Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson has become the latest player to sign with the LIV Golf Invitational Series. 

Watson has been out of action since the US PGA Championship due to a knee injury and will be a non-playing captain in the Saudi-backed circuit's next tournament in Boston. 

The 43-year-old has managed just one top-three finish over the past four seasons, which came at the Waste Management Open in 2020. 

LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman said: "Bubba Watson is a tremendous addition to LIV Golf – another major champion joining the growing list of stars on our teams. 

"His game combines the power, innovation and excitement that the LIV Golf brand represents. 

"He's a risk-taker who has cemented his name among the world's very best and we're eager for him to come aboard to bring new energy and audiences to this league." 

Brooks Koepka and Henrik Stenson have also recently signed with LIV Golf, with the latter being stripped of the captaincy of Europe's Ryder Cup team as a result. 

The series this week announced it will expand in 2023, taking the number of tournaments to 25 with a Team World Championship match play finale at the end of the season. 

Max Verstappen thinks it will be impossible for Red Bull to challenge Ferrari in dry conditions at the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen could only manage fourth in the second free practice session on Friday, with Charles Leclerc almost three tenths of a second quicker. 

Rain is forecast for qualifying on Saturday and the Dutchman believes it will be essential for him to have any chance of pushing the Scuderia all the way. 

"A bit tricky as expected around here. Just trying to find a balance from high to low speed," said Verstappen. 

"Sometimes it worked a bit better, sometimes a bit more tricky but a bit of work to do. 

"I think [Ferrari] are a bit ahead of us. I think it will be hard for us to beat that. But I think overnight we will try to close the gap as much as we can and see what the weather will give us as well. 

"I think in the dry we can't compete, so maybe in the rain we can, who knows?" 

After the disappointment of crashing out from the French Grand Prix last weekend, Leclerc felt Ferrari were on "the right road" with their race simulations. 

"It's been a very productive day, changed quite a lot of things on the car on my side," said Leclerc. "FP1 was quite tricky, FP2 we took the right road so confident that we did the right work for Sunday. 

"It looks like it's going to rain [on Saturday] so we have to be on top of this and obviously put the tyres in the right window, which is always a difficult thing whenever it's raining. 

"This will be our main priority, but hopefully if we manage to put them in the right window, we will still have this advantage." 

Cristiano Ronaldo has appeared to confirm he will make his return to the Manchester United side for Sunday's friendly with Rayo Vallecano.

The Portugal international has yet to feature in pre-season amid widespread reports he is seeking a move away from Old Trafford, less than a year on from returning to the club.

Further doubts were raised over Ronaldo's future when he was not included as part of United's 21-man travelling party ahead of Saturday's meeting with Atletico Madrid in Oslo.

However, responding to a tweet from a fan page announcing he would not play in either of United's friendlies this weekend, Ronaldo replied: "Sunday, the king plays".

Should he feature against Rayo, it will be the first time Ronaldo has put on the United shirt since the 4-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on May 7.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner sat out the final game of last season through injury and was not present for the Red Devils' four friendlies on their tour of Thailand and Australia.

Ronaldo was back at United's Carrington training base this week for talks, but widespread reports suggest he is still seeking a move to a team competing in the Champions League.

He scored 18 Premier League goals last season – only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (both 23) netted more – but United still finished in sixth with their lowest ever points tally.

The 24 goals Ronaldo scored in all competitions in 2021-22 were 14 more than next-best Bruno Fernandes, with no other United player reaching double-figures in a dire season.

Ronaldo was particularly active on social media on Friday, having earlier responded to a post suggesting his agent Jorge Mendes had held talks with United's hierarchy.

"Impossible not to talk about me [for] one day," he wrote. "Otherwise the press makes no money.

"You know that if you don't lie, you can't get people's attention. Keep going that one day you [get] some news right."

Arsenal and Sevilla will observe a minute's applause in memory of Jose Antonio Reyes during Saturday's Emirates Cup clash. 

Reyes, who represented Sevilla and Arsenal during his playing career, died in a car accident in June 2019 at the age of 35. 

He lifted the Europa League three times with Sevilla and won two major honours with Arsenal. 

With two of his former clubs set to face off this weekend, Sevilla announced on Friday that a special tribute had been planned. 

Supporters inside Emirates Stadium were encouraged to applaud Reyes in the ninth minute, marking the number he wore on his shirt at Arsenal. 

There will also be a video tribute played on the big screens ahead of kick-off, while managers Mikel Arteta and Julen Lopetegui will exchange shirts before the match. 

Joe Gomez has switched his Liverpool squad number ahead of the 2022-23 season and has promised to replace any shirts bought with his previous number on.

The defender – who has found game time at his preferred centre-back position harder to come by in recent seasons due to injury and the form of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate – has worn number 12 since joining Liverpool from Charlton Athletic in 2015.

