Harry Kane continued his record-breaking form by becoming the highest scoring Englishman in a single Bundesliga season with the winner in Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory at struggling Cologne.
England captain Kane claimed his 18th goal of the season courtesy of a first-half tap-in to fire Bayern to the top of the table, above Bayer Leverkusen.
The 30-year-old striker’s remarkable tally is one more than Kevin Keegan managed for Hamburg in the 1978-79 campaign and the total Jadon Sancho registered for Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20.
His haul has come in just 12 league games since his big-money summer switch from Tottenham, while he has registered 22 goals in 17 outings in all competitions.
Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated proceedings against a team who remain second-bottom but squandered a host of chances to make the scoreline more emphatic, with Leroy Sane particularly culpable.
Unbeaten Bayern were back at RheinEnergieStadion for the first time since dramatically snatching the Bundesliga title from Dortmund on the final day of last season.
They began with purpose and were almost gifted an early lead when Cologne defender Timo Hubers inadvertently diverted the ball on to the outside of his own post with Kane waiting to pounce following fine work for Sane.
Former Manchester City forward Sane then failed to lift the ball over home goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe after being sent through on goal and later scuffed wastefully wide.
Kane’s decisive 20th-minute finish came between those golden chances.
He calmly slotted home on the rebound after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s initial effort was blocked on the line by Julian Chabot to cap a swift Bayern counter-attack, started by Konrad Laimer’s interception.
Choupo-Moting almost doubled the lead two minutes later when he was denied by Schwabe.
Lowly Cologne, whose only win of the season was a 3-1 success over Borussia Monchengladbach on October 22, offered little from an attacking perspective in the opening period.
Visiting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to be alert to repel Rasmus Carstensen’s close-range header but the visitors were relatively untroubled.
For all of Bayern’s control, head coach Tuchel would have been eager to grab a second to secure the points.
However, chances were scant in a largely-forgettable second period which lacked tempo.
Sane saw a powerful effort blocked behind by Chabot, before Kingsley Coman headed against the crossbar from the resulting corner.
Bayern’s failure to kill off the game gave Cologne a glimmer of hope of snatching an unlikely draw going into the closing stages.
Yet the away side comfortably held on to move to the summit as the prolific Kane once again grabbed the headlines.
Everton fans have staged a protest outside the Premier League’s headquarters in London in response to the club’s 10-point punishment for breaching financial regulations.
The Toffees were handed the sanction by an independent commission last week after they exceeded losses permitted under the league’s profitability and sustainability rules by £19.5million in the three seasons ending in 2021-22.
Manager Sean Dyche expressed shock at the “disproportionate” penalty on Friday, a sentiment shared by the fans who gathered outside the Premier League’s offices in Paddington, west London.
Paul, 36, who lives in East Dulwich but is originally from St Helens, is a season-ticket holder who will be at Sunday’s game against Manchester United.
He told the PA news agency that the points deduction “felt draconian”, adding: “It just feels like the rules were deliberately vague to give flexibility for this kind of situation.
“I think Everton have been deliberately targeted because of the threat of an independent regulator, and that feels wrong.”
Alan Newton, 46, who lives in London but is originally from Maghull, held a season ticket for 10 years.
He told PA: “Nobody’s saying that we’re not guilty as a club of anything, but the points that have been taken off is far too harsh a penalty.
“Do I think that some of the other bigger clubs are going to get penalties like this or it’s going to play out the same? Probably not.
“I think the likelihood is we’ll get a reduced penalty, it’ll set a precedent for other clubs and we’ll see what happens next.”
The points deduction has left Everton 19th in the table and above bottom side Burnley only on goal difference.
However, Amy Panayi, 28, who lives in Gravesend but is originally from Liverpool, does not believe the club will be relegated.
“If we just get consistency with your teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, I will take a 10-point deduction,” she told PA. “I will say I don’t think we will go down, because there’s too much fight (and) heart there.”
Australia ended the surprise run of Finland to reach the Davis Cup final for the second year in a row.
Finland defeated Croatia and the USA in the group stage in September to qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time and then upset defending champions Canada on Tuesday.
