Liverpool will monitor the fitness of Diogo Jota ahead of their EFL Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, but Reds assistant manager Pep Ljinders confirmed Roberto Firmino is out of contention.
Jota and Firmino suffered knocks against Inter in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on February 16, and subsequently missed Premier League wins over Norwich City and Leeds United.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp conceded that the pair were both doubts for the final before the Leeds' game, in which fellow attackers Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane netted two goals each.
Ljinders provided another update on the duo on Friday as he offered faint hope that Jota could play some part against Thomas Tuchel's men.
"Bobby [Firmino] we will have to see in the next two days, he's pushing himself really hard, but he will not be available for the final, to reach the squad," Ljinders said.
"We hope he will be back really soon because you all see and feel how important he is for our way of playing. [We are] happy that he's pushing himself, hopefully he's soon back.
"Jota, there has been so far no reaction on the things he did – the straight-line running, the little ball work he did, so that's a good sign. He isn't ruled out but it will still be a challenge."
The Reds will be hoping Jota can beat the clock to feature, given he could become only the second ever Liverpool player to score in each of the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the competition in a single season (replays included), after Kenny Dalglish in 1980-81.
Nevertheless, Klopp's side will be left in capable hands even without Jota, with new boy Luis Diaz, Salah and Mane to call upon in the frontline.
Mane has scored eight goals against Chelsea in all competitions, only netting more in his career in England against Crystal Palace (13), while Salah leads the Premier League scoring charts with 19 this term.
The Senegal international, however, is yet to score an EFL Cup goal for the Reds in three previous appearances for them in the competition, the most recent of which was against Chelsea in the 2018-19 third round.
Thomas Tuchel hopes to have a fully-fit Chelsea squad for the EFL Cup final against Liverpool after Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic recovered from knocks, while Reece James could also return.
Ziyech and Kovacic were both doubtful for the Wembley showpiece after picking up injuries in Chelsea's routine 2-0 Champions League win over Lille in midweek, while James has not appeared since December 29.
Chelsea are seeking their fourth trophy under Tuchel, having already won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Blues will also be the first team in English football history to compete in one of the major domestic cup finals (League Cup/FA Cup) in six consecutive campaigns on Sunday, having reached FA Cup finals in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021, and EFL Cup finals in 2019 and 2022.
The Chelsea head coach's cause has been aided by the return of several key figures ahead of the clash with Jurgen Klopp's side.
"We had training today with everybody out on the pitch, except for Ben Chilwell," Tuchel said at Friday's pre-match news conference. "It's brilliant news.
"Both [Ziyech and Kovacic] are okay, today they were not out training with separate programmes, everybody joined in with team training.
"We have no [bad] reactions, only positive reactions. I hope it will stay like this. We have another training session tomorrow, but we hope to have everybody available."
James recorded four goals and five assists in the first half of the Premier League season, and could provide another boost for Tuchel, who remains excited by the prospect of the wing-back's return.
However, the German boss conceded that he was unsure whether James would be fit enough to start at Wembley.
"He looked brilliant in the last two training sessions," he added. "Let's wait another session and let's see if I'm crazy enough to put him on the pitch!"
Tuchel was guarded as to which of his goalkeepers would start against the Reds, with Kepa Arrizabalaga starting all five matches in the competition so far, while Edouard Mendy has starred in trophy wins for both club and country in 2022.
Asked about the goalkeeper decision, Tuchel responded: "I will not tell you. I will take the decision later.
"Kepa played in the Club World Cup semi-final and brought us to the final, but then we took the decision to go with Edou for the final, who was back from the Africa Cup of Nations.
"The last decision will be taken after training, as always. Kepa did fantastic in the period that we had to be without Edou, so it's [both] an uncomfortable and very comfortable situation to be in."
Kepa refused to be substituted as Chelsea were beaten on their last EFL Cup final appearance, losing on penalties to Manchester City in 2019 under Maurizio Sarri.
But the goalkeeper has impressed with two clean sheets in four league appearances during Mendy's recent stint on international duty, leaving Tuchel with options heading into the domestic final.
Pep Guardiola described Oleksandr Zinchenko as "an incredibly strong guy" for his attitude amid the escalating crisis in his home country of Ukraine.
Zinchenko joined a group in Manchester demonstrating against Russia's invasion of Ukraine outside the city's Central Library on Thursday.
The full-back had previously expressed support on Instagram for his compatriots at home and condemned the actions of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who ordered the military action on Thursday.
