Rubaud returns to the scene of one of his finest hours in pursuit of further riches in the Jennings Bet Kingwell Hurdle on Saturday.
Paul Nicholls’ six-year-old has won six of his 11 starts over the smaller obstacles and struck at Wincanton in the Elite Hurdle earlier in the season, his fourth win in a row.
Since then he has faced the mammoth task of taking on Constitution Hill at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle and also had the misfortune of bumping into an imperious Lossiemouth at Cheltenham in the Unibet Hurdle.
He now returns to what appears slightly easier company and despite the champion trainer having some concerns about conditions, he heads to the Somerset venue as the highest rated in the field.
“He’s been a very consistent horse, but the ground would be a slight worry to me,” said Nicholls.
“He did run very well as a novice on soft ground at Kempton on Boxing Day, but most of his form has been on good ground.
“He’s a bit stronger now, but he enjoys right-handed and an easy two miles. Our intention is to go here and then one more run later down the line, nothing fancy, then he will be going chasing. That’s when you will see the best of him.”
Rubaud had Lorna Fowler’s Colonel Mustard three lengths adrift when they finished first and second in last season’s Scottish Champion Hurdle and the duo are set to lock horns yet again as chasing ambitions are finally put to one side for the Irish raider.
“I think his time over fences is not going to bear the fruits we hoped, but we had a go at chasing because his mark is high enough over hurdles,” said Fowler.
“We decided after Newbury to revert back to hurdles and have always had the Kingwell as sort of a plan from then.
“I’m very happy with the horse and hopefully he will travel OK – he usually does. He does have a massive weight turn around with Rubaud from when they met at Ayr, Rubaud is undoubtedly an improving horse and Mustard will certainly have to bring his A game to be able to beat him.”
Colonel Mustard is no stranger to trips to the UK having placed at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and also going close at Ascot and Kelso – as well as Ayr – in the past.
Fowler would have preferred better conditions for this latest raid across the Irish Sea, but with over £41,000 on offer to the winner, she feels it is a risk well worth taking.
She went on: “The ground is not really what I want, but then I’m not sure it’s what any of them want and Wincanton have put on some very good prize-money. I have UK-based owners and we’re all keen to have a go and we think it’s a good opportunity and worth a shot.
“Colonel Mustard hasn’t run for a while and is back over hurdles, but he did have a schooling race at Thurles a few weeks ago and hopefully he is in the zone to run his best race.”
Nigel Twiston-Davies won this with the ill-fated I Like To Move It last year and attempts to go back-to-back with Guard Your Dreams, while Gary Moore also has fond memories of the race and returns dual-winner Goshen to Wincanton sporting first-time blinkers.
The field of five is rounded off by Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion who the handler says is in “great form” as he prepares to drop back in trip after a brave second in Kempton’s Lanzarote Hurdle.
Ravichandran Ashwin took his 500th Test wicket for India in the third match of the series against England.
Ashwin dismissed Zak Crawley for 15 in the first innings and here, the PA news agency looks at the 37-year-old’s impressive record.
Landmark wicket
Ashwin has reached 500 in his 98th Test since making his debut in 2011 – a relatively late starter aged 25, having made his limited-overs bow the previous year.
His wickets have come at an average of 23.95, with 34 five-wicket hauls including a best of seven for 59 against New Zealand in October 2016 as he also picked up his best match figures of 13 for 140.
He has 114 wickets against Australia and 98 against England though in terms of favourite opponents, his 66 wickets at an average of 15.44 against New Zealand or 75 at 20.48 against the West Indies may take the honours.
England captain Ben Stokes is his most regular victim with 12 dismissals, one more than Australia’s David Warner. He has 277 wickets caught, including 46 by the wicketkeeper, 110 lbw, 100 bowled and 13 stumped.
Quiet dominance
Ashwin has rarely been the headline name in the India team but his key role in their bowling attack makes remarkable reading.
In the 98 Tests he has played, India have taken 1,655 wickets – meaning Ashwin has been responsible for over 30 per cent of them.
He has more wickets than the second- and third-leading wicket-takers in those matches combined – fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja on 231 and seamer Mohammed Shami on 161 – more five-wicket innings than the next six combined and 10-wicket matches (eight) than all other India bowlers in those games (five).
With 3,308 runs at a batting average of 26.67 for good measure, Ashwin has been invaluable to India for over a decade without necessarily claiming the spotlight.
500 club
Ashwin is the ninth man to take 500 Test wickets and only the second after Muttiah Muralitharan to get there in fewer than 100 Tests.