Backed by thousands of fans in Malaga thanks to a sizeable local population of ex-pats, they hoped to continue the fairytale but found Australia too strong.
Otto Virtanen, ranked 171, had been the unlikely star of their run but he was beaten 7-6 (5) 6-2 by Alexei Popyrin, a late call-up to the Australia team and picked ahead of Jordan Thompson, in the opening match.
It was a first victory in a live rubber for the 24-year-old, who said: “It’s nerves that I have never experienced before in my life.”
The Finns were boosted by the return of their number one Emil Ruusuvuori from a shoulder injury but he was unable to capitalise on a good start against world number 12 Alex De Minaur and went down 6-4 6-3.
Australia will now try to go one better than last year’s 2-0 loss to Canada when they take on either Serbia or Italy in the final.
It is a 49th Davis Cup final for Australia but they have not lifted the trophy since 2003.
Trainer Alford Brown believes the presence of Japanese-born jockey Daisuke Fukumoto in Jamaica for the Mouttet Mile could be a learning moment for young riders, in particular, provided they grasp the opportunity to engage the reinsman when he visits Caymanas Park.
Fukumoto, who migrated to Canada from Japan in 2015 and rides at the Woodbine racetrack in the North American country, is said to be a big fan of Jamaica’s racing, and by virtue of his close relationship with veteran Shane Ellis, decided to grace local horsemen with his presence at the lucrative Mouttet Mile Invitational scheduled for December 2.
For Brown, who has booked Fukumoto’s services for two rides on that day, the hope is that the jockey’s visit will go beyond entertainment purposes, given the experience and knowledge he could impart to local riders based on his journey so far.
“He was always eager to come here. So, the opportunity arose, and he jumped on it, purchased his own plane ticket and the promoters got involved by ensuring that he will be comfortable when he gets here,” Brown shared.
“It’s a very good thing for the punter's sake, for racing itself and the entertainment that it provides. More importantly, with the international jockeys being here, they could also teach some of our local riders a thing or two because you know, you learn every day and it doesn’t matter how good you think you are, there is always room for improvements, so it is just a matter of whether or not they are willing to learn,” he told SportsMax.TV.
For two years, Fukumoto studied English throughout the week and spent weekends hanging around at the track trying to catch a break. That break eventually came when trainer Reade Baker gave him a job as a groom.
From there, Fukumoto debuted as an apprentice rider in 2017 and rode his first winner on October 13 that year, his 20th birthday.
Though still fairly young, his career profile on Equibase shows Fukumoto boast a wealth of experience in the saddle with 2,586 starts, including 273 wins, 267 seconds, and 290 third-place finishes. He has career earnings of $10,949,852.
Last year, Fukumoto tallied 55 wins, with his best year in the saddle being 2020 when he rode 69 winners. His tally so far this year stands at 21 winners.
Fukumoto’s visit falls in line with Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe and team’s ambitions to expand Jamaica’s racing presence on the international market by having high profile overseas personalities grace the track.
Renowned Gulfstream Park race announcer Peter Aiello recently made an appearance on the Jamaica Cup race card.
Brown agreed that having international jockeys and commentators at the track serves as an endorsement of sorts and only augurs well for Jamaica’s racing product, especially with the Mouttet Mile set to be streamed live in the United States on Fox 5.
“I think with such a high calibre jockey coming down to ride on that day, and the fact that we are going to be televised internationally, is a good look for us and our racing. It will also draw the attention of other riders to maybe one day take up the offer to come to Jamaica and experience our racing, so it can only go forward from here,” Brown noted.
Neil Robertson is unconcerned by the prospect of plunging out of the world’s top 16 as he aims to resurrect a challenging campaign by clinching a fourth UK Snooker Championship title in York.
The 41-year-old Australian heads into the sport’s second biggest tournament – which starts on Saturday at the city’s Barbican Centre – having failed to get beyond the last 64 in any of his six ranking events so far this season.
In recent months, Robertson has spoken candidly about suffering from homesickness and will take a short break from the game when he jets home next month to spend the festive season with his family for the first time since prior to his solitary world title win in 2010.
