Pablo Mari underwent successful back surgery on Friday after Monza's on-loan Arsenal defender survived a stabbing attack near Milan.

The Spanish defender is expected to be out of action for at least two months, Monza said.

One person died in Thursday's attack and a suspect was arrested after being disarmed, with former Napoli footballer Massimo Tarantino named as being among those who stopped the assault.

Monza said in a statement: "The specialists of the general surgery-trauma team of the Niguarda hospital in Milan this morning carried out the surgery to reconstruct the two injured muscles on Pablo Marí's back.

"The surgery went well and a hospital stay of two or three days is expected."

Monza said a rehabilitation stage will begin once Mari is discharged.

"This type of muscle injury usually requires two months of rest before you can resume physical activities," the club statement added.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reported Mari recalling the attack, saying: "I was with the pushchair with my child inside and I felt an excruciating pain in my back. Then that man stabbed another in the throat.

"I was lucky, because I saw a person die in front of me."

A host of well-wishers have sent messages of support to Mari, including several of Monza's rival Serie A clubs.

The man who died in the attack was a shop cashier named as Luis Fernando Ruggieri.

Mari was visited in hospital on Thursday evening by Monza chief executive Adriano Galliani and head coach Raffaele Palladino.

Galliani said: "Pablo is an amazing guy. He had the strength to joke, telling me that he will be on the field on Monday.

"I brought him greetings from president [Silvio] Berlusconi and everyone, his team-mates who would have liked to come here even though, obviously, it was not possible."

Galliani said Mari "was probably saved by his height", as the stab injury missed his vital organs.

The former Milan executive added: "From a psychological point of view it seems to me that there are no problems, even if I am not a doctor."

Ja'Marr Chase could be set for injured reserve following a hip injury, potentially slowing the Cincinnati Bengals' momentum as they recover from a tough start in 2022.

Second-year wide receiver Chase sustained the injury against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6, although he still caught two touchdown passes in that game and two more against the Atlanta Falcons last week, tallying 262 receiving yards across the two games combined.

Despite initially playing through the issue, Chase appeared on the Bengals' injury report on Thursday.

Coach Zac Taylor suggested the injury would be assessed daily, but ESPN subsequently reported Chase was facing four to six weeks on the sideline after seeing a specialist.

That would represent a huge blow to the Bengals, who started 0-2 after losing Super Bowl LVI but have recovered to 4-3.

As last year, when his 1,455 receiving yards set a rookie record for the Super Bowl era, Chase leads the Cincinnati receiving corps, tallying 605 yards and six touchdowns from 47 catches.

However, the Bengals are the only team in the NFL to have three players with at least 400 receiving yards, with Chase joined by Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins (both 455).

Boyd led the way with 155 yards in last week's 35-17 defeat of the Falcons, in which quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 481 yards – the third-most in a regular-season Bengals game all-time – and three TDs, rushing for a further 20 yards and a score.

Burrow endured a dismal start to the year, with four interceptions and seven sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, but now looks back to his best.

The QB's 11.45 yards per attempt against the Falcons represented a career high, while his completion percentage of 81.0 (34 of 42) was his second-best mark.

Burrow now faces the Cleveland Browns, a team he has never beaten in three attempts.

In fact, the Bengals have lost four straight to their AFC North rivals, their worst run in this matchup since dropping seven in a row between 1992 and 1995.

Bidding to end that run without Chase on Monday, Burrow and the Bengals are second in the division, two games ahead of the third-placed 2-5 Browns.ja

The big boys are back in Week 8 as the NFL season edges its way closer to the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings all return after a bye week, as do the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, who will look to increase the pressure on the San Francisco 49ers.

The Eagles are aiming to maintain their 100 per cent record when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town, while the Bills host Aaron Rodgers and his wobbling Green Bay Packers.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers ahead of Sunday's games, starting in the city of brotherly love.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)

It promises to be a tricky trip for Pittsburgh, as the Eagles own a nine-game winning streak at home against them, a streak that started in 1966 (Pittsburgh's last win there was Week 6, 1965). It is the Eagles' longest home winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history.