Former Sri Lanka spinner Muralitharan took just 89 Tests to reach 500 and ended his career with a record 800 wickets at an average of 22.72 in 133 Tests, one of which was played for a World XI in 2005 and contributed five to his wicket tally.
His total stands 92 clear of the late Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne in second, with England’s James Anderson the leading active player on 696.
Anil Kumble, Ashwin’s predecessor in the India spin ranks, took 619 with Anderson’s long-time new-ball partner Stuart Broad the final member of the 600 club on 604.
Glenn McGrath took 563 for Australia and Courtney Walsh 519 for the West Indies, with Australia spinner Nathan Lyon two behind Walsh.
After Ashwin there will not be another addition to the 500 club for some years to come. New Zealand seamer Tim Southee is the next active player on a distant 376, and aged 35, while time is also against Australia’s Mitchell Starc (353). South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada is younger at 28 but has yet to take 300 wickets.
Ben Duckett’s terrific unbeaten century led England’s fightback against India as he repelled even Ravichandran Ashwin on the day the off-spinning great celebrated his 500th Test wicket.
India racked up an imposing 445 in Rajkot, aided by some slipshod England fielding, but Duckett’s boundary-laden 133 not out off just 118 deliveries rocketed the tourists to 207 for two after day two of this third Test.
Duckett’s first iteration as a Test cricketer met its demise in India after he was tormented by Ashwin in November 2016 but he laid any ghosts to rest with a classy innings, reaching his ton off 88 balls.
It was the quickest by an Englishman in India as he swept the spinners to distraction in the final session as well as driving and cutting the quicks with regularity, collecting 21 fours and two sixes.
He refused to allow anyone to settle, which meant Ashwin’s milestone wicket was overshadowed after dismissing Zak Crawley for 15 to become just the ninth bowler and second Indian to join the 500 club.
Ashwin had earlier been responsible for England starting their innings on five without loss after encroaching on the protected area of the pitch while batting.
Ravindra Jadeja had been given India’s first and only warning on day one so when Ashwin did the same attempting a single, England were handed five runs. That became six for none without a legal ball bowled when Jasprit Bumrah overstepped at the start of England’s innings before tea.
India’s total was striking and while England were typically undaunted, Duckett was given an initial working over by Mohammed Siraj, who beat the left-hander’s outside edge three times in a single over.
But Duckett accelerated rapidly after tea, taking 10 fours in his first 27 balls of the session, picking the gaps with alarming ease as he repeatedly swept left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and drove and carved through the off-side off Siraj.
Given Duckett’s past struggles against Ashwin, dismissed five times in five Tests, it was a surprise he was held back until the 12th over with England on 76 for none. Duckett was on 55 and Ashwin did strike for his landmark wicket but it was Crawley who spooned a sweep out of the rough to short fine-leg.
The end of an 89-run opening stand did not deter Duckett, who slog swept Ashwin for six, moments after surviving an India lbw review on 79, saved by an inside edge following Bumrah’s searing yorker.
Duckett might have been on course for England’s fastest Test century at one stage but he spent 12 balls in the 90s before driving Siraj down the ground for his 19th four to bring up England’s second quickest ton by an opener – two balls slower than Crawley managed against Pakistan in December 2022.
The expensive Siraj ended Duckett’s 93-run stand with Ollie Pope, given out for 39 on review after being struck on the knee roll but England, motoring along at six an over, still finished strongly.
They began the day seeking quick wickets as India resumed on 326 for five. James Anderson winkled out night watcher Kuldeep after drawing a faint edge while Jadeja, on 112, tamely chipped back to Joe Root, who partially atoned for shelling Rohit Sharma the day before, a drop which cost England 104 runs.
India might have been 331 for seven but debutant Dhruv Jurel was selected ahead of Srikar Bharat for his batting and Ashwin possesses five Test hundreds. They were both allowed to settle as England lacked their usual vigour and the only moment of concern for India before lunch was Ashwin’s penalisation.
Ashwin remonstrated with Joel Wilson, putting his hand on the umpire’s shoulder, and seemed distinctly unimpressed for a while afterwards but refused to succumb to a rush of blood.
India’s batters accumulated steadily but Jurel had two reprieves on 32 at the afternoon’s outset, with Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes spilling chest-high catches. They were both difficult, Stokes’ especially, but took England’s missed opportunities up to five – three drops and two failed referrals.
India had gone beyond 400 when Anderson held on to one, albeit at the second attempt, as Ashwin slammed to mid-on for 37 off Rehan Ahmed, who was twice deposited back over his head for six by Jurel.