Falling out of the sport’s elite is unthinkable for a player of Robertson’s calibre, but he remains upbeat about his prospects of turning his season around ahead of his return to one of his most profitable venues.
Robertson told the PA news agency: “I’ve been through similar things a couple of times before and it doesn’t really bother me.
“I’ve struggled to get up for some matches and my opponents have been on a roll and punished me for a few mistakes. I haven’t put in too many shocker performances. It’s just part of sport and you go through it now and again.
“I dropped out of the top 16 briefly before (in 2017), then I won the Scottish Open and went on to have quite a dominant spell for the next two years.
“When I dropped out, I remember it actually being a bit of a relief because you feel like you’ve experienced the worst of it. It wouldn’t bother me at all if I had to qualify for the Crucible, it’s not really in my thinking.”
Robertson had cut a forlorn figure when he lost to Jak Jones in the second round of this year’s World Championship, a defeat that stretched his winless streak at the Crucible to 13 years and shortly afterwards he realised it was time to take drastic action.
“When it really hit me was when I was watching my AFL team, Collingwood, win the Grand Final and all my family was watching it together back home and close friends I hadn’t really seen in the last 20-odd years,” added Robertson.
“I was Facetiming the people back home, they were having a barbecue on the day, there were my nephews who I hadn’t really seen much of and I thought, jeez it’s been 20 years of missing out on those moments. I found it really hard.”
Before his overdue return home, Robertson begins his quest to become only the fourth player to win four or more UK titles when he faces Zhou Yuelong – whom he beat in the semi-finals when he last triumphed three years ago – in the first round on Tuesday.
Defending champion Mark Allen gets the tournament under way on Saturday in a repeat of last year’s final against Ding Junhui, while Ronnie O’Sullivan – looking for a record eighth crown – also starts on Tuesday against Anthony McGill.
For Robertson, the return to a stand-alone last 32 event is a welcome development in the history of the prestigious tournament and one he believes will motivate the best players to bring out their best on the day.
“It’s a tournament that everyone gets up for,” added Robertson.
“It’s got a great history, it gets great coverage and it all adds up to the type of tournament that when you’re used to playing at the top of the game, you really want to win.”
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson remains unconvinced that VAR is improving football, despite a positive independent assessment for Scotland’s match officials.
An independent review panel (IRP) has deemed that just three of the first 407 VAR checks this season produced the wrong outcome.
It is understood that the panel of former players, coaches and managers gave match officials a higher accuracy rating for major decisions than the Scottish Football Association referees department itself.
St Mirren were on the end of one of those perceived mistakes for a so-called double-hit penalty by Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski – and Dundee the other two – but Robinson believes it is supporters who are being short-changed by how the technology is being used.
The former Motherwell boss said: “It is not making football better for me and I would imagine the vast majority of fans.
“We have to remember football is about fans. Remember Covid, football wasn’t the same game. Fans should be asked ‘is it making it better?’ And from the fans I know and speak to, it isn’t. People pay a fortune to watch football and they should be asked.
“The authorities are trying to make things better but it needs to happen sooner rather than later because it is no consolation to us or any other team that has happened to. It has happened the right way for us as well but at least they are looking at it.”
Robinson believes improving communication is key to the success of VAR.
“Communication between the fourth official and managers has improved massively,” he said. “They do tell you what is going on when you have three or four checks at the same time.
“I think they should communicate with the fans. I wouldn’t have as many voices involved in it, it adds to the confusion.
“But the biggest thing for me, the referee should be called over to make the decision not influenced or told what somebody else thinks. He should still referee the game.
“He should be brought over to look at the incident – not, ‘I believe this is a red card, can you come and see it again’? And if he still makes the same decision, so be it.”
Miovski’s spot-kick equaliser in the 10th minute of stoppage-time in Paisley on August 27 prevented St Mirren going top of the cinch Premiership.
There was a VAR check after Saints goalkeeper Zach Hemming claimed the Aberdeen striker had touched the ball twice after slipping, but the goal was given without referee John Beaton being asked to review the footage.