However, the 25-year-old England international has taken the number two shirt ahead of the new campaign, which for Liverpool starts on Saturday when they face Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Traditionally a right-back's number in English football, the switch perhaps suggests Gomez will have to settle for playing back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold once again this coming season, although Liverpool have also brought in promising youngster Calvin Ramsey from Aberdeen.

A club statement confirmed Gomez had offered to personally reimburse anybody that had bought a 2022-23 replica shirt printed with 'Gomez 12'.

Liverpool's number 10 shirt remains vacant for the new season after Sadio Mane's departure to Bayern Munich.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly expect Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen to be out for the upcoming season, with head coach Todd Bowles confirming he will miss "significant time".

Jensen, Tampa Bay's starting center since 2018, was carted off after suffering a left knee injury during Thursday's training camp practice.

Bowles told reporters on Friday the team were still awaiting test results on Jensen's knee, but a lengthy absence is anticipated for Tom Brady's protector.

"We don't know the severity of it per se, but I do know he'll miss some significant time, up to a couple of months," Bowles said.

"Whether he'll be back later in the season, November or December, that depends on what they find. He won't be available anytime soon."

Jensen's extended absence adds another question mark to an interior offensive line that was already an area of concern for Tampa Bay entering camp due to the departures of 2021 starting guards Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa.

Marpet retired in February, and Cappa signed with the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason, although the Bucs did trade for Shaq Mason from the New England Patriots to take over at right guard.

Jensen has not missed a game since signing with Tampa Bay in 2018 following a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, and he was named to his first career Pro Bowl last season.

The 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucs in March on a three-year, $39million contract that includes $23m in guarantees.

The Buccaneers currently do not have any other players with starting experience at center. Robert Hainsey, a 2021 third-round pick who saw just 31 offensive snaps as a rookie, took over the position following Jensen's injury. 

Here we go again. Some 69 days on from taking their latest Premier League title battle down to the final minutes of the final day of the last campaign, Manchester City and Liverpool prepare to face off in the 2022-23 curtain-raiser.

Liverpool not only missed out to City on the title but also tasted defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final the following week, although the 2021-22 season was not all bad as they lifted both the EFL Cup and FA Cup.

It has been a busy window for both clubs in terms of incoming and outgoing activity, but England's two dominant forces appear certain to battle it out for a share of the major honours once again this time around.

The first of the trophies up for grabs is the Community Shield this weekend, contested between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup. 

While some question just how competitive the fixture exactly is – especially this campaign, with the match being held away from Wembley – it provides both sides with an opportunity to lay down an early marker for what is to come over the next 10 months. 

Community Shield with a difference

If Jose Mourinho was so eager to count it as a major honour, then who are we to argue against the Portuguese, who lifted the shield with both Chelsea and Manchester United.

This year's game is a little different in more ways than one, though, as for the first time since 1958 – when Bolton Wanderers beat Wolves 4-1 in the month of October – the showpiece will be held outside of August, a knock-on effect of the World Cup being staged midway through the campaign.

It is also the earliest in the calendar year the match has taken place since 1922 when Liverpool were beaten by Huddersfield Town in May.

Not only is the traditional date of the fixture different, so too is the venue. With Wembley being used for the Women's Euro 2022 final on Sunday, the contest will be held away from England's national stadium for the first time in a decade, since City beat Chelsea at Villa Park.

The game is instead being hosted by the King Power Stadium, and that could be bad news for Jurgen Klopp, who has lost more games at this venue (five) than he has at any other ground as Liverpool boss, excluding Anfield.

Reds' losing streak

There are plenty of familiarities this weekend, however, not least the fact that it will be City and Liverpool facing off for a trophy – albeit with this only their second encounter in the Community Shield, following City's penalty shoot-out success three years ago.

Liverpool are aiming to lift the trophy for a 16th time, which would move them level with Arsenal and behind only Manchester United (21), including occasions when the shield was shared. City are sixth on the list of all-time winners, seeking their seventh triumph this time around.

City may not have had as much success in the curtain-raising fixture down the years as Liverpool, but they have triumphed in three of their past five appearances – in 2012, 2018 and 2019.

The Reds' record is far less impressive in recent times, having lost four of their past six Community Shield matches, including each of the past two against City in 2019 and Arsenal in 2020.

Goals galore in Leicester?

If recent encounters between these sides have taught us anything, it is that we can expect to be entertained at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. 

Both teams have scored in eight of the past nine meetings between City and Liverpool in all competitions, including each of the past five in a row. Across those most recent nine matches, 33 goals have been netted in total – an average of 3.7 per game.

Last season alone saw both sides score at least twice in their three meetings in all competitions, which finished in a couple of four-goal draws in the league and a 3-2 win for Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals.

All eyes on Salah

Both sides will look slightly different following a busy period of transfers, and seeing how the likes of Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho perform – if indeed used – will be one of the most exciting aspects.