Rehan gained revenge as Jurel fell four short of a fifty after feathering an attempted cut but Bumrah clattered 26 before being pinned in front by Mark Wood, the pick of England’s attack with four for 114.
NB: You can catch the exciting action between India and England on Sportsmax.
Aidan O’Brien has confirmed his multiple Group One winner Luxembourg an intended runner in the $2million Howden Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia next weekend.
The son of Camelot has struck gold three times at the highest level, with a Group One juvenile win at Doncaster followed by success in the 2022 Irish Champion Stakes and last season’s Tattersalls Gold Cup.
The five-year-old had the option of having a first start on dirt in the Saudi Cup itself in Riyadh, but is instead set to stick to the Group Two turf feature on the undercard.
O’Brien said: “It’s his first run back after a little break and we just felt it (Saudi Cup) was going to be too tough a race to pitch him into for his first time on dirt.
“The competition is very strong, and he’s never run on the surface before, so we thought it was a bit too much to ask of him. The Neom Turf Cup will suit him better.”
Luxembourg was last seen going down by a short head to Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup in December and his trainer has been pleased with how he has recovered from those exertions.
“We’ve been very happy with him since Hong Kong. It was the first time he’d been on a long trip abroad and he ran a great race and took the travel very well,” O’Brien added.
“We were very pleased with the run and he’s been in good form since. Hopefully, he runs well in the Neom Turf Cup and maybe that opens up the option of Dubai.
“He could be a horse that travels a lot over the coming year. He’s got a very high level of form and some solid foundations to build from.
“The Neom Turf Cup looks ideal. Everyone has been very complimentary about the track in Riyadh, and we think it’s a track that will really suit him, and obviously the prize-money is very good, so we had to consider it.
“The Saudi Cup meeting is a very important festival now and it’s great to be going there with a couple of good chances.”
The Ballydoyle handler will also saddle St Leger fourth Tower Of London in the Red Sea Turf Handicap.
O’Brien said: “Tower Of London has had a good long break all winter. We’ve aimed him at the Red Sea Turf as we think both the trip and nice ground will really suit him.
“We certainly think he’s a horse that’s going to progress a lot this season, so he could be a horse that goes onto Dubai after this.”
PA SPORT BIRTHDAYS
Michael Jordan (basketball) – American superstar widely considered the sport’s greatest player, born 1963.
Tony Underwood (rugby union) – former England winger, born 1969.
Julian Golding (athletics) – Britain’s former Commonwealth 200 metres champion, born 1975.
Adriano (soccer) – former Brazil and Inter Milan striker, born 1982.
AB De Villiers (cricket) – former South Africa batter, scorer of the fastest ODI century, born 1984.
Adil Rashid (cricket) – England and Yorkshire leg-spinner, born 1988.
Rebecca Adlington (swimming) – Britain’s double gold medal winner from the Beijing Olympics, born 1989.
Marc Marquez (motorcycling) – Spain’s six-time MotoGP World Championship winner, born 1993.
Madison Keys (tennis) – American finalist at the 2017 US Open, born 1995.
ON THIS DAY IN SPORT
1968: Jean-Claude Killy of France, one of the greatest skiers of all time, won his third gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Victorious in the downhill, the giant slalom and the slalom, he equalled Toni Sailer’s record of winning three gold medals at one Games.
1993: David Platt scored four goals in England’s World Cup qualifying win against San Marino and missed a penalty that would have given him a share in the England record of five.
1999: Fulham boss Kevin Keegan agreed to take charge of the England team for four games. He eventually became manager on a permanent basis.
2008: Andy Murray claimed his fifth ATP Tour title, beating Croatia’s Mario Ancic 6-3 6-4 in the Open 13 final in Marseille.
2012: Portsmouth were placed into administration for a second time in two years. The south-coast club exited administration in April 2013 and announced they were debt-free in September 2014, 18 months after the Pompey Supporters’ Trust took charge.
2012: Mervyn Westfield, the first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing, was sentenced to four months in prison.
2014: Great Britain and England rugby league international Sam Burgess agreed to join Aviva Premiership side Bath on a three-year deal.
2018: Lizzy Yarnold won Great Britain’s only gold medal of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics when she successfully defended her skeleton title, with Laura Deas taking bronze in the same event.
2022: Michael Masi, the man accused of robbing Lewis Hamilton of an eighth world championship, was dropped as Formula One race director.
