ago before he was disqualified for running his Mercedes too close to the floor.

He started sixth here, swiftly promoted one position after Perez’s crash. On lap 11 he blasted past Ricciardo for fourth.

Verstappen gave up his lead on lap 19 after he stopped for new rubber, with Hamilton in five laps later. Then on lap 34, the race was suspended.

Magnussen lost control of his Haas at 130mph through Turn 8. The Dane ended up in the wall following a suspected rear suspension failure. He swiftly emerged from his cockpit before his mangled machine caught fire.

The safety car was deployed but with significant damage to the tyre barrier, repairs were required, and the race was halted, leading to a 22-minute delay.

“That’s a joke,” complained Verstappen. “A red flag for what?”

The drivers lined up on the grid for the second standing start of the afternoon with Hamilton the sole man in the top five on the quicker, medium rubber.

But it was Verstappen who produced another scintillating getaway to leave the others trailing in his wake.

He set about building his gap, with Hamilton intent on taking Leclerc for second, and on lap 40, he did just that following a bold and gutsy move.

On the fastest straight of the year, Hamilton jinked to Leclerc’s right, dropping two tyres on to the turf and kicking up dirt at 225mph, before holding his nerve under braking for the first corner to make the move stick.

The British driver nursed his tyres to finish runner-up to Verstappen, 13.8 sec back.

Prost was 38 when he claimed his 51st and final win 30 years ago. Verstappen turned 26 only last month, with Vettel’s 53 triumphs now on his radar before the close of the year with races in Brazil and Las Vegas to follow ahead of the final round in Abu Dhabi on November 26.

Napoli came alive in the second half of their 2-2 draw with AC Milan after Olivier Giroud twice headed home for the visitors before the break at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Milan looked to be in complete control after the Frenchman bagged his brace in the opening period, but the momentum swung completely in the opposite direction after the restart when Matteo Politano halved the deficit in the 50th minute.

Giacomo Raspadori’s stunning free-kick from 25 yards ensured it was all square after 63 minutes of a thoroughly entertaining contest in the Campania capital.

Napoli were forced to play the final few minutes with 10 men after Natan was sent off, but neither side could find a winner despite both teams having late chances.

The evening opened with an excellent piece of defending by Amir Rrahmani to block a close-range Giroud effort after the ball had deflected favourably in the Frenchman’s path.

There was bad news for the Rossoneri when centre-back Pierre Kalulu went down and was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue, with boss Stefano Pioli was short of options with Malick Thiaw serving a suspension and Simon Kjaer suffering a muscle problem.

On came 20-year-old Marco Pellegrino, making his Serie A debut and himself forced off late on, but it was a man 17 years the debutant’s senior who would provide the spark Pioli’s side needed.

Giroud’s opener came thanks to a superb delivery from Christian Pulisic to set up the 37-year-old for a glancing header that caught the fingertips of Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret before going in.

AC Milan soon extended their advantage, this time Davide Calabria providing the cross for Giroud to nod into the bottom left corner after winning an aerial battle with Rrahmani.

The visitors were cruising and had multiple chances to make it 3-0 before the break, while Napoli had not managed a shot on target.

Napoli boss Rudi Garcia made a triple change at half-time and the switch quickly seemed to pay dividends for the hosts when Politano thundered a left-footed strike under the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Milan, who had dominated the first half, were suddenly on the back foot, somehow surviving a relentless spell from Napoli that would have left them ruing their earlier missed chances when Raspadori curled home the equaliser from 25 yards.

Natan was sent off after his clumsy challenge on Giovanni Simeone resulted in a second booking, but the visitors could not capitalise on the man advantage through four minutes of added time, coming closest through captain Calabria’s header into the side-netting.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia nearly snatched victory for the home side, but Milan keeper Mike Maignan reacted quickly to keep out the Georgian’s sharp effort and ensure the points were shared.

Ben Youngs enters Test retirement comforted by the belief that England’s future is in safe hands after an encouraging World Cup.

Youngs made his 127th and last appearance in Friday’s bronze final victory over Argentina and ends his 13-year international career as the nation’s most capped men’s player.

Courtney Lawes has also confirmed he is bowing out of the Test arena and Jonny May is very likely to follow suit, while Dan Cole and Joe Marler are nearing the end of their time at the top.

The departure of so many experienced stars – three of them cap centurions – points to an uncertain future, but Youngs believes England can leave the World Cup with confidence.

“There will still be a lot of guys playing who have vast experience and who will be playing with the guys that will now start learning Test rugby,” the Leicester scrum-half said.

“We have some really good leaders, some guys who have been there and done it and dragged the others along with us, along with coaches who gave us a really clear plan.

“It was a plan that suited the team and what we needed right now, which was stripping it back a little bit.

“Marcus Smith is not inexperienced because he’s got a huge amount of experience for someone of such a young age and he’s now finding playing full-back a little bit different for him.

“You’ve got Freddie Steward, Ollie Chessum, George Martin, you’ve got a lot of guys who are going to continue to grow.

“You then marry that up with the guys like Maro Itoje, Ellis Genge and Jamie George who will still be there.

“It’s about getting that blend and continuity in the group, and also we’ve got good coaches.

“And there is that Englishness in us when our backs are against the wall. It’s a bit of bloody-mindedness – ‘right boys, we’ve got no option, we’ve got to roll our sleeves up’.”