The panel’s verdict was handed down to the 12 Premiership clubs during a meeting with the referees department on Thursday.
Audio of conversations between match officials and the VAR control room was relayed to the club representatives and explanations were given over how some key match incidents were dealt with.
The IRP was set up by the governing body ahead of the start of the season. Three people are called up from a pool of former players, managers and coaches for each review meeting and are guided by experts on the Laws of the Game.
They looked at the most contentious issues of the 407 reviews in the first round of cinch Premiership fixtures and the Viaplay Cup, 24 of which led to on-field reviews.
Other than Miovski’s penalty, the other two perceived errors went against Dundee.
The panel felt Josh Mulligan should not have been sent off for a challenge on Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong on September 23.
Video assistant referee Euan Anderson asked David Munro to review the incident but the referee stuck by his original decision.
The IRP also felt Dundee were on the receiving end of an injustice when Amadou Bakayoko had a goal disallowed in a 2-0 win at Livingston on October 28. Referee Willie Collum ruled the goal out after reviewing footage, deciding the offside Jordan McGhee was interfering with play.
Doddiethegreat has the Scottish Champion Hurdle on his radar after making a successful return from 746 days off the track at Ascot.
Named after the late Scottish Rugby Union star Doddie Weir, who died of motor neurone disease almost a year to the day, the Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old has been out of action since winning on hurdles debut at Kempton over two years ago.
Sent off at 5-4 in the hands of Nico de Boinville for the Give The Gift Of Ascot Membership “Introductory” Hurdle, he displayed all the class that had seen him impress in his previous three outings to take advantage of the odds-on favourite Inthewaterside’s below-par display and score by a keeping-on two lengths.
Owned by Kenny Alexander of Honeysuckle fame, prize-money earned by Doddiethegreat is donated to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which raises funds to aid research into MND, and having enhanced his unbeaten record he will now be fittingly aimed at Ayr next April for the big handicap hurdle on Scottish Grand National Day.
“He severed a tendon, it was the most horrible injury,” said Henderson.
“They had to rate him on one run. His target is the Scottish Champion Hurdle. The foundation are so enthusiastic, it’s all about going back to Scotland.”
Your Darling often saves his best for the Berkshire track and Ben Pauling’s eight-year-old made it back-to-back victories in the S.A.F.E. Handicap Chase after putting up a fine display to surge nine-lengths clear in the home straight.
The 11-4 favourite, who is owned by Lord Vesty, has not been the most consistent operator down the years and his handler now intends to keep his powder dry over the winter months ahead of a crack at the Grand National fences in the spring.
“He’s one of the most talented horses I’ve trained and when he’s in form he’s electric,” said Pauling.
“It’s just a bit frustrating that he doesn’t always turn up, so my instinct is to put him away and go straight for the Topham Chase.”
There was a double on the day for Harry Fry who saw his Beat The Bat (6-4 joint favourite) conjure up extra to deny the highly-touted Welcom To Cartries in the opening Ascot Partners “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle, before Gin Coco (11-8 favourite) gained compensation for missing Cheltenham’s Greatwood Hurdle by taking the Garden For All Seasons Handicap Hurdle.
There was also plenty to cheer for jockey Charlie Deutsch who won the Racing To School Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase aboard Henry Daly’s outsider of four Supreme Gift (17-2) and then doubled up aboard Venetia Williams’ Hold That Thought (7-2) in the All Seasons Scaffolding Handicap Chase.
The concluding Not Forgotten Novices’ Handicap Hurdle went the way of Harry Derham’s Scamallach Liath, who pulled out extra in the closing stages under Paul O’Brien to oblige favourite backers at odds of 13-8.
Lewis Hamilton fears Mercedes could lose second spot to Ferrari in the constructors’ championship after he admitted it will be a scramble to qualify in the top 10 for Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped practice at the Yas Marina Circuit, seeing off McLaren’s Lando Norris by just 0.043 seconds, with world champion Max Verstappen third.
But George Russell and Hamilton finished only sixth and eighth respectively for Mercedes, with the latter half a second behind Leclerc.