The Steelers lost 16-10 at the Miami Dolphins last week, and are averaging just 15.3 points per game, the second fewest in the NFL (Denver Broncos, 14.3). The last time they finished in the bottom two of the NFL in scoring was 1969 (15.6 points per game, second worst).

The Eagles have held a lead of at least 14 points in each of their six games this season. The last team to do so in seven straight games to begin the season was the 2007 Patriots (eight straight).

Philadelphia have won Jalen Hurts' last nine starts, tied for the longest quarterback win streak in franchise history with Carson Wentz (2017), Donovan McNabb (2003) and Norm Van Brocklin (1960). The Eagles were 6-10 in Hurts' first 16 career starts in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers (3-4) @ Los Angeles Rams (3-3)

Including a 24-9 home win in Week 4, the 49ers have won seven straight regular-season games against Los Angeles, their second-longest streak against the Rams all-time (17 straight from December 1990 to December 1998). However, the Rams beat the 49ers in last season's NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium.

San Francisco lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 44-23, at home last week. It was the first time they have lost back-to-back games by at least 14 points since Weeks 9-10 in 2020. They followed those games up with a 23-20 win against the Rams in Los Angeles.

Last week, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 303 yards, the 11th game in his career with at least 300 yards. The 49ers won the first seven of those games but are just 1-3 in the last four. The only win in that span came on the road against the Rams in Week 18 last season.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford is 1-6 in his regular season career against the 49ers, his worst record against any NFC opponent. He has thrown four touchdown passes and five interceptions in his three games against them since joining the Rams, losing each one.

Green Bay Packers (3-4) @ Buffalo Bills (5-1)

The Packers have won their last four home games against the Bills, but are 0-6 all-time in Buffalo, most recently losing a 21-13 game there in Week 15, 2014. The Bills are the only active franchise the Packers have never beaten on the road.

Green Bay lost 23-21 to the Washington Commanders last week, and have lost three straight games for the first time since Weeks 11-13 in 2018. They have not lost four straight since Weeks 8-11 in 2016. The last time they lost four of their first seven games was in 2006 (also 3-4).

The Bills are coming off their bye week following a 24-20 win in Kansas City in Week 6. Since the Bills' last Super Bowl appearance in 1993, they have begun a season 5-1 four times – 1995, 2008, 2019, and this year.

Buffalo's offense has faced a blitz on 35.3 per cent of its passing plays this season, the fourth highest in the league. The Packers have faced a blitz just 20.2 per cent of the time, second lowest in the league (Miami, 18.2). The Bills have blitzed opponents just 12.9 per cent of the time, the lowest in the league.

Elsewhere…

Dak Prescott should face the Chicago Bears (3-4) after making his return in the Dallas Cowboys' (5-2) win over the Detroit Lions last week, moving his career record as a starter to 54-33 (.621). Since 2016. The Cowboys are 9-8 when Prescott does not start (.530) while averaging almost 60 total yards fewer per game when he is not the starter (382.3 with, 322.9 without).

The New York Jets (5-2) enter their clash with the New England Patriots (3-4) with a chance to break their current 12-game losing streak against them, which dates back to the 2016 season. With a loss, the streak would match Denver's 13-game losing streak to Kansas City as the longest active one in the NFL.

Saquon Barkley (110 rushing yards) and Daniel Jones (107) each ran for over 100 yards last week, the third time a New York Giants (6-1) duo has eclipsed that mark. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw did so in Week 14, 2010 and Week 16, 2007. The only other team with such a duo this season was the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 against the Giants' opponents for Week 8, the Seattle Seahawks (4-3).

The Tennessee Titans (4-2) own a four-game win streak after a 19-10 win at home against the Indianapolis Colts. This is the Titans' sixth-straight season with a winning streak of at least four games, and it could go to five with a win at the Houston Texans (1-4-1).

England and Australia's hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup continue to hang in the balance after their clash was washed out without a ball being bowled on Friday.