Manchester City boss Guardiola would have no problem selecting Zinchenko for Saturday's Premier League game at Everton.
"We spoke personally with him and everyone has spoken," Guardiola said. "These are headlines today all around the world, and it's a concern but Aleks is an incredibly strong guy.
"It's not easy, but yesterday in training, he was brilliant. He is ready to play if he has to."
When asked about Zinchenko attending the Manchester vigil, Guardiola said: "What would you do if someone abroad attacked the UK?
"It's how he feels. What happened in Yugoslavia, no-one did anything. Around the world, there are many wars. It's a pity. Innocent people will die when they just want to live in peace.
"All around the world, you want a house, to sleep well, food on the table, movies, food, someone to love. When you are not involved, they attack your country, and it should be complicated to arrive at this point.
"Always innocent people pay the terrible price, the decisions of one or two people; still we don't learn what happened in the past. Right now in Syria, many places. At the end, the strong part always kills the weak one."
City saw their 15-game unbeaten run in the league end in a dramatic 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham last time out, Harry Kane scoring an injury-time winner moments after Riyad Mahrez had made it 2-2 with a penalty.
Liverpool's 6-0 thrashing of Leeds United in their game in hand means City now lead the Reds at the top of the table by just three points with 12 matches remaining.
"When we were champions, it wasn't in December or January," Guardiola said. "[On Thursday] We saw Wolves-Arsenal, so intense, they are so good. What's next? Try to win the next game.
"Why should I not be excited? I'm more than delighted to be in this position. We want to defend it, attack better and try to win games. It's so tough, I saw yesterday the game, how Tottenham played the last game. Every game is so difficult.
"What we achieved in the last years, the contenders are so intense. From the start of the season, I couldn't expect it wouldn't be what it is now.
"I'm more than grateful we're better than I thought at the start of the season. The way we defend some situations, we didn't deserve to win, trying to attack when defending teams in this way.
"A football teams never ends, is never finished. Every time we can go to training to do better. Otherwise, it would be so boring. I never felt it would be over. We want to be there and this is what I want from my team."
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick insists UEFA's decision to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg was correct amid the ongoing "human disaster" in Ukraine.
Russia began an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday and the attack continued into Friday, with reports suggesting the fighting reached the capital of Kiev early in the afternoon.
Many countries around the world have imposed sanctions on Russia, as well as Russian entities and individuals in an attempt to disrupt the attack.
Similar measures have been taken in the sporting world, with United announcing Russian airline Aeroflot had been dropped from the club's list of major sponsors, while UEFA stripped St Petersburg of host responsibilities for this season's Champions League final.
The Russian Football Union (RFU) denounced the decision, accusing UEFA of failing to detach sport from politics as the showpiece event was moved to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris.
But Rangnick, whose United side drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, believes it was the only decision.
"The situation is desperately sad," said Rangnick, who worked in the Russian capital with Lokomotiv Moscow before joining United.
"I think everybody will think similarly about that, it's just an incredible situation that we have a kind of war in Europe. And therefore, the decision UEFA took was inevitable and it was the right decision.
"I think everybody has the same opinion about what's happening there. This is just a human disaster, what is happening there for all the people involved.
"Right now, as far as I can tell, the situation in Russia and in Moscow is still safe but this doesn't change anything about the whole situation, which is desperately sad. When I still watch TV in the morning and the evening I still cannot believe what I see there.
"This is just a terrible situation and I very, very much hope the politicians all over the world can help to deescalate the situation and finish those kinds of things that are happening there."
Carlo Ancelotti has refuted suggestions that he could use Real Madrid's upcoming league games to prepare for their crucial Champions League second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain, for which Casemiro and Ferland Mendy will be suspended.
Casemiro and Mendy picked up decisive yellow cards in the LaLiga leaders' 1-0 first-leg defeat to PSG, ruling them out of the crucial second leg in Spain next month.
Brazil midfielder Casemiro has appeared in all seven of Real's Champions League games this season, while left-back Mendy has made five appearances, both establishing themselves as key parts of Ancelotti's attempts to bring the Spanish and European crowns back to the Bernabeu.
Speaking ahead of a trip to Rayo Vallecano, Ancelotti insisted that he will not use upcoming games to find the right balance for Real's reunion with PSG, highlighting the importance of their league fixtures.
"What can I tell you? It would be a good idea [to experiment] if we had friendly games," he said.
"But we have two really important games, finals, against Rayo Vallecano and Real Sociedad.
"Two victories would mean a lot in order to win LaLiga, [so] I will play my best starting 11 in the games before Paris Saint-Germain.