Mercedes, who are facing up to their first winless season since 2011, hold only a four-point lead over Ferrari heading into Sunday’s finale in the desert.
And Hamilton said: “It was not the greatest of days. We have had difficult qualifying sessions this year, and getting out of Q1 and into Q2 has always been a tough battle, and getting into Q3 is a challenge.
“The work tomorrow is to try and get into Q3. But it is going to be close.”
Hamilton completed only four timed laps on Friday. He made way for the team’s Danish junior driver Frederik Vesti in the opening running, before a combined 30-minute delay wiped out half of the one-hour second session after Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg both crashed out.
Russell fared better than Hamilton, but he still finished three tenths behind Leclerc.
However, it was not a day without incident for Ferrari following Sainz’s crash.
A week after a loose drain cover tore through his Ferrari in Las Vegas, Sainz was in the wars again, but on this occasion it was through driver error.
Sainz – who appeared to be put off by another car arriving from the pits – lost control of his machine through turn three and ended up in the barrier.
Although the Spaniard was unharmed in the high-speed smash after just eight and a half minutes, he sustained significant damage to his car, with the sidepods, floor, rear suspension and front wing of his Ferrari all destroyed.
Sainz’s impact also left the barrier in a mess, and a 22-minute delay ensued as the tyre wall was repaired.
But only moments after the running restarted, the red flag was out again – this time after Nico Hulkenberg crashed on the exit of turn one.
On cold tyres, the German was too hasty on the throttle, sliding into the barrier before pulling up in his wounded machine.
The stoppages arrived as a blow to half the grid who sat out the opening session as 10 rookie drivers – including three Britons – were earlier blooded at the Yas Marina Circuit.
British drivers Zak O’Sullivan, 18, and Jake Dennis, 28, made their Formula One weekend debuts for Williams and Red Bull respectively, while Ollie Bearman, 18, who in Mexico became the youngest debutant from Britain at a Grand Prix, was handed his second practice appearance by Haas.
Dennis, in Verstappen’s Red Bull machine which Hamilton has described as the fastest ever seen in F1, finished 16th of the 20 runners, 1.1 secs off the pace.
O’Sullivan was 18th – seven tenths behind Williams’ Logan Sargeant – with Bearman 20th and last, albeit only a tenth slower than Kevin Magnussen in the other Haas.
Graham Lee has been moved to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
The Grand National and Group One-winning jockey suffered a serious injury at Newcastle a fortnight ago and had been receiving treatment at Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in the same city.
It was reported last week that he was making “positive progress” and he would be moved closer to home when a suitable bed became available.
However, it is expected to be a long rehabilitation process.
An update issued by the Injured Jockeys Fund read: “Graham Lee has now moved to the Spinal Unit at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough where he will remain for the foreseeable future.
“He is no longer in ITU but remains on a ventilator, albeit this can be reduced from time to time.
“His cervical injury, which was to C3/C4, means that his movement is affected.
“His family are pleased that he is now nearer home and remain grateful for the constant support.”
Derek McInnes wants a bit more “bravado” from his Kilmarnock side to get their first cinch Premiership win of the season when they face Ross County on Saturday.
The Rugby Park club are sitting sixth in the league after 13 games but are yet to win an away league game this season in six attempts.
Killie go into the game against the Staggies – who will be under new boss Derek Adams for the first time – on the back of a 1-0 defeat by Hibernian at Easter Road before the international break and the Killie boss is looking for better results on the road.
McInnes said: “I can analyse it to death but I think the best gauge for me is level of performance. The level of performance against Hibs was good.
“We have not had a bad performance on the road this season but the results haven’t mirrored our home form.
“We have had a lot of good moments in games and penalty box entries – I think we are fourth in the league behind Hearts and the Old Firm for touches in the opposition box – and we get up the pitch well and move the ball well but at Easter Road we were just looking for that bit of quality.
“The stats show that we don’t get as many shots on target when we are away from home. It is something that can easily be addressed in terms of analysis but in terms of performance it is different to last year.
“Last year we were poor on the road a lot of times, we deserved exactly what we got particularly in the early part of the season.