England's meeting with their rivals had been billed as a crucial game for both teams after Jos Buttler's side suffered a shock defeat to Ireland, while the hosts joined them on two points in Group 1 after losing to New Zealand and beating Sri Lanka.

Heavy rain in Melbourne resulted in a delay over of almost two hours before the abandonment was confirmed, with officials having completed two inspections of the MCG's sodden turf.

After seeing the points shared, England will now likely have to win their final two group fixtures – against New Zealand and Sri Lanka – to have any hope of reaching the last four.

Speaking to Sky Sports before it was confirmed there would be no play, Ben Stokes insisted England would relish the pressure of facing two do-or-die matches.

"It's almost going to be like playing a final every game. That's what these competitions are all about," Stokes said. "You're always under pressure to perform in these.

"You can't expect everyone to deliver all of the time, but it's just about your bouncebackability and we've generally been quite good at that."

Buttler, meanwhile, had been due to make his 100th T20I appearance on Friday, and was bitterly disappointed to see the match called off.

"It was due to be a massive occasion, we're very disappointed," Buttler told Sky Sports.

"It would have been a great place to do it, but we have full focus on our next match and keeping our tournament alive. We've been playing some good cricket leading into the tournament.

"It was a really disappointing performance the other night, but we've retained full faith in the group and have confidence in the players for the rest of the tournament."

England face New Zealand at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday, one day after Australia take on Ireland at the same venue.

Alpine have won their appeal against a penalty imposed on Fernando Alonso following the United States Grand Prix, meaning his points for a seventh-place finish have been restored.

A dramatic race for the Spaniard involved his car sustaining significant damage after a collision with Lance Stroll  saw the Alpine rear up and hit roadside barriers, forcing him to pit for repairs.

The Haas team launched a protest after Alonso lost his right-hand mirror late in the race, and a 30-second punishment saw him fall to 15th place in the race standings.

The post-race complaint from Haas came, according to Alpine, some 24 minutes after the deadline for making such claims.

Now Alpine have succeeded in getting the penalty overturned by governing body the FIA, with two-time champion Alonso recovering the six points he achieved in Austin.

Ahead of this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, Alpine said in a statement: "BWT Alpine F1 Team thanks the FIA stewards for convening and reaching a positive conclusion on the matter involving car #14 from last weekend's United States Grand Prix.

"The team welcomes the decision made by the aforementioned stewards, whereby car #14 reinstates its seventh-place finish and six points from the race. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work alongside the FIA to ensure the racing spectacle is maintained to the highest quality. The team now looks forward to competing this weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix."

Alonso sits ninth in this year's drivers' standings, one place behind team-mate Esteban Ocon.

Before the FIA appeal result was known, Alonso said on Thursday: "It was a rollercoaster of emotions for me on Sunday: I started at the back, then we were like P6, we had the accident; last again; and then finishing P7, and then in the evening, again out of the points. So it was up and down all day long."

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe is hopeful record-signing Alexander Isak will be fit for when the Premier League resumes after the World Cup despite his injury being "longer-term" than first thought.

Isak joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in a deal potentially worth a reported £64.8million (€75m) in August, smashing the club's previous transfer record of just under £40m (€46.3m) for Joelinton.

Newcastle had been linked with numerous strikers throughout pre-season as they looked to build on Howe's positive start at St James' Park last season, although the newly minted club had been put off by valuations they felt were trying to take advantage of their new-found Saudi wealth.

With the season already a few weeks old, Newcastle eventually stumped up the cash for Isak, and he made a positive start with two goals in three games, but the 23-year-old suffered a thigh injury on international duty with Sweden in late September and has not played since.

Isak had already been ruled out until after the World Cup, and although Howe revealed on Friday the injury is more severe than initially thought, Newcastle expect him to be back in training in December when the club have a mini pre-season to prepare for the Premier League's Boxing Day return.

"Alex has been having a couple of injections into his thigh," Howe told reporters ahead of Saturday's visit of Aston Villa. "I believe that's gone well, and the medical team are happy where he currently stands.

