Joe Burrow will not require surgery on the right knee injury he sustained in the Cincinnati Bengals' Super Bowl LVI defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.

Burrow endured a punishing second half behind the Bengals' below-par offensive line in Sunday's 23-20 defeat to the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

The Bengals quarterback finished with seven sacks, tying Roger Staubach's Super Bowl X record.

One hit saw Burrow hobble away, appearing to be in real pain with his knee.

Although Burrow later said the issue "feels good", head coach Zac Taylor – speaking on Wednesday as his Bengals contract was extended – recommended a period of rest for the former first overall pick.

It was an MCL sprain but not a new issue, Taylor revealed, with Burrow having merely aggravated an injury sustained against the Los Angeles Chargers in the regular season.

"Joe had the sprained MCL and that's really an aggravation of something he did in late December," Taylor said. "Rest is the best thing for him."

Burrow also injured his finger in December, with Taylor quizzed on the possibility of surgery for that ailment, too.

"Not to my understanding, no," the coach said.

Burrow was ruled out in Week 11 of the 2020 season, his rookie year, due to ACL and MCL tears in his left knee.

Fabian Ruiz is flattered to be linked with a move to Barcelona and Real Madrid but insists he is happy at Napoli. 

Spain international Fabian will be out of contract at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at the end of next season. 

It was this week reported that talks over a renewal for the midfielder had broken down and Napoli would be forced to listen to offers for him, with Barca and Madrid the player's favoured potential destinations.

Asked about the situation ahead of Napoli's Europa League play-off meeting with Barca at Camp Nou on Thursday, Fabian admitted it was nice to hear of such clubs being interested in him. 

He told a news conference: "It's always nice to see yourself linked with great clubs, especially the Spanish ones. 

"However, I have another year on my contract. I'm happy at Napoli and concentrated on [Thursday's] match." 

Barca are contesting the secondary European competition for the first time since 2003-04, when they were eliminated in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup by Celtic. 

A run of 191 straight continental games in the Champions League was ended by their group-stage exit and quickly put pressure on head coach Xavi, who was in the starting line-up for both legs of the Blaugrana's loss to Celtic. 

However, Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has no doubt Xavi will prove to be a success in the dugout, having cut his teeth with a successful spell at Al Sadd. 

"Xavi was already a real football connoisseur as a player, so naturally he will be as a coach too," said Spalletti. 

"They also brought in more unpredictable players in January who can change a game by themselves." 

The only previous meeting between the two teams in a major European competition occurred in the last 16 of the 2019-20 Champions League, when Barca won 4-2 on aggregate after a 3-1 win at Camp Nou. 

Defending champion Garbine Muguruza, 2021 finalist Barbora Krejcikova and top seed Aryna Sabalenka were all eliminated from the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday.

A day of upsets left Ons Jabeur, the eighth seed, as the top remaining player in the draw.

Some big names helped deliver the shocks, though, with world number two Sabalenka usurped by two-time Wimbledon champion and 2013 Dubai winner Petra Kvitova in straight sets.

Muguruza did not look like being one of the scalps as her title defence continued against Veronika Kudermetova.

But after taking the first set, the reigning WTA Tour Finals champion went down 3-6 6-4 6-4.

French Open champion Krejcikova, beaten by Muguruza in the final last year, also exited the tournament at the hands of Dayana Yastremska 6-3 7-6 (7-3).

Iga Swiatek let a set lead slip to Jelena Ostapenko, while two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina collapsed to lucky loser Jil Teichmann 7-6 (7-0) 6-2.

Jabeur, a winner against Jessica Pegula, was the only seed to win in a ruthless round of 16.

However, her reward in a still stacked quarter-final draw is a meeting with Simona Halep, another who has twice won in Dubai.

Atletico Madrid's top-four chances suffered another blow as they slumped to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Levante, who became the first away team to win two LaLiga games at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Diego Simeone's men were overtaken in fourth by Barcelona 10 days earlier and the champions will trail them by three points if the Blaugrana go on to win their game in hand.