"Toni Kroos can replace Casemiro, but he doesn't need to get used to playing that [deeper] position, he has played it many times.
"I have experienced players, I don’t need to try new things. I Haven't thought yet about who will replace Casemiro and Mendy, as we have two really important matches before that."
New world number one Daniil Medvedev said he wants to "promote peace all over the world", after the Russian achieved a career highlight amid the crisis in Ukraine.
Medvedev's 6-2 6-3 victory over Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka saw him advance to the final four of the Mexican Open in Acapulco on Thursday, where he will face Rafael Nadal in a repeat of last month's Australian Open final classic.
The Russian advanced shortly after Novak Djokovic's shock loss to Jiri Vesely at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which ensured that he will start next week atop the ATP world rankings for the first time.
The news came shortly after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a military assault on neighbouring Ukraine, an act that has attracted condemnation from across the sporting world.
"Watching the news from home, waking up here in Mexico, was not easy," Medvedev told reporters.
"By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world. We play in so many different countries. I've been in so many countries as a junior and as a pro.
"It's just not easy to hear all this news. I'm all for peace. In these moments, you understand that tennis sometimes is not that important.
"It was not easy to play and I'm happy that I managed to win the match, but it was a bit of a rollercoaster day for me."
Medvedev's compatriot Andrey Rublev had earlier spoken out in favour of peace, calling the situation "terrible" in an Instagram post.
"In these moments you realise that my match is not important," Rublev's post read. "It's not about my match, how it affects me. What's happening is much more terrible.
"You realise how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united.
"We should take care of our Earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."
Rublev teamed up with Ukrainian Denys Molchanov to win the Open 13 Provence doubles title in Marseille just days ago, having also won the singles title at the tournament in southern France.
Manchester United have dropped Russian airline Aeroflot from the club's list of official sponsors.
Supporters had contacted United in recent days expressing concern about the partnership following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which continued into a second day on Friday.
A United spokesperson said: "In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot's sponsorship rights.
"We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected."
Aeroflot struck a deal as the club's "official carrier" in July 2013, which was renewed four years later and is reportedly worth £40million.
As part of the initial agreement, the company said it would "provide strategic advice to the club on travel arrangements for the team and officials and will also provide charter services whenever suitable on its newest long-haul Airbus and Boeing airplanes featuring a state-of-the-art business class experience".
The United Kingdom this week banned Aeroflot, as Russia's largest national air company, from its airspace as part of a list of sanctions against the country following the military action in Ukraine.
The Russian Grand Prix has been cancelled for 2022, Formula One announced on Friday.
The decision was taken following a meeting on Thursday between organisers, teams and governing body the FIA to discuss the sport's position in relation to the Ukraine crisis.
Russia president Vladimir Putin ordered a military invasion of Ukraine, which continued into a second day on Friday. There were reports that fighting had reached the capital city of Kiev at around 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
"The FIA Formula One World Championship visits countries all over the world with a positive vision to unite people, bringing nations together," the F1 statement said.
"We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation.
"On Thursday evening, Formula One, the FIA and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances."
The race at the Sochi Autodrom was due to take place over the weekend of September 23-25. Reports suggest it will be provisionally replaced on the calendar by a race in Turkey.
Earlier on Friday, UEFA moved the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris and ordered all Russian and Ukrainian club and national teams to play home matches in UEFA competition at neutral venues, amid increasing pressure for sporting bodies to take action against Russian interests.
UEFA's decision to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris has been criticised by the Russian Football Union (RFU), which believes the move was "dictated by political reasons".
The decision came after European football's governing body condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and called an emergency meeting of the executive committee to discuss the situation.
It is understood UEFA agreed to relocate the final on Thursday, the first day of Russia's military assault, which continued on Friday. An announcement was delayed while a suitable new venue was selected.
The match will now be held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris at the original time of 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) on May 28.
It was also ordered that all Russian and Ukrainian club sides, as well as the national teams, must play their home matches at neutral venues "until further notice" during competitions that fall under the auspices of UEFA.
The RFU criticised UEFA's announcement, adamant the Krestovsky Arena was still able to meet requirements, including from a safety perspective.
RFU president Alexander Dyukov, who is also chairman of majority state-owned Russian energy company Gazprom, which sponsors the Champions League and the Krestovsky Stadium, said: "The Russian Football Union has been acting as a reliable partner of UEFA for a long time, not only fulfilling all the necessary obligations, but also offering and providing comprehensive support in the implementation of new projects and holding major competitions.