"But it is a longer-term injury, a five- or six-week injury. As I've said before, he won't be back before the World Cup break.

"We're hopeful, as we begin our second pre-season, he is ready to train."

Newcastle's last pre-World Cup game is on November 12 at home to Chelsea, and they return to action just over six weeks later on December 26, away to Leicester City.

The club have already confirmed plans to visit Saudi Arabia for a training camp, as they did in January.

That trip will include a friendly against Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal, scheduled for December 8.

Cristiano Ronaldo's refusal to come on as a substitute against Tottenham can be put down to him being the kind of player who "can't accept being left out", says former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes.

Ronaldo was temporarily exiled from first-team activities by Ten Hag after refusing to enter the fray in United's 2-0 win over Spurs, before making a goalscoring return in Thursday's 3-0 Europa League victory over Sheriff.

The 37-year-old top-scored for United with 24 goals in all competitions last season, but has only made two Premier League starts since Ten Hag took charge.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra have defended former team-mate Ronaldo since the incident, and Scholes has now joined them, saying he understands the striker's frustration with his new back-up role.

"The longer the game goes on, the more upset you get, the red mist comes over you," Scholes told BT Sport.

"You're not thinking properly. For him [Ten Hag] to ask him to come on with two minutes to go, he will think: 'Is he taking the mickey out of me?'

"He thinks he should be playing every single game, and some players just can't accept being left out. The longer that game went on, the more and more furious he got.

"I think the manager has to show a bit of common sense. You're looking back at an experienced player, and you're asking them to come on in a game that's won.

"I've heard a lot of people say Sir Alex would have gone crazy or mad, but I don't think he would have done that. With two minutes to go, you bring a young kid on or give someone his debut.

"I think it's disrespectful towards Cristiano, but it's difficult to say it's disrespectful because it's the manager's job, and he's got every right to ask him to come on.

"It's clear Cristiano isn't in his plans. He doesn't see him as part of his team in the big games in the league, the big European games later in the competition, he sees him more as a substitute."

Scholes was speaking from experience, having refused to play for United in an EFL Cup tie against Arsenal back in 2001, and he sympathises with Ronaldo despite his mistake.

"It's difficult to explain your emotions at the time," Scholes added. "It was a low point of my career, something I look back on and really regret – it was so wrong to do.

"I sympathise with Cristiano. He did the wrong thing but your head completely goes.

"That's what probably happened with Cristiano, he's had a similar way of thinking where he's been left out of a game, so he will be raging.

"He's still not come on and he will be thinking, 'I can come on, score three or four goals against this team, easily'."

Pablo Mari believes he is "lucky" to be alive after Monza's on-loan Arsenal defender survived a stabbing attack near Milan.

The Brazilian centre-back was one of several people injured in the attack, while one person died and a suspect was arrested after being disarmed. 

It was widely reported that former Napoli footballer Massimo Tarantino was among those who stopped the attacker.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reported Mari as saying: "I was with the pushchair with my child inside and I felt an excruciating pain in my back. Then that man stabbed another in the throat.

"Today I was lucky, because I saw a person die in front of me."

The man who died in the attack was a shop cashier named Luis Fernando Ruggieri, to whose family Monza sent their sympathies.

Arsenal said on Thursday they had been informed that Mari, who is spending the season in Serie A, was "not seriously hurt".

Mari was visited at the Niguarda hospital on Thursday by Monza CEO Adriano Galliani and head coach Raffaele Palladino.

Galliani said: "Pablo is an amazing guy. He had the strength to joke, telling me that he will be on the field on Monday.

"I brought him greetings from president [Silvio] Berlusconi and everyone, his team-mates who would have liked to come here even though, obviously, it was not possible."

Galliani added Mari "was probably saved by his height", as the stab injury missed his vital organs.

Reports in Italy said Mari would undergo surgery on Friday to deal with the wounding he suffered during the incident, which took place in the town of Assago.

Monza issued a statement that read: "Dear Pablo, we are all here close to you and your family, we love you, keep fighting as you know how to do, you are a warrior and you will get well soon!"