PA SPORT SELECTIVE TV GUIDE
Today (Saturday, February 17)
FOOTBALL: Premier League, Brentford v Liverpool – TNT Sports 1 1100; Manchester City v Chelsea – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1700; Women’s Super League, Arsenal v Manchester United – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1130; Championship, Plymouth v Leeds – Sky Sports Football 1200; National League, Aldershot v Altrincham – TNT Sports 2 1700; Serie A, Hellas Verona v Juventus – TNT Sports 1 1715; Atalanta v Sassuolo – TNT Sports 1 1930; Bundesliga, RB Leipzig v Borussia Monchengladbach – Sky Sports Football 1730; Ligue 1, Nantes v Paris St Germain – TNT Sports 2 1945; LaLiga, Celta Vigo v Barcelona – Viaplay 1725.
CRICKET: Third Test, India v England – TNT Sports 1 0330 (Sun); T20, Sri Lanka v Afghanistan – TNT Sports 4 1345; Women’s Test, Australia v South Africa – TNT Sports 4 0300 (Sun).
RUGBY LEAGUE: Super League, Castleford v Wigan – Sky Sports Action 1725; Catalans v Warrington – Sky Sports Arena 1725.
RUGBY UNION: Premiership Rugby Cup semi-final, Gloucester v Exeter – TNT Sports 1 1500; United Rugby Championship, Cardiff v Connacht – S4C 1700; Glasgow v Dragons – S4C 1930.
HORSE RACING: Live from Ascot – ITV1, STV North, STV Central – 1330.
GOLF: Ladies European Tour, The 2024 Aramco Saudi Ladies International – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1030; PGA Tour, The Genesis Invitational – Sky Sports Golf 1500, Sky Sports Main Event 2030.
TENNIS: WTA, The Qatar TotalEnergies Open – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Tennis 1430; ATP, ABN AMRO Open – Sky Sports Tennis 1700; The Delray Beach Open – Sky Sports Tennis 2030, Sky Sports Main Event 0100 (Sun).
SNOOKER: The Welsh Open – BBC Two Wales 1900, Eurosport 1 1245 and 1845.
MMA: UFC, Alexander Volkanovski v Ilia Topuria – TNT Sports 2 0300 (Sun).
Tomorrow (Sunday, February 18)
FOOTBALL: Premier League, Sheffield United v Brighton – Sky Sports Premier League 1300, Sky Sports Main Event 1400; Luton v Manchester United – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1600; Scottish Premiership, St Johnstone v Rangers – Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event 1100; Serie A, Lazio v Bologna – TNT Sports 4 1130; Empoli v Fiorentina – TNT Sports 2 1400, Udinese v Cagliari TNT Sports 4 1400; Frosinone v AS Roma – TNT Sports 2 1700; Monza v AC Milan – TNT Sports 1 1930; Bundesliga, SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt – Sky Sports Football 1430; Bochum v Bayern Munich – Sky Sports Football 1630; Ligue 1, Brest v Marseille – TNT Sports 2 1930.
CRICKET: Third Test, India v England – TNT Sports 1 0330 (Mon).
RUGBY UNION: Premiership Rugby Cup, Ealing Trailfinders v Leicester – TNT Sports 1 1430;
GOLF: Ladies European Tour, The 2024 Aramco Saudi Ladies International – Sky Sports Golf 0930; PGA Tour, The Genesis Invitational – Sky Sports Golf 1430, Sky Sports Main Event 1900.
TENNIS: WTA, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Tennis 0700; ATP, ABN AMRO Open – Sky Sports Tennis 1430; The Delray Beach Open – Sky Sports Tennis 2100, Sky Sports Main Event 0000 (Mon); IEB+ Argentina Open – Sky Sports Tennis 1900.
BASKETBALL: NBA, All-Star Game – TNT Sports 2 0100 (Mon).
SNOOKER: The Welsh Open – BBC Two Wales 1900, Eurosport 1 1245 and 1845.
PA SPORT QUIZ
1. In which year did Tiger Woods win his first major?
2. Kylian Mbappe joined Paris St Germain from which team?
3. In which US city would you find the following sports teams: Capitals, Wizards, Commanders and Nationals?
4. How many Wimbledon singles titles did Billie Jean King win?
5. In which city will the 2024 Tour de France begin?
6. Who did Michael van Gerwen beat in the final on Thursday night to go top of the Premier League Darts table?
7. Where will the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup be held?
8. Mike Eccles is the head coach of which Betfred Super League side?
9. Who are the reigning Netball Super League champions?
10. Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas race for which Formula 1 team?
ANSWERS: 1. 1997; 2. Monaco; 3. Washington; 4. Six; 5. Florence; 6. Luke Humphries; 7. India; 8. London Broncos; 9. Loughborough Lightning; 10. Kick Sauber.