"The most important and prestigious of them was to be the UEFA Champions League final in St Petersburg, preparations for which have continued to this day and fully met all the requirements, including from the point of view of safety.
"We believe that the decision to move the venue of the Champions League final was dictated by political reasons. The RFU has always adhered to the principle of 'sport is out of politics', and thus cannot support this decision.
"The RFU also does not support the decision to transfer any matches involving Russian teams to neutral territory as this violates the sports principle and infringes on the interests of players, coaches and fans.
"We are always ready to provide all the necessary guarantees for holding international football matches in Russia with a high level of organisation and security."
The RFU's statement also noted that it will continue its preparations to host Poland in Moscow in next month's World Cup qualifying play-off after the Polish Football Association (PZPN) and its counterparts from Sweden and the Czech Republic – either of whom could play Russia in the second play-off finals – signed a joint statement saying they would not play matches in the country.
The RFU added: "The introduced restrictions do not apply to the matches of the qualifying stage of the World Cup in Qatar, held under the auspices of FIFA on March 24 and 29. The RFU continues to prepare for them as planned."
Barcelona will face Galatasaray in the last 16 of the Europa League.
Xavi's side were 4-2 winners on aggregate over Napoli in the round of 32 after dropping into the competition from the Champions League.
They will now meet the Turkish Super Lig giants, with the first leg at Camp Nou to be played on March 10.
Sevilla, winners of a record six trophies, will face David Moyes' West Ham, while rivals Real Betis will play Eintracht Frankfurt.
Rangers, who shocked Borussia Dortmund in the previous round, take on Red Star and RB Leipzig will play Spartak Moscow. Spartak's home leg must be played at a neutral venue due to the military invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The first legs will be played on March 10, with the exception of Porto versus Lyon and Betis' game with Frankfurt, which will be held a day earlier. The second legs are a week later.
Europa League last 16:
Rangers v Red Star
Braga v Monaco
Porto v Lyon
Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen
Sevilla v West Ham
Barcelona v Galatasaray
RB Leipzig v Spartak Moscow
Real Betis v Eintracht Frankfurt
The 2022 Champions League final will be held in Paris after UEFA stripped St Petersburg of the right to stage the game.
The decision came after European football's governing body condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called an emergency meeting of the executive committee to discuss the situation.
It is understood UEFA agreed to relocate the final on Thursday, the first day of Russia's military assault on neighbouring Ukraine, which continued on Friday. An announcement was delayed while a suitable new venue was selected.
The match will now be held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis at the original time of 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) on May 28.
The 2022 Champions League final will be held in Paris after UEFA stripped St Petersburg of the right to stage the game.
The decision came after European football's governing body condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called an emergency meeting of the executive committee to discuss the situation.
It is understood UEFA agreed to relocate the final on Thursday, the first day of Russia's military assault on neighbouring Ukraine, which continued on Friday. An announcement was delayed while a suitable new venue was selected.
The match will now be held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis at the original time of 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) on May 28.
UEFA also ordered that all Russian and Ukrainian club sides, as well as the national teams, must play their home matches at neutral venues "until further notice".
Spartak Moscow will be in the draw for the Europa League round of 16, which takes place on Friday, while Russia are due to face Poland in a World Cup play-off tie next month, the winner of which would play Sweden or the Czech Republic for a place at the finals in Qatar.
The football associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic had all previously warned they would not consider travelling to Russia for matches following president Vladimir Putin's decision to launch the Ukraine offensive.
"The signatories to this appeal do not consider travelling to Russia and playing football matches there. The military escalation that we are observing entails serious consequences and considerably lower safety for our national football teams and official delegations," they said.
"Therefore, we expect FIFA and UEFA to react immediately and to present alternative solutions regarding places where these approaching playoff matches could be played."
UEFA's executive committee has agreed to remain on standby for further extraordinary meetings "to reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves and adopt further decisions as necessary".
Stephen Curry is aiming to help the Golden State Warriors "peak at the right time" after Thursday's 132-95 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Fresh from the All-Star break, where he hit 16 threes in a 50-point showing, Curry provided 14 assists and put up 18 points in Portland.
Steve Kerr's side had lost four of the previous five games, but Curry hopes the Warriors are set for a strong run leading into the playoffs.
"I'm just trying to enjoy the process, I'm trying to peak at the right time with my guys," he said.
"It's a strong start to the last home stretch and we've got to keep building.