Galliani added: "From a psychological point of view it seems to me that there are no problems, even if I am not a doctor."

Mari's father, meanwhile, told Spanish broadcaster Cope: "They have been very bad hours. They started calling me at 8pm and my heart skipped.

"I was able to talk to my son and he told me that he was fine and that he loved us very much."

Tom Brady said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers "struggled on everything" in Thursday's 27-22 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, with the quarterback now on his first three-game losing streak since 2002.

The Bucs' miserable run of form continued as the Ravens clicked into gear after only scoring three points in the first half, with Lamar Jackson throwing two touchdowns after the interval.

Neither quarterback committed a turnover as Brady completed 26 of his 44 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion is now enduring his worst losing run in 20 years.

The Bucs have slumped to a 3-5 record after opening the season with two wins, and Brady says they are simply not meeting their own standards.

"We just didn't play well enough to win, so give them credit. They played good, certainly better than we did," Brady said.

"We just came up short, I don't think it feels good, whether [you're ahead in the] first half or second half. We just have to play better, certainly on offense.

"I think we've struggled pretty much on everything. We struggled in the red zone, on third down, during the run game. It's just not very good offense football."

Having lost five of their last six games to fall below the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South, the Bucs now have a 10-day break before they face the Los Angeles Rams, and Brady knows the importance of a response.

"I don't think anyone feels good. We've lost five, so it's not where we want to be, but we haven't earned it," he added. "We've got to go earn it, fight hard and figure out how to win games.

"Whenever we play, we play. We've got to win, break or no break. We're all just frustrated we're not getting the job done.

"We're playing to win and losing is no fun for any of us, we're just coming up short."

The Bucs' injury problems continued to mount when outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett suffered a suspected torn Achilles in the third quarter, and Brady cannot wait for the team to return to something approaching full strength.

"Shaq's a great player for us, I hope he's okay," Brady said. "We need to get some guys back, get a little healthier, and see if we can perform a bit better."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles admitted "it doesn't look good" for Shaquil Barrett after he suffered a suspected torn Achilles in the team's 27-22 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The outside linebacker was injured during a Ravens running play in the third quarter on Thursday, and reports have suggested his season could be over after initial examinations.

Speaking after the Bucs suffered a fifth loss in their last six games, Bowles said of Barrett: "He has an Achilles right now, so we'll wait for the MRI, but it doesn't look good."

Any significant absence for the two-time Pro Bowler would represent a considerable blow for the Bucs, who were already coping with several injuries ahead of Thursday's game.

Barrett has led the team for sacks in two of the last three seasons, and has recorded eight sacks and 43 tackles in his eight starts this campaign.

With Tampa Bay slumping to a 3-5 record despite winning their first two games of the season, Bowles acknowledges things are "dark" for his team, but he remains confident they can change their fortunes.

"It's still dark; until you win ball games consistently and play for four quarters consistently it's going to be dark," he said.

"That doesn't mean we can't get out of it, we just have a lot of work to do as coaches and as players."

The Ravens looked to have suffered an injury blow of their own when tight end Mark Andrews was ruled out with a shoulder injury in the second quarter, while wide receiver Rashod Bateman also exited with a foot problem.

However, head coach John Harbaugh played down any concerns over the duo after the win, saying: "They are not serious.

"Rashod was a tweak of what he had before, and Mark is not a serious long-term injury."

A question we've likely all been asked in job interviews is: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Admittedly, it's difficult to imagine Roman Abramovich adding that to his list of essential questions ahead of meeting prospective Chelsea managers during his time as owner. After all, no head coach even reached three and a half years in one go under the Russian's ownership.

But Luiz Felipe Scolari went into his ultimately brief stint as Chelsea boss with a fairly clear vision for his future. Attending his first Chelsea press conference in Neuchatel, Switzerland, where he was based with his Portugal team for Euro 2008, 'Felipao' – 59 at the time – gave himself another five years in management.

"I will be 60 soon and I don't want to be technical coach forever. I want to work for five more years and then I want to retire."