Massimiliano Allegri challenged his Juventus side to pay “attention to detail” when they travel to Verona for Saturday’s Serie A clash.
Juve sit seven points behind league leaders Inter Milan, who have a game in hand, and are in search of their first win in four attempts following losses to Udinese and the table-toppers, which came after a 1-1 draw with Empoli that saw Arkadiusz Milik sent off in the 18th minute.
Verona sit third-from-bottom with four wins in 24 matches but, with just six points separating 19th-placed Cagliari from Lecce in 13th, will be desperate to gain any advantage on fellow relegation-threatened clubs.
Allegri told a press conference: “We’ve earned a point in two games at home and that’s not good, tomorrow will be a complicated away match, Verona are in a difficult situation but are doing well. We need to work on our attitude not only in terms of performance, but above all in terms of attention to detail.
“Our performances have not been worse, even on a numerical level, but we must analyse everything, beyond the result. Against Udinese, we made a mistake on an inactive ball and we were punished, this is football. Details are important.
“We have to learn what didn’t go well over the last few games. The performances were good and we have to start from there. The management will then work to strengthen the team for next year, because we hope to play many more matches.”
Allegri revealed he will have “everyone available” for the trip to Verona and, while forward Federico Chiesa has been linked to a summer transfer to the Premier League, emphasised that the 26-year-old will be “very important to us for the rest of the season.”
Juventus have not won a trophy since lifting the Coppa Italia in 2021, but the boss was confident his side are on the right trajectory, remaining one point clear of third-placed AC Milan and with an 11-point advantage over Atalanta in the fourth Champions League place.
They also remain alive in the Coppa Italia and will host Lazio in the first leg of their semi-final on April 2.
Allegri added: “It’s true that we haven’t won a trophy for some time, but we have an Italian Cup that we can try to win and we have a path that we have started. Furthermore, never having been out of the Champions League for 11 years in a row is important when rebuilding.
“The most important thing for us now is to get a result tomorrow and then we have to achieve our main objective, which is Champions League qualification. We have three beautiful months ahead to look forward to, with passion and the desire to achieve results.”
Eddie Howe is confident Newcastle will protect themselves to prevent sporting director Dan Ashworth from taking inside knowledge with him to Manchester United.
The PA news agency understands United want the former Football Association technical director to oversee a new era at Old Trafford in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival as co-owner.
Ashworth was recruited by Newcastle’s new owners from Brighton to perform a similar role 20 months ago, and his loss would represent a significant blow to their project on Tyneside and to their hopes of competing with a direct rival for the trophies and Champions League football they crave.
Asked if the detailed intelligence the 52-year-old possesses about his current employers and their blueprint was a concern, head coach Howe replied: “I think your concerns are relevant. I don’t know quite how much I can say on that, but I share your feelings.”
He added: “It goes without saying that we’re very protective of what’s ours, whether that’s players or staff. If people do eventually move on to other clubs, there’s a process to go through before that is reality.”
Howe insisted there had, as of Friday morning, been no formal contact between the clubs, but was candid when asked if Ashworth had told him he wanted to remain at St James’ Park amid the whirl of speculation in recent days.
He said simply: “No.”
United’s interest in Ashworth, who is credited with establishing England’s DNA during his time with the FA, is long-standing and the Magpies have been aware of the situation for some time.
They themselves prised him free from Brighton – he resigned from his role at the AMEX Stadium in February 2022, but did not take up his new post until June of the same year after lengthy negotiations which eventually resulted in a sizeable compensation payment.
United would have to enter into a similar arrangement to secure his services sooner than the terms of his contract at Newcastle stipulate, but there is an acceptance on Tyneside that matters are coming to a head and the sooner the situation is resolved, the better.
Howe said: “At some stage there has to be a line drawn and things have to move forward.
“The club will always move forward. We’ve got some very good people in all departments doing some outstanding work that people don’t see.
“The club is hugely ambitious and that has never changed. I’ve got no doubt the club will be successful in the future.”
Howe’s comments came as he prepared his team for Saturday’s Premier League clash with former club Bournemouth at St James’, a game England striker Callum Wilson will miss with a pectoral muscle injury for which he was due to undergo surgery on Friday and which is likely to sideline him for the bulk of what is left of the season, putting his Euro 2024 hopes in doubt.
Howe said: “We hoped initially he could carry on – and he felt good, actually, Callum, felt functionally fine. He was moving his arm and had full strength.
“But when he went to see a specialist, I think it was apparent quite early that he needed it operating on and I think he’s having that operation as we speak.”
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson’s love of the game will see him determined to return to the dugout as soon as he is well enough, according to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Hodgson fell ill during training on Thursday and was taken to hospital for further tests, with his condition later being described as “stable” by the Premier League club.