“This season doesn’t feel the same but obviously we still need to get results on the road and if we get something close to our home form we will be alright.
“But I am not getting caught up with it. I don’t want it to become a thing and hopefully we can go and put in a performance like we did at Easter Road but try to show a bit more quality, try to show a bit more confidence in the final bit, have a bit more bravado about us rather than snatching at things and overthinking things.
“We are a bit more instinctive with our work at Rugby Park and I just feel we get a lot more shots on target when we are at home.
“It is something we have spoken about to the players but I am not getting too caught up in level of performance, they have been decent.”
Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame headlines a small but classy field for the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.
The eight-year-old was second in the Gold Cup last season and made his comeback this term in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby.
He was beaten by Mouse Morris’ Gentlemansgame in West Yorkshire but Nicholls considers him to have come on considerably for that run, as he begins to tread a path back to the Gold Cup via this contest and the King George.
“He took a large step forward for that run, he hadn’t been for a racecourse gallop or anything and I hadn’t drilled him or anything for that particular race because we knew there’d be bigger targets down the road,” Nicholls said.
“He has come on for that run enormously, he looks great and he’s feeling really good.
“He’s high class and should be the favourite really, it’s just that we were a bit negative and we weren’t sure we were going to go there.
“Bryan (Drew), who owns him, was quite keen for him to run – that’s one reason – and he has come out of that race very, very well.
“He will take a step forward for that race the other day. He’s that much older now, we’ve still got a month to Kempton and it’s a valuable race.”
The bay has been ridden in all 18 starts under rules so far by Harry Cobden, but the Ditcheat stable jockey is required to head to Ascot instead and Daryl Jacob steps in the for the ride at Haydock.
“Harry is going to Ascot to ride Pic D’Orhy, who had such a good season last year, from which I hope he’s improved further,” Nicholls said.
“The bottom line is that Harry can’t be in two places at the same time.
“When there is more than one big meeting on a Saturday, you have to plan, but you also need someone to be first reserve and Daryl has been riding out for us.”
Dan Skelton will be represented by Protektorat, the reigning Betfair Chase champion after landing the race by 11 lengths last season.
He was subsequently fourth in the Cotswold Chase and fifth in the Gold Cup and now returns for his seasonal debut with freshness on his side.
“It gives you great confidence when a horse has been there and done it because you can do what you did the year before,” the trainer said.
“We know the result we got and if he runs like he did last year, which was visually very impressive, whoever beats him will have a hard race to do so.
“OK, his form after wasn’t as sparkling but we can put that to one side at the moment because we are dealing with first time and we know what he did first time last year.
“Freshness is key with any horse. I know people want to see these horses run more but the truth of the matter is these horses have hard races in big races. It’s not the getting ready for the next race, it’s getting over the one they’ve just had.
“Of course, I’d love to run him more, like I would a lot of others, but you can’t waste runs when you think they might not be at their best. You also have to consider the idiosyncrasies of British courses.
“You want to run them on ones they will be at their best, unless you get a horse like Kauto Star who can do it on all of them and then it’s magical. We’d all love to run them more but it is hard to get them razor right.”
Lucinda Russell runs last season’s Grand National hero Corach Rambler, who makes his Grade One debut at Haydock.
After winning the Aintree marathon by two and a quarter lengths in the spring, the nine-year-old returned to action in Kelso’s Edinburgh Gin Chase in late October but was well beaten when fifth of six runners.
Russell reports her stable star to be in good form at home following the run, however, and hopes his performance in the Betfair Chase will prove instructive as to where he will head next.
The William Hill ambassador said: “Corach Rambler is in absolutely fantastic form at home and has been causing absolute mayhem around the place! He’s galloping around the farm in a very happy manner and upsetting the whole string, which is really encouraging ahead of Haydock on Saturday.
“I must admit that I do wake up in the middle of the night panicking about him because he really does mean that much to me. He’s very special and it’s a pleasure to be involved with him and be a part of his journey.
“The ground at Kelso was pretty bad and he obviously didn’t have a great run there, so the fact it will be better on Saturday is a real bonus.