More than 14 years later, Scolari is at long last about to call it a day. But first he has one last shot at glory with Athletico Paranaense in Saturday's Copa Libertadores final, a success that he believes would be the "pinnacle" of 40-year coaching career.

The catalyst

The vast majority of Athletico's squad weren't even born when Scolari took charge of his first Libertadores final in 1995.

He led his beloved Gremio – the team he supported growing up – to their second continental crown on that occasion thanks to a 4-2 aggregate defeat of Colombia's Atletico Nacional in August 1995.

A comical Victor Marulanda own goal – a sliced lob over 'scorpion-kick' visionary Rene Higuita – sent Gremio on their way, before Mario Jardel pounced on a spill by the eccentric Atletico goalkeeper to make it 2-0 before half-time in the first leg.

Paolo Nunes slammed in from close range early in the second half after Higuita again failed to hold the ball. Juan Pablo Angel's clever finish at least ensured Atletico returned home with something to fight for in the second leg, and Victor Aristizabal's early goal back in Medellin stoked the belief, but Dinho finished them off from the spot in the 85th minute.

That Gremio side was a pure embodiment of the ethos that eventually defined Scolari's playing style. It may not have been a team full of superstars, but they were tough and hard-working. It wasn't quite 'jogo bonito', yet they were a clinical attacking force and Scolari guided them to six trophies in three years.

Nevertheless, Scolari's second Copa Libertadores success in 1999 – with Palmeiras – was arguably the precursor to his most famous achievement.

For starters, it was Palmeiras' first Libertadores title. Secured with a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Deportivo Cali after the two were locked at 2-2 at the end the two legs, the success elevated Scolari to an altogether different standing in management, proving his Gremio spell was no fluke.

"I cemented my career on that title, I really expanded my horizons and had the opportunity to grow. This was made possible by Palmeiras."

Global recognition

Less than a year after leaving Palmeiras for Cruzeiro in June 2000, Scolari landed the biggest job of them all.

With Brazil's World Cup qualification campaign in danger of failure, Scolari was brought in to get them over the line. He certainly achieved that.

The Selecao actually lost to Uruguay in Scolari's first game and they were humiliatingly knocked out of the 2001 Copa America by Honduras.

But they got the results to take them to Japan and South Korea, where they flourished.

Scolari's exclusion of Romario from the squad for the finals was contentious but soon forgotten once the tournament started, with Brazil inspired by the legendary trio of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.

They were comfortably the best team on display at the 2002 World Cup, winning all seven games – the first side to win 100 per cent of their games at a single edition of the tournament since 1970 – as they claimed a record-extending fifth title.

Scolari's career was made. He helped right the wrongs of 1998, and there was an acknowledgement he could do no more for the team as he left his post after the World Cup.

He subsequently took over Portugal and led them to the final of Euro 2004 before bowing out at the semi-final and quarter-final stages at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 respectively.

Scolari couldn't recreate his Brazil success with Portugal, but he was a World Cup winner and nothing could take that away.

The greatest achievement of all?

That five-year spell in charge of Portugal was something of an anomaly – Scolari had never even managed four years in one job and he's enjoyed a fairly nomadic career ever since his Chelsea exit in early 2009.

But in this period was a gutting low that even threatened to overshadow his 2002 World Cup success.

Of course, Scolari was in charge when Brazil were demolished on home soil by Germany at the 2014 World Cup, with the eventual champions remarkably winning their semi-final encounter 7-1 in Belo Horizonte in one of the most infamous games in tournament history.

Brazil players left the pitch in tears, Scolari went on to resign, and many would suggest Brazil still haven't healed from that nightmare.

"I need a hug," Scolari said as he returned to Gremio later that month. "I came back at this moment because I need a hug, some affection."

He may not have brought success back to Gremio, but he did go on to enjoy a trophy-laden spell in China with Guangzhou Evergrande, and he even guided Palmeiras to Brasileiro glory as recently as 2018.