The 76-year-old had been set to speak at a scheduled press conference at 1.30pm on Thursday ahead of the upcoming match at Everton on Monday night, but members of the media waiting outside Palace’s training ground in New Beckenham were informed the briefing would not take place.
According to reports, Palace are set to sack Hodgson, with former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner a strong favourite to take the job.
Arsenal beat Palace 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium on January 20, which was the start of a four-game winning streak as they look to keep up the pace in the title race.
Arteta wished former England boss Hodgson a swift recovery, and understands what the pressures of the job can bring at both ends of the table.
“Hopefully, he’s feeling much better and if that’s the case, knowing Roy, I think he will be in tomorrow because he loves it so much,” the Arsenal manager said at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Burnley.
“But yeah, we all got really worried with the situation and hopefully he is fine.”
On the stresses managers work under, Arteta added: “There is that part, but there is the part of joy and how beautiful our jobs are as well.
“A lot of times (pressure) is in relation to where you are, but it is part of the job.”
Friday was understood to be a scheduled rest day for the Palace squad ahead of the trip to Merseyside.
Ray Lewington and fellow assistant Paddy McCarthy are expected to take charge for the Everton game should Hodgson need any extra time off following his spell in hospital.
Palace sit 15th in the table, five points above the relegation zone, heading into the weekend’s Premier League fixtures games.
Hodgson took charge of his 200th match as Eagles manager on Monday when his side were beaten 3-1 at Selhurst Park by Chelsea.
The veteran former England boss is in his second spell in charge of the south London club, having returned for the final 10 games of last season when he signed a short-term deal to take over from the sacked Patrick Vieira.
Hodgson guided the club to an 11th-placed finish before agreeing to continue as manager for the 2023-24 campaign.
Palace have won just six of 24 league fixtures this term, with only three of those victories coming since a 1-0 success at Manchester United in September.
Disgruntled fans have displayed banners in recent weeks calling for Hodgson to be sacked and vented frustration with how the club is being run.
Austrian Glasner guided Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022 following a penalty shoot-out victory over Rangers in Seville.
The 49-year-old, who has also managed Wolfsburg, has been out of work since leaving the Bundesliga side last summer.
Aberdeen manager Neil Warnock has renewed his acquaintance with Junior Hoilett after signing the winger in a deal until the end of the season.
The 33-year-old Canada international joins following a spell with Vancouver Whitecaps.
The left-sided player has spent most of his career in the English league with the likes of Blackburn, QPR, Cardiff and Reading.
“Junior is a player I know well – he’s played for me three times so I know him inside out,” said Warnock.
“He’s an international player and I think he’ll benefit the squad between now and the end of the season.”
“I’ve worked with the gaffer before so it was a no-brainer to come up here and join him,” said Hoilett, who played in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has scored 16 goals in 62 internationals.
“It’s a great opportunity and I’m just happy at the prospect of getting back out there playing football again under a manager who knows how to get the best out of the squad. I’ve no doubt he’ll get everyone working together so I’m delighted to be here.
“I still have a lot of fire in me for the game. I want to enjoy playing football again. I have been keeping fit training with Reading and just waiting for the right opportunity to come along. When the gaffer phoned it was a blessing and I am delighted to be here.
“I can tell already from the welcome I’ve had that it’s a great club and I want to be part of it and help the squad move up the table.”
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are heading into the most important part of the season ahead of their Premier League clash with Burnley.
The title-chasing Gunners currently sit third, two points behind leaders Liverpool, after extending their impressive run to four straight league wins following a dominant 6-0 victory at West Ham.
Arteta highlighted the importance of claiming three points at Turf Moor and to keep up their consistent form during the final 14 league matches.
“It’s the most important part of the season and every fixture will play a significant role in what we want to achieve,” Arteta said.
“Burnley at the moment are a team which are extremely difficult to beat if you look at the results and how teams have drawn or beaten them by small margins.
“They are extremely well coached and are a team that are very competitive, so we know that we have a very tough match on Saturday and we need to play with the same energy and enthusiasm.
“We want to be there (title race) and it means we have done a lot right during the season.
“We have shown a big level of consistency in the team, we want to take a step forward and maintain the consistency.”
Burnley, who sit seven points from safety, have struggled in their first season back in the Premier League.
Arteta showed his admiration for Clarets manager Vincent Kompany, lauding his “special aura” ahead of Saturday’s clash.
The Arsenal manager coached the former Manchester City captain when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium between 2016 and 2019.