Atletico remained level at half-time despite an underwhelming display, but they were punished in the 54th minute by Gonzalo Melero's crisp finish.

A penalty award in favour of Atletico was then reversed soon after and, although Simeone threw attacking players on towards the end, they could not salvage a point.

Atletico offered precious little in a first half that Levante dominated for spells with 60 per cent possession.

The hosts were indebted to Jan Oblak as Levante looked destined to take the lead in the 22nd minute, the goalkeeper making a vital one-on-one save to deny Jorge de Frutos after Stefan Savic's miscued header.

Levante deservedly went ahead early in the second half, De Frutos teeing up Melero for a first-time finish that beat Oblak at his near post.

Atletico thought they had the chance to level from the spot when Geoffrey Kondogbia's shot was blocked by an arm, but referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero overturned his decision due to Marcos Llorente straying offside in the build-up.

A chaotic end saw Angel Correa have an equaliser disallowed for an apparent foul on Martin Caceres by Jose Gimenez, before Mickael Malsa struck the crossbar for Levante from 40 yards – not that it mattered as the visitors clung on for a massive win.

What does it mean? Atletico's woes reach the stands

Atletico fans have had just cause for frustration in recent weeks given how leaky they have been at the back, but this was the first time a divide could be seen between the support and certain players.

Jose Gimenez made a couple of gestures towards the home fans in the second half, seemingly urging them to stop jeering the team.

He was subsequently whistled every time he got the ball, and it highlighted what is quickly becoming a toxic situation at Atletico.

Pepelu shows his class

In an otherwise difficult season for Levante, midfielder Pepelu has been a bright spark. He was lively again here, his two key passes the joint-most of anyone on the pitch, but he also worked hard off the ball, making a team-high three interceptions.

Atletico's creators lacking craft

Rodrigo de Paul's first season at Atletico has largely been a disappointment. He was again here, failing to lay on a single key pass – though he was not the only one.

Matheus Cunha's recent form has earned him a few more starts, but he was also withdrawn just after the hour having not registered a shot or key pass.

What's next?

Atletico face Osasuna in Pamplona on Saturday before turning their attentions to the Champions League and the visit of Manchester United next Wednesday.

The United States' Nick Goepper won his third successive Winter Olympics medal in the men's freeski slopestyle and became the oldest medallist in event in the process.

Goepper, who won bronze in 2014 and silver in 2018, is only the third freestyle skier to win three Olympic medals in the same event.
 
Aged at 27 years and 339 days, Goepper posted a best score of 86.48 to finish behind compatriot Alex Hall (90.10) as the USA continued its dominance in the sport. 

The USA have won six medals in this event in the three times its has appeared at the Games, while the 31 medals won in freestyle skiing is four more than next-best Canada.

Jesper Tjader took bronze off his first run of 85.38 – Sweden's first medal in this event, and their third in men's freestyle skiing overall at Beijing 2022.

"It means a lot. My goal with the Olympics is to land my best run ever, and today I finally landed it. I couldn't be more stoked," Tjader said.

Stats Perform looks at some more of the standout numbers following the conclusion of Wednesday's action in Beijing.

2 - Erik Valnes and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo led Norway to the team sprint gold medal, the latter becoming the first cross-country skier – male or female – to win two Olympic hold medals in the team sprint.

1 - The Russian Olympic Committee placed second to Sweden in the women's 4x6km relay, meaning they are the first nation to win an Olympic medal in all three biathlon relay events at a single Winter Games following their success in the mixed relay and men's relay.

3 - After helping Sweden to finish second in the cross-country team sprint, Jonna Sundling completed a full set of medals at Beijing 2022 as she added to the gold won in the individual sprint and bronze in the relay.

8 - France came out on top in the men's Alpine skiing slalom for the first time since 2006 thanks to Clement Noel. It is the eighth medal France have won in the event, matching Italy in second but still some way behind Austria (18).

3 - Korean athlete Choi Minjeong successfully defended her gold medal in the women’s 1500m in short-track speed-skating, which was her third medal in Beijing following silver medals in the 1000m and 3000m relay.