Marseille’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon was called off on Sunday evening after the visiting team’s bus was attacked on its way to the stadium, with head coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo “directly hit and seriously injured in the face”.

Footage on social media appeared to show stones being thrown at the OL bus, with Grosso pictured on a stretcher and with a bloodied face.

French football’s governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel, confirmed the match, which had been due to kick off at 1945GMT, was postponed after an emergency meeting.

Its statement read: “During the crisis unit meeting following the incidents that occurred outside the Stade Velodrome on the route of its bus, Olympique Lyonnais made known its opposition to taking part in the match given the circumstances.

“In consultation with Olympique de Marseille and the public authorities, the OM-OL match will therefore not be played this evening at 8.45pm.”

OL issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, adding that they had initially looked for the match to go ahead, before realising the conditions of Grosso and Longo were “much more serious than expected” and due to the “mental state of the players”.

The club said: “This Sunday evening, at the entrance to the Velodrome stadium, several individuals violently attacked the Olympique Lyonnais bus, as well as its staff and players.

“Six buses of Olympique Lyonnais supporters were also targeted. If in the past, attacks of this type had already taken place, which Olympique Lyonnais has always regretted, this Sunday, October 29, a new step towards the worst was taken.

“In fact, several secure windows were broken by heavy projectiles of unknown nature. These same projectiles penetrated the interior of the bus.

“Coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were directly hit and seriously injured in the face during this attack. Present with them on the bus, the players and staff were also deeply affected by the violence of this attack, which Olympique Lyonnais strongly condemns.

“Initially, as indicated by the OL representative at the start of the crisis meeting, driven by their courage, the coach and the players wanted the meeting to be able to take place.

“Subsequently, the OL representative was informed of the physical condition of Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo, much more serious than expected, but also of the negative medical opinions and the mental state of the players. She then announced a change in the situation, indicating the impossibility of playing the match.”

OL said it was “clearly impossible” for the match to take place, adding that they planned to “file a complaint in the coming days” before calling on the authorities to take action.

They concluded: “Finally, Olympique Lyonnais regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille and invites the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and repetition of this type of incident before an even more serious tragedy occurs.”

Marseille issued a statement of their own, criticising the perpetrators and wishing 45-year-old Italian Grosso well.

“Olympique de Marseille deplores the unacceptable incidents which took place this evening around the Stade Velodrome, against the professional team bus as well as Olympique Lyonnais supporter buses,” the OM statement read.

“The club wishes a speedy recovery to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and strongly condemns this violent behaviour which has no place in the world of football and in society.

“Due to a handful of mindless people, the game planned for this evening was spoiled and deprived 65,000 supporters of attending a football match.

“The club complies with the decision taken by the LFP and remains at its disposal so that the match which was scheduled for this Sunday, October 29, takes place as quickly as possible and under the best possible conditions at the Stade Velodrome.”

South Africa retained the men’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday evening with a nail-biting 12-11 victory over New Zealand at Stade de France.

Here, the PA news agency picks a team from the best performing players in the tournament.

15. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): Two-time world player of the year set the standard for a playmaking full-back.

14. Damian Penaud (France): Daredevil wing who topped the try-scoring chart until Will Jordan ran amok against Argentina.

13. Waisea Nayacalevu (Fiji): The Islanders’ skipper stood out in a backline full of lethal runners.

12. Bundee Aki (Ireland): A player of the tournament candidate through his powerful running, clever lines and slick footwork.

11. Will Jordan (New Zealand): Ruthless finisher who is in the company of greats such as Jonah Lomu after amassing eight tries.

10. Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand): The game’s most complete fly-half with the creativity to match his game-management.

9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand): One of the World Cup’s smallest players is also among its smartest.

1. Ox Nche (South Africa): The Springboks’ strongest scrummager may be on the bench but what an impact he makes.

2. Mike Tadjer (Portugal): A front row all-rounder who was especially influential in the shock victory over Fiji.

3. Ben Tameifuna (Tonga): Monster tighthead prop weighing in at 23st 11lbs yet has the carrying prowess to match his scrummaging.

4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): A snarling enforcer and still the game’s dominant second row despite an off-night against England.

5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland): Ever-present for Ireland who provided fight whether playing at lock or in the second-row.

6. Courtney Lawes (England): A back-row warrior with a sharp rugby brain excelled in the biggest games.

7. Jac Morgan (Wales): Blockbusting flanker who showed maturity beyond his years to lead Wales into the quarter-finals.

8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand): Pushed very close by England’s Ben Earl but Savea is a class apart.

Marseille’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon has been postponed after the visiting team’s bus was attacked on its way to the stadium.

Footage on social media on Sunday evening appeared to show stones being thrown at the OL bus, with head coach Fabio Grosso pictured on a stretcher and with a bloodied face.

French football’s governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel, confirmed the match, which had been due to kick off at 1945GMT, was off after an emergency meeting.

Its statement read: “During the crisis unit meeting following the incidents that occurred outside the Stade Velodrome on the route of its bus, Olympique Lyonnais made known its opposition to taking part in the match given the circumstances.

“In consultation with Olympique de Marseille and the public authorities, the OM-OL match will therefore not be played this evening at 8.45pm.

“It will now be up to the Competitions Commission to decide on the fate of this match by application of article 544 of the competition regulations.”