“We know each other really well and I have huge respect for him, we had a really good relationship when we worked together,” Arteta added.
“I have a huge admiration for him when he was a player and he has a special aura around him. He has great ideas and a vision of how to play the game.
“What they did in the Championship last season (winning the league by 10 points) was phenomenal in a record season. To do that you need to be exceptional (as a coach).
“He has courage and his work ethic is phenomenal.”
Kai Havertz struggled in the early parts of the season after his £65million move from Chelsea but the Germany international has since adapted to life in north London.
Arteta said he “loves” the 24-year-old and it is a joy to have him in the squad.
“I love him,” he said. “We all love him as a player, as a person and what he brings to the team.
“He tracks people, defends the box and gets in the position where he constantly threatens the opponents’ box and that is something I really like.
“He is a joy to work with.”
Jamie Snowden is considering adding Ga Law to the Ryanair Chase field after his taking Cheltenham success on Trials day.
The eight-year-old finished fifth in the Festival Grade One last season, his second run at the track following victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup earlier that term.
He returned to Prestbury Park to run over the same trip in a valuable handicap on January 27, the last meeting there before the Festival, and prevailed by a length and three quarters in a pleasing performance under Gavin Sheehan.
That run has inspired connections to think about putting Ga Law forward for another run in the Ryanair Chase at the Festival, for which he will require supplementing as the entries have closed.
“I think we’ll end up supplementing him for the Ryanair,” said Snowden.
“He won the Paddy Power Gold Cup the previous year and he would have won the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster but he had a nasty fall at the last and that kind of derailed us a bit last season.
“He still finished fifth in the Ryanair last year but he probably wasn’t in the sort of form he’s been in this time around.
“It was nice to see him back on track winning the feature handicap on Trials day and off the back of that the Ryanair looks the right race for him.
“He won the Paddy Power on the Old course but I think he ran an even better race the other day on the New course.
“The New course, which is more of a test of stamina, perhaps suits him more than the Old course, which is more of a test of speed.
“He ran well in the Ryanair last year when not in the form that he’s in now so hopefully he can go there and run a decent race.”
Snowden also provided an update on Reach For The Moon, who was bred by the late Queen and is owned by Queen Camilla and Sir Chips Keswick.
Twice placed at Royal Ascot in his days on the Flat with John and Thady Gosden, he made his hurdling debut at Sedgefield earlier this month and finished fourth when coming home lame.
Snowden said of the gelding: “He was a bit sore off the back of that first run over hurdles, we’re going to give him a moment to get over that and take him out of the Supreme Novices’.
“We’ll give him time to get over it and then come back in the spring.”
Gary Neville believes Dan Ashworth could be an influential figure as Manchester United’s sporting director, should he make the switch from Newcastle.
United are looking to fill the vacancy with an experienced head and are understood to have picked out Ashworth, who has performed similar roles at the Football Association, Brighton and now at St James’ Park.
Neville worked with Ashworth when he was England’s assistant manager between 2012-2016 and rates the 52-year-old as the kind of leader who could change the culture at Old Trafford, alongside incoming chief executive Omar Berrada.
“If Dan does come in, I do think there’s a chance that the performance mentality will improve, the mentality that they do have, (it) could run through the club quite quickly,” he told Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast.
“I’m not saying Dan is going to be a success at Manchester United, but if you’ve got the guy in from Manchester City (Berrada) and now Dan Ashworth, at least you’ve got people in roles that belong, as they’ve not had that in the last 10 years.
“(With England) he started with the Under-21s, the Under-18s and with the women’s team. You think of the success of all those teams in recent years, but that has been in the making for eight years, and it all started when Dan came in.
“I’m not saying he’s responsible for what happened, but he had a big influence with FA. They were a terrible organisation from a professionalism point of view, and I felt what he did, he put processes in place where they’re now structured and organised.”
Neville also stressed that Ashworth would expect significant power in a new backroom structure led by Ineos chair Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose deal to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the club could be completed next week.
“I’ve no doubt that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is trusting in Sir Dave Brailsford in finding the best CEO, the best sporting director, the best head of recruitment and the best coach,” said Neville.
“It looks like they’ve got the first two, and the two yet to be sorted is the head of recruitment and the best coach, but they’re doing it one by one. I suspect that if Dan Ashworth comes in, he’ll want authority at the club to be able to make decisions.”
Paul O’Connell believes the legacy of influential former captain Johnny Sexton lives on among Ireland’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations squad.
The reigning Grand Slam champions have made a strong start to the post-Sexton era by bouncing back from Rugby World Cup disappointment with successive championship wins over France and Italy.