But there's something considerably more remarkable about the situation he now finds himself in at Athletico – yes, that's Athletico rather than Atletico after the club reverted to their founding name in 2018.

Scolari was hired in May as a technical director and he also took the reins as coach until the end of the season, given the task of steadying the ship after Athletico hit a difficult patch that culminated in an embarrassing 5-0 Libertadores defeat to Bolivia's The Strongest, costing Fabio Carille his job.

No one can argue with Scolari's impact, leading Athletico – whom he claims have only the 13th-biggest budget in Brazil – to just their second Libertadores final. Flamengo await and are favourites, but Scolari has presided over a shock by even getting his team this far.

"This career is coming to an end indeed," he told the Associated Press. "If we win the Copa Libertadores, it will be the pinnacle of a career for which I worked a lot. I never expected this much, winning all that I have won."

It would've been easy for Scolari to walk away for good in 2014, punishing himself for Brazil's humiliation by disappearing into a retirement brought about by self-deprecation.

But he fought on and stands on the precipice of an achievement he believes will outshine all that have come before.

Bernardo Silva can help Manchester City go top of the Premier League table with a win at Leicester City, while Aleksandar Mitrovic should also get the nod in your fantasy team this week.

Silva only came off the bench in City's goalless Champions League draw at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, so he should be fresh at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Mitrovic made it three top-flight goals in as many games in Fulham's win at Leeds United last weekend and can add to his tally for the season of nine when Everton visit Craven Cottage this weekend.

David Raya could earn you some points when Brentford face struggling Wolves, while Arsenal will need a win against Nottingham Forest to return to the summit if City are victorious and Ben White can help them keep a clean sheet.

Stats Perform use Opta data to pick out the men you should be looking at selecting this weekend.

David Raya (Brentford v Wolves)

Only Nick Pope and Ederson (both five) have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than Raya.

No team has scored fewer than Wolves' five goals this season and they also have the lowest shot conversion rate (3.45 per cent) along with the lowest goals differential of -8.01, with Opta having their expected goals tally at 13.01.

After suffering a 4-0 hammering at home to Leicester last weekend, it could be a painful trip to London for Wolves and Raya may be in for a quiet afternoon.

Ben White (Arsenal v Nottingham Forest)

Defender White can play a big part in bringing Forest back down to earth following their shock win over Liverpool.

Playing as right-back for the Gunners this season, White has provided two assists in his past four appearances - including one in the draw at Southampton last Sunday.

Kenny Tete and Kostas Tsimikas (both three) are the only defenders to have provided more assists in the competition this season and Arsenal will fancy their chances of ensuring Forest fire a blank.

Bernardo Silva (Leicester City v Manchester City)

Silva has already registered five assists in the Premier League for the champions this season.

The Portugal international averages an assist every 160 minutes he has been on the field this season, which is the best rate he has achieved since arriving at the club.

Silva has also scored twice and can cause lowly Leicester all sorts of problems.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham v Everton)

Only Erling Haaland (54.4) and Anthony Martial (52.5) have a better minutes per goal ratio than Mitrovic in the Premier League this season.

The Serbia striker is on a roll and could score in four consecutive league games for the second time in the 2022-23 campaign.

Third on the list of highest Premier League scorers this season behind Haaland (17) and Harry Kane (10), Mitrovic can ensure the Toffees come unstuck following their win over Crystal Palace.

Ireland and Afghanistan were beaten by the weather as their T20 World Cup clash at the MCG was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The Group 1 fixture was hit by rain in Melbourne, a familiar experience for an Afghanistan team who suffered the same fate when their match against New Zealand at the same ground went the same way on Wednesday.

The no-result outcome left Afghanistan bottom of the group and at least briefly nudged Ireland up to second place, ahead of the scheduled match between England and Australia at the same ground later on Friday.

Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi said: "Most of the players are disappointed to not be playing in such a fantastic ground."

Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie, whose side upset England in their second game, added: "We'd played some good cricket the other night and were looking forward to this fixture against a team we know pretty well. We can't do anything about the weather. We've just got two more games to give it our best to try to get into the semis."