The Minnesota Vikings have confirmed Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach.

An announcement was delayed due to O'Connell's involvement in the Los Angeles Rams' postseason as their offensive coordinator, which ended with them winning Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.

O'Connell joined the Rams in 2020 from Washington and helped lead Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. to the championship this year.

Under the 36-year-old's guidance, the Rams offense finished ninth in the league, averaging 372.1 yards per game in 2021, while ranking second in plays of 50-plus yards (10), fourth in yards per play (5.98) and eighth in offensive touchdowns (51).

O'Connell also played a role in helping Kupp – who was named MVP for the Super Bowl – have a standout season, leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).

Vikings co-owner and president Mark Wilf was effusive in his praise for O'Connell after his appointment was confirmed, saying: "We are ecstatic to add Kevin as our head coach. He is a strong leader, an innovative coach and an excellent communicator.

"Kevin played the game at all levels, which gives him a unique connection to players, and he is highly respected throughout the league. Vikings fans should be excited for the future of this team under Kevin's direction."

Wilf's co-owner and brother Zygi, who is also the chairman, added: "Kevin is an impressive and respected leader who has been a part of some explosive offensive schemes. He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players.

"Beyond the Xs and Os, everyone we spoke with throughout this search process spoke highly of Kevin's ability to motivate players, coaches and staff."

The Vikings also recently appointed a new general manager in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whose first job was hiring a new head coach, and he also gave his thoughts on O'Connell and why he was chosen.

"As I spent time with Kevin during the interview process, it became immediately clear he will be a great partner in building this football team for long-term success," Adofo-Mensah said.

"He understands what is critical to leading a team that wins at the highest level, and he has an ability to simplify the complex, which will help us in problem-solving in all football areas. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment."

The Minnesota Vikings have confirmed Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach.

An announcement was delayed due to O'Connell's involvement in the Los Angeles Rams' postseason as their offensive coordinator, which ended with them winning Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.

O'Connell joined the Rams in 2020 from Washington and helped lead Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. to the championship this year.

Under the 36-year-old's guidance, the Rams offense finished ninth in the league, averaging 372.1 yards per game in 2021, while ranking second in plays of 50-plus yards (10), fourth in yards per play (5.98) and eighth in offensive touchdowns (51).

O'Connell also played a role in helping Kupp – who was named MVP for the Super Bowl – have a standout season, leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).

Vikings co-owner and president Mark Wilf was effusive in his praise for O'Connell after his appointment was confirmed, saying: "We are ecstatic to add Kevin as our head coach. He is a strong leader, an innovative coach and an excellent communicator.

"Kevin played the game at all levels, which gives him a unique connection to players, and he is highly respected throughout the league. Vikings fans should be excited for the future of this team under Kevin's direction."

Wilf's co-owner and brother Zygi, who is also the chairman, added: "Kevin is an impressive and respected leader who has been a part of some explosive offensive schemes. He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players.

"Beyond the Xs and Os, everyone we spoke with throughout this search process spoke highly of Kevin's ability to motivate players, coaches and staff."

The Vikings also recently appointed a new general manager in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, whose first job was hiring a new head coach, and he also gave his thoughts on O'Connell and why he was chosen.

"As I spent time with Kevin during the interview process, it became immediately clear he will be a great partner in building this football team for long-term success," Adofo-Mensah said.

"He understands what is critical to leading a team that wins at the highest level, and he has an ability to simplify the complex, which will help us in problem-solving in all football areas. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment."

Gold for Norway in the men's team sprint classic in cross-country skiing on Wednesday ensured they maintain a three-gold advantage over Germany in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics medal table.

Erik Valnes and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo brought home the victory for Norway ahead of Iivo Niskanen and Joni Maki of Finland and Russian pair Alexander Bolshunov and Alexander Terentev.

Germany's only gold of the day actually came in the women's team sprint event, finishing ahead of Sweden and the Russian Olympic Committee, with the same three countries also taking the medals in the women's 4x6km relay in biathlon (Sweden gold, ROC silver, Germany bronze).