There will be plenty of familiar faces on show, too, including Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who has been involved in 11 goals in 14 games against City for the Reds, making them his second-favourite opponent behind West Ham (12 goal involvements).

Pep Guardiola will also hope to get some minutes out of Phil Foden, who has yet to feature in pre-season due to visa issues that prevented him travelling to the United States.

The England international enjoys playing against Liverpool, scoring and assisting a combined five goals against them in five starts, although he has failed to do so in his past two outings in this fixture.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains absent from Manchester United's first-team squad a week out from the new Premier League season.

The United number seven was not included in a 21-man group travelling to Oslo for Saturday's friendly against Atletico Madrid.

That news was confirmed by United on Friday, only nine days before their league campaign begins at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ahead of that game, Ronaldo is yet to feature in pre-season amid widespread reports he has asked to be allowed to leave the club.

United failed to secure Champions League football as they finished sixth in Ronaldo's first season back at the club in 2021-22 – as close to Aston Villa in 14th as they were to the top four in terms of points.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner seemingly wants to leave Old Trafford for a second time in order to play in Europe's elite club competition, in which he is the record goalscorer.

Ronaldo was back at United's Carrington training centre this week for talks, but progress on a transfer appears no further forward.

United have insisted they intend to keep Ronaldo, while there are few clear suitors for the 37-year-old.

Atletico are among those who have been linked, and they will face a United side missing Ronaldo but featuring the majority of their other star names.

Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen could each make their United debuts.

There remains the possibility Ronaldo could make his pre-season bow this weekend, as United play Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

"Some of those absent from the squad will take part in Sunday's game against Rayo Vallecano, while others are ill or injured," United said.

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani has begun fielding questions about his future as his club appears to be destined for another lost season.  

Speaking through translator Ippei Mizuhara after the Angels' 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Thursday, Ohtani was asked if he wanted to stay in Los Angeles through next week's trade deadline.  

"Regardless of where I'm playing, I'm going to give it my all and try to win that ballgame in front of me," Ohtani said. "I'm with the Angels right now, and I'm very thankful for what they've done. I love my team and my team-mates.  

"Right now I'm an Angel, and that's all I can focus on."

Ohtani (9-6) took the loss on Thursday, scattering eight hits and punching out 11 hitters over six innings but allowing both Texas runs.  

Los Angeles fell to 42-57, 22.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West and 11 games out of a Wild Card spot.  

The reigning AL MVP has spent each of his five MLB seasons with the Angels, never finishing above .500. 

The Angels last appeared in the postseason in 2014 and haven't won a playoff game since 2009.  

While Ohtani is not thought to be a serious candidate to be traded ahead of the August 2 deadline, the 28-year-old star is scheduled to become a free agent after next season.  

The Arizona Cardinals have removed a controversial "independent study" clause from Kyler Murray's new contract after the quarterback gave an impassioned response to questions about his preparation and work ethic.

NFL.com reported the addendum to the five-year, $230.5million extension earlier this week.

The clause stipulated that the two-time Pro Bowler must watch a minimum of four hours of game film on his own every week during the season over the life of the deal, and the Cardinals could void the contract if Murray did not meet the terms of the agreement.

"After seeing the distraction it created, we removed the addendum from the contract," the Cardinals have now said in a statement. "It was clearly perceived in ways that were never intended.

"Our confidence in Kyler Murray is as high as it's ever been and nothing demonstrates our belief in his ability to lead this team more than the commitment reflected in this contract."

The public revelation of the clause prompted the usually reserved Murray to call an unscheduled press conference on Thursday in which the 2019 number one overall pick lashed out against suggestions he was not properly preparing for his duties.

"I refuse to let my work ethic, my preparation be in question," Murray stated. "I've put in incomprehensible amount of time and blood, sweat and tears and work into what I do.

"To those of you out there who believe that I'd be standing here today in front of you all without having a work ethic and without preparing – I'm honoured that you think that, but it doesn't exist. It's not possible.

"To think that I can accomplish everything that I've accomplished in my career and not be a student of the game and not have that passion, not take this seriously is almost... it's disrespectful and it's almost a joke."

Murray agreed to the extension, which will make him the NFL's second-highest-paid player in terms of average annual salary behind only two-time reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers, last week. The contract contains $160m in guarantees and will run from 2024 through 2028. 

The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner is coming off his best season in which he finished second in the NFL in completion percentage (69.2) and posted a career-high 100.6 passer rating while helping the Cardinals reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Murray's play dropped off during the second half of the year, however, and he also struggled with a no-touchdown, two-interception performance in the Cardinals' 34-11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the opening round of the playoffs. 

Arizona began last season 7-0 but lost five of the 24-year-old's next seven starts, with Murray producing an 86.5 passer rating during that stretch after recording a 116.8 rating over the first seven games.