"There's 22 games left where we've got to be our best selves come playoff time, and it's going to be nice to be back on that stage."
The dominant nature of the performance provided plenty of room for optimism for Curry, whose team shook off a slow start after trailing at the end of the first quarter.
"I'm very encouraged," he said. "I thought defensively we asserted our will after the first quarter, really understood how to get stops and turn it into easy offense.
"Portland's different now but they still require your attention, they've got a couple of guys that can light it up."
Curry's display helped seven of his team-mates reach double-figure points tallies and coach Steve Kerr was thrilled with his star man.
"Steph was brilliant," said Kerr. "I loved his patience and the way he ran the team. He played a beautiful game."
Scotland denied France glory in last year's Six Nations, with their dramatic victory in Paris meaning Les Bleus missed out on the title.
Now, France will be out for vengeance as they head to Edinburgh at the top of the standings with two victories from their opening two matches.
England, meanwhile, bounced back from their defeat to Scotland in round one with a hammering of Italy, and Eddie Jones' second-placed team host Wales at Twickenham.
Wales lost convincingly to Ireland in their first game, yet defeated Scotland 20-17 last time out, though the defending champions are down in fifth place as it stands.
The final match of the weekend sees Ireland take on Italy in Dublin. The Azzurri are staring down the barrel of a 100th Six Nations defeat.
Ahead of the third round of fixtures, Stats Perform previews each match with help from Opta.
SCOTLAND V FRANCE
FORM
Scotland have won four of their last six games against France in the Championship, including the last two in a row and a first win in Paris since 1999. They have not won three in a row against Les Bleus in the tournament since 1956-1958.
This will be the 99th meeting between Scotland and France in all competitions, with Les Bleus leading the head to head with 56 wins (L39, D3). However, honours are even across the last 10 clashes, with both sides picking up five wins each.
France opened their campaign with a pair of wins, something they also managed in 2021. The only time since 2011 when they have won their opening three games was in 2020, when they missed out on the title and a Grand Slam after a fourth-round defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield.
ONES TO WATCH
Darcy Graham has beaten a Championship-high nine defenders so far. He is just ahead of French duo Gabin Villiere, Damian Penaud, and Marcus Smith.
France's Gregory Alldritt has made more carries (30) than any other player, while he has also gained 83 post-contact metres, the most of any forward and fourth most of any player, after Ireland's Mack Hansen (107), Scotland's Graham (86) and team-mate Penaud (84), as well as hitting 10 more defensive rucks (36) than anyone else.
ENGLAND V WALES
FORM
The last four Six Nations matches between these sides have been won by the home side on the day. Indeed, England have won their last four home games against Wales in the Championship, only once since 1930 have they enjoyed a longer such streak, a nine-game run between 1990 and 2006.
England have lost just two of their last 24 home games in the Six Nations (W21, D1), defeats to Ireland in 2018 and Scotland in 2021. Wales' last win at Twickenham in the Championship was in 2012. Since the start of the 2016 tournament, Wales have picked up just one away victory outside of Scotland or Italy, a 24-19 win in Paris in 2019.
England (49) and Wales (34) have made more maul metres than any other sides so far in this edition of the Six Nations.
ONES TO WATCH
Jones has named Ben Youngs on England's bench. If he comes on, Youngs will win his 115th Test cap, overtaking Jason Leonard as the country's most capped men's player. The scrum-half has been involved in five tries in his last six starts against Wales (three tries, two assists).
Alex Cuthbert is set to play for Wales for a 50th time. He is looking to score his first try in the Six Nations since crossing against Italy in 2014.
IRELAND V ITALY
FORM
Ireland have won 21 of their 22 previous Six Nations matches against Italy, their sole defeat coming in 2013 (15-22), in what was the Azzurri's last home victory in the Championship.
Italy's next defeat will be their 100th in the Championship, they are currently on a record 34 match losing run, almost seven years since last claiming a victory (22-19 v Scotland, 28 Feb 2015).
Ireland hold a 100 per cent win rate against Italy at home in the Six Nations (W11), with the Azzurri the only side that has never won at the Aviva Stadium or Croke Park. Indeed, Ireland have scored 50 or more points in each of their last three home games against the tournament's whipping boys.
ONES TO WATCH
Hansen, Jamison Gibson-Park and Bundee Aki are three of just six players to both score and assist a try, the trio all scoring once and assisting one try after two rounds.
Italy's Federico Ruzza has won more lineouts (16) than any other player, including one steal, and team-mate Michele Lamaro has made the most tackles (41) in the tournament.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