There were two medals for the United States, who stay in third place in the table, with both coming in the men's freeski slopestyle. Alex Hall claimed gold while Nick Goepper won silver.

It was a productive day for hosts China as they leapfrogged both Netherlands and Austria into fourth place after freestyle skier Qi Guangpu's gold in the men's aerials.

Austria fall to fifth despite silver for Johannes Strolz in the men's slalom, while Sweden are now joint-sixth with the Netherlands after their biathlon gold, with both nations on an identical record of six gold, four silver and four bronze.

The Russian Olympic Committee actually has the second most medals at the Beijing Games with 24, adding a silver and three bronze medals to their tally on Wednesday, but with only four gold they remain in ninth place.

France stay 10th despite gold for alpine skier Clement Noel in the men's slalom. 

Medal table:

1. Norway (G13 S7 B8, Total: 28)
2. Germany (G10 S6 B4, Total: 20)
3. United States (G8 S7 B4, Total: 19)
4. China (G7 S4 B2, Total: 13)
5. Austria (G6 S7 B4, Total: 17)
T6. Netherlands (G6 S4 B4, Total: 14)
T6. Sweden (G6 S4 B4, Total: 14)
8. Switzerland (G5 S0 B5, Total: 10)
9. Russian Olympic Committee (G4 S8 B12, Total: 24)
10. France (G4 S7 B2, Total: 13)

Clement Noel was in dreamland after conquering the stress to end France's 16-year wait for an Alpine skiing Olympic gold medal on Wednesday.

A blistering second run of 49.79 seconds sealed the men's slalom title in Beijing.

Noel finished four-hundredths of a second off the podium in fourth place in the PyeongChang four years ago, but took he took the top step on this occasion.

The 24-year-old was in sixth place after his opening run before claiming gold by a huge margin of 0.61 seconds from AustrJohannes Strolz, with Sebastian Foss-Solevaag taking bronze for Norway.

Not since Antoine Deneriaz took the men's downhill title at the Turin 2006 Games had France won an Olympic Alpine skiing gold medal before Noel delivered on the big stage.

He said: "Olympic Games is always stressful, it's once every four years. You have one race, around one minute and 40 seconds just to prove that and show your best skiing so for sure it was stressful.

"I was quite fast in training last few days, I had good feelings, way better than in January. That also fuelled me up for this race today. I knew that I liked the snow. I was quite confident, it’s not the same as a World Cup race.

"Everybody will push hard for the Olympics and I had to do this also without asking myself too many questions."

He added: "It was a goal for me to go back to France with a medal. I knew that I can do this, but it's always really difficult to do it in the most important moment, so [I'm] really happy to manage that pressure and to do it pretty well, especially on the second run."

Finland's women claim ice hockey bronze, USA men's team stunned by Slovakia

Finland celebrated winning a women's ice hockey bronze medal at the expense of Switzerland at the Wukesong Sports Centre.

The Swiss were consigned to a 4-0 defeat as their opponents produced an inspired performance.

There was an upset in the men's competition earlier in the day as the United States were consigned to a 3-2 loss by Slovakia.

With no NHL participation in Beijing, a young American side led 2-1 late in regulation time. However, Marek Hrivik struck with 43 seconds left to force 10 minutes of overtime and Peter Cehlarik was the only player to convert his penalty in a shoot-out to send Slovakia through along with Finland, the Russian Olympic Committee and Sweden, who beat Canada 2-0 to advance.

Fontana makes history

Arianna Fontana became Italy's most decorated Winter Olympian when the speed skating legend won an 11th medal.

The 35-year-old great took silver in the 1500 metres behind reigning champion Choi Minjeong in what is her fifth Games.

Fontana has won more medals than any other short-track skater and broke another record in the Chinese capital.

She moved beyond cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo to go out on her own as Italy's greatest Winter Olympics athlete.