Forwards coach O’Connell admits there was a degree of trepidation about how the team would respond to the agonising quarter-final defeat to New Zealand and losing their long-serving leader.
Sexton, 38, retired immediately after the 28-24 Paris loss in October but has been credited with having a lasting impact on senior members of Andy Farrell’s squad, including new skipper Peter O’Mahony.
“I suppose you’re very hopeful that the work we’ve done with all of the players kind of comes through, but you’re a bit nervous that it might not happen as well,” O’Connell said of the new era.
“We’re only two games in so we’ve plenty of battles ahead of us.
“I think one thing that maybe Johnny has given a lot of the guys is he’s shown how much you have to care about the team and how much you have to care about how you prepare.
“He’s been a great example to some of the guys that are going to end up as leaders in the team.
“While he’s gone, his legacy from how he used to go about his business still lives on with us.
“A lot of the guys – Peter O’Mahony, Caelan Doris, James Ryan, Iain Henderson, Garry Ringrose – they’ve a few of his qualities in them that helps us arrive to a good place every Saturday when we play.”
Ireland resume their title defence at home to Wales on February 24, ahead of March appointments with England and Scotland.
Many pundits already feel it is a formality that Farrell’s men will become the first side to claim back-to-back Grand Slams in the Six Nations era.
Former Ireland captained O’Connell, who won the competition three times as a player, thinks players are adept at “ignoring the bigger picture”.
“We talk about winning, for sure, we always want to win the tournaments we’re playing in and we talk about winning them but once we’ve cleared that up, we don’t really talk about it much more,” said the 44-year-old.
“We just focus on the next game. We focus on what needs to be better for the next game and get excited about doing the things we feel might lead to a performance.
“It’s something that the players do really well. It’s a practised skill being next-game focused.
“Andy’s big into it; Joe Schmidt (former Ireland head coach) was big into it back in the day and a lot of the players are big into it because it helps them prepare properly by ignoring the bigger picture.”
England were sloppy in the field as India racked up an imposing 445 on the second day of the third Test in Rajkot.
Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes reprieved Dhruv Jurel when the debutant was on 32 and, while the drops were not too ruinous, England created 15 wicket-taking opportunities in total just to bundle out India.
They were kept in the field for 130.5 overs in baking hot temperatures before reaching 31 without loss at tea, their total partly swelled by Ravichandran Ashwin running on the pitch when he was batting.
Ravindra Jadeja had received India’s first and final warning the day before for encroaching on the protected area, so when Ashwin did the same after setting off for an aborted single, umpire Joel Wilson signalled that England would be awarded five penalty runs at the start of their innings.
Jadeja would have been expected to marshal the lower order but he was dismissed for 112, leaving India on 331 for seven but Jurel (46) and Ashwin (37) helped India add 114 for the last three wickets.
England sought quick wickets as India resumed on 326 for five and the hosts added just five runs before both overnight batters were back in the pavilion. James Anderson winkled out nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav, who edged behind, while Joe Root gratefully accepted a return catch to see off Jadeja.
It was partial redemption for Root following his drop of Rohit Sharma the previous day, which ended up costing England 104 runs, but India were far from finished with both Jurel and Ashwin capable batters.
A reshuffle in India’s order brought out Ashwin at nine, despite possessing five Test tons, and he and Jurel batted in a measured fashion, with England appearing to lack their usual vigour in the field. Jurel showed his class by uppercutting a neck-high Mark Wood bouncer for six.
A moment of drama arrived before lunch when Ashwin was sanctioned for running along the middle of the pitch, giving England five penalty runs at the start of their innings. Clearly unhappy at the decision, Ashwin nevertheless refused to succumb to a rush of blood.
Jurel had two reprieves after the resumption as Pope put down a simple chance at midwicket, while the usually reliable Stokes was unable to cling on to a sharper chance at short fine-leg.
Jurel compounded England’s lackadaisical efforts by slamming Rehan Ahmed for two sixes, although the leg-spinner took out both set batters after India had passed 400. Ashwin advanced and slammed a googly to mid-on, where James Anderson held on at the second attempt, while Jurel edged a cut shot behind.
Again, England’s work was not done as Bumrah teed off with abandon, slamming Tom Hartley high over deep midwicket, in a lively 26 off 28 balls before being trapped plumb in front by Wood.
England started their innings on five for none without facing a single delivery after Ashwin’s earlier transgression and they got a further run after Bumrah got under way with a front-foot no-ball.
Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who was fine to bowl despite a blow to his knee while batting, delivered a probing new-ball spell but Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were given few alarms in the half-hour before tea.
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