Canada rock Republic of Korea

The final event of the men's short-track speed-skating competition was one to remember, with Canada beating Republic of Korea to relay gold.

Canada came out on top in the 5000m event, stunning the Korean team in a tense final.

There was also drama in the battle for bronze, with Italy getting the verdict in a photo finish despite clocking the same time as the ROC.

The Cincinnati Bengals have confirmed head coach Zac Taylor has been rewarded for their run to the Super Bowl with a new contract.

Taylor, 38, guided the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years during what was a momentous season.

While Cincinnati were ultimately beaten 23-20 by the Los Angeles Rams – Taylor's previous employers – in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday in Inglewood, rumours quickly began to circulate that he was to be handed a new deal.

The franchise confirmed the news on Wednesday, with Taylor signing through 2026, and Bengals president Mike Brown was keen to show his and the city's gratitude to the coach.

"He's a good young coach," Brown wrote. "Zac has come into the league and worked to develop the foundations for a winning program that can be successful over time.

"The fruits of Zac's efforts were seen this year, and Zac is well-regarded by our players and coaches. I know the effort and passion Zac brings to the building and to our team, and I am pleased by his approach.

"And I think the city of Cincinnati sees him the way the players and I do. He's brought excitement to the town and deserves credit and recognition for that."

Not only did Taylor end the Bengals' long wait for a crack at the Super Bowl, but their 26-19 Wild Card win over the Las Vegas Raiders in January was their first playoff victory in 31 years.

The Bengals scored 444 points over the 16 games that the starters played, just four short of the franchise record set in 1988.

The output and run of the 2021 vintage was, according to Brown, largely down to Taylor and his coaching.

"In this league, if you want to get to where you wish, getting to the Super Bowl, you need a lot of things," Brown added.

"All of those are important, but certain people, and I would be one, would say the most important part is being able to score.

"These days 30 points is at a level you're able to win week in and week out. It's something we're shooting for in the future.

"We have the ability to do it if we're going right. Zac is the reason we can do that. It's his system. He teaches it effectively and our guys have bought into it."

The Eastern Conference feels like a closer contest than the west at the moment, which should be on show when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

It will be Giannis Antetokounmpo versus Joel Embiid at Fiserv Forum, the players with the two best points-per-game averages in the league this season (29.4 and 29.3 respectively), which perhaps indicates how close this game could end up being.

The defending champions in Milwaukee are currently third in the East on 36-23, while the Sixers sit fifth on 34-23.

The Bucks ended a two-game losing streak with a 128-119 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, with an ominous 50-point performance from Giannis.

It is the first time the Greek has scored 50 points this season, while Khris Middleton (19 points) and Jrue Holiday (14 points) also played their part, and they will be key again against the Sixers.

Embiid also managed 50 points last month in Philadelphia's win against Orlando Magic and has hit 40+ points in four other games since then.

Doc Rivers will be looking for a response after his team were crushed by the Boston Celtics 135-87 on Tuesday, where Embiid (19) and Tyrese Maxey (11) were the only Sixers to hit double figures.

There is still no James Harden following his blockbuster trade from the Nets, with his debut apparently coming against Minnesota on February 25, but the other arrival in that deal, Paul Millsap, made a good impression in his first game against the Celtics.

"He looked good," said Rivers. "After the game, he said he felt pretty good. I was surprised… He will add some toughness to us, there's no doubt about that, he'll be able to step out and make threes for us at the five spot. That'll be something we work on."

A victory for Philadelphia will open up the Eastern Conference even more, but with Giannis in such form, getting a win in Milwaukee will very much be easier said than done.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo

It is a team sport, but the Greek sensation will always be vital to the Bucks, particularly in big games like this one.

Having gone 23 games in a row scoring at least 20 points, Giannis only managed 18 in last week's defeat to the Phoenix Suns, only to follow it up with his best scoring performance of the season against the Pacers.

The danger for Philadelphia is if their concentration on Giannis allows the likes of Middleton and Holiday to do damage, but coach Rivers is experienced enough to know that and plan accordingly.

Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid

As predictable as it is, it's difficult to go with anyone else for the Sixers right now. If they want to win in Milwaukee, Embiid has to thrive.

While his 19 against Boston was comfortably his team's highest score, it also saw a streak of 23 straight games with at least 25 points come to an end, and he'll likely want to begin a new streak right away.

Although he's slightly behind Giannis for points-per-game, the Cameroonian does have the edge in free-throws made, leading the league on 410 ahead of Giannis in second on 389.

KEY BATTLE – Will it be three and easy for the winner?

The Bucks enjoy a shot from downtown and are currently third in the league for three-pointers made (835), behind only the Golden State Warriors (846) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (841), while only the Washington Wizards (560) have fewer threes than the Sixers (620).

Having said that, only the Wizards and the Dallas Mavericks (both 613) have conceded fewer threes than Philadelphia (641) while no team has conceded more than the Bucks (833).

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Bucks have enjoyed an excellent recent record against the Sixers, winning the past six meetings, including a 118-109 win in Philadelphia in November. The last Sixers victory came on Christmas Day 2019 (121-109).

Dean Elgar says the Proteas could serve up some spice for New Zealand's South Africa-born players when the two-match Test series starts at Hagley Oval on Thursday.

Devon Conway will face his country of birth for the first time in Christchurch, where the prolific batter will look to continue an outstanding start to his Black Caps career.

Neil Wagner is another South Africa-born player who is set to do battle with the Proteas once again as New Zealand eye an elusive first Test series win over the Proteas.

The Zimbabwe-born Colin de Grandhomme is poised to return from injury for a Black Caps team that will not include captain Kane Williamson due to an elbow injury, while Trent Boult is absent as he awaits the birth of his third child and Ross Taylor has retired.

Elgar says he does not see Conway as a South African and has not ruled out a few words being exchanged with the left-hander in the heat of a battle.

Asked if the likes of Conway could be in for some verbals, the South Africa captain said: "Maybe, you never know. We respect the background that a lot of the Kiwis have, they have one or two South African or Zimbabwean-born players.

"But the way I view is that they are New Zealanders now and have obviously earned their qualifications, because they've been there for some years now.

"I don't view them as South African players, because they have a different badge on their chest. They've got the New Zealand flag on their chest, so the way I view it is come business time tomorrow, we are going to be all about business when we step over the white line.

"There will be times when we have chats with the guys, because I'm mindful the guys do know some of the guys from back home and that's perfectly fine, but when gameday comes, 11am tomorrow we have to be mindful of what we have to focus on as a side."

New Zealand were held to a 1-1 draw with Bangladesh in their last Test series, while the tourists are on a high from a 2-1 victory over India on home soil.

The Black Caps have only won four Test matches against South Africa and they will be led by Tom Latham in the absence of Williamson.

Latham: Opportunity knocks in the absence of key men

With Boult absent, Matt Henry will come into the New Zealand team and Henry Nicholls is set to move up a spot to number four in the order following Taylor's retirement.

Stand-in skipper Latham said: "Some of the guys that are usually in the squad aren’t here, but it does present opportunities for different guys to step up at different stages.

“It’s frustrating and disappointing they're not here, but that’s professional sport and professional cricket and some days you don't have a fully-fit squad.”

Hamish Rutherford was named in the squad seven years after his last Test appearance, but the opener is expected to be a spectator.

Erwee in line for Proteas bow

Sarel Erwee is poised to make his Proteas debut at number three but after Keegan Petersen was ruled out of the tour due to COVID-19, but Elgar was keeping his cards close to his chest when asked about selection on the eve of the opener.

"We have a clear indication of what our balance is going to be even though we haven’t finalised our team yet," said Elgar.

“Whether to employ a frontline spinner is a hot topic debate for us. It’s one of our bigger decisions, whether there’s space for one in conditions that aren't necessarily helpful.

"History has shown that the spinners don't play too much of a role at the Hagley Oval. So yeah, I can't say yes or no just yet. Maybe wait and see what happens at the toss."