“We’re under no illusions that it’s going to be a big challenge against some proper Gold Cup contenders, but I think he’s earned his chance to prove that he’s up to this sort of standard and we’re really looking forward to it.
“It will tell us where we stand with him and whether the Gold Cup is a realistic aim.”
Completing the field of four is Venetia Williams’ Royale Pagaille, second in the contest behind A Plus Tard in 2021.
The nine-year-old has a notably good Haydock record, as three further runs at the track have all ended in victory, though he was a faller in the Irish Grand National when last seen in April and looks to return to form at his favoured track.
Joe Chambers, racing manager to owners Rich and Susannah Ricci, said: “Royale Pagaille loves it at Haydock and with the ground in his favour and a small field, we thought it would be best to kick off his season there on Saturday, rather than going to Newbury the following week.
“He is three out of four at Haydock, with his only defeat coming when second in the Betfair Chase two years ago to A Plus Tard.
“I’d say this season it would be lovely to win a third Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock (in January) with him. What happens either side of that is still to be decided.”
Defender Alejandro Balde is confident Barcelona can end their Rayo Vallecano “curse” on Saturday.
The reigning LaLiga champions have not beaten Rayo in four attempts and will hope to put the record straight when they head for the Estadio de Vallecas this weekend.
Balde told the club’s official website: “This is an important match for the team. We haven’t beaten Rayo Vallecano for two years and I think a win on Saturday will break the curse of not winning.
“The start of the season was good. We are in third place in the league and we are already close to qualifying for [the knockout stage of] the Champions League.
“We are four points away from the top, but the season is still long and anything can happen.”
Three of those four winless games against Rayo have come since Xavi replaced Ronald Koeman at the helm in November 2021.
Barca go into the game having lost two of their last four in all competitions, a 2-1 El Clasico defeat by Real Madrid and a shock 1-0 Champions League reverse at Shakhtar Donetsk, but lying third in the table two points behind Real and four adrift of leaders Girona.
However, they do so having lost the services of 19-year-old midfield star Gavi, who is not expected to play again this season after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage on international duty with Spain.
Frenkie De Jong is closing in on a return from an ankle injury which has sidelined him since the end of September, while keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a doubt.
Asked about Gavi, Balde said: “I send him a lot of support. It is a very difficult and long injury, and the most important thing is for him to be patient because he must recover well because the team will need him.
“We are losing a great player, a key player in the team, we are losing his ferocity.”
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Rayo, who have won only one of their last eight league games, but drawn six of them, complete a run of fixtures against the top three which has seen them draw 0-0 at Real Madrid before losing 2-1 at home to Girona despite taking an early lead.
Manager Francisco told a press conference: “We respect our rival a lot. They are one of the best in Europe and the world.
“We have to do what we have been doing, be brave and try to take advantage of the moments we have.”
AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has urged his side to remain “consistent” ahead of their meeting with Fiorentina on Saturday.
Following the conclusion of the international break, Serie A action resumes with Milan hoping to return to winning ways at the San Siro.
Despite their good start to the season, Milan have not won a league game since the beginning of October and are now third in the table following two losses and two draws in their last four Serie A matches.
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Those last four matches have seen Milan’s opponents rally in the second half to snatch wins or come from behind to earn a draw, but Pioli has called on his team to achieve consistency throughout games.
He told a press conference: “I have many responsibilities, I remain focused on trying to always do better together with the club. So far, we haven’t achieved what we should have, but we’ve taken responsibility.
“The team are working well and are united, but we can do better. We’re only thinking about tomorrow’s game. For four consecutive matches, our second-half performances have cost us.
“Our concentration levels mustn’t drop, and we need to be consistent throughout the game. We haven’t lost our spirit.
“Words are meaningless and facts do the talking. We’ve analysed our mistakes and mustn’t repeat them. We have to perform at a high level for 90 minutes. We need to show that we’re a competitive side.
“Fiorentina have always caused us problems, and we’ll need to be compact, determined and decisive. They play attacking football, get a lot of men forward and are certainly a difficult side to face.”
Milan have been handed a boost with Christian Pulisic, Davide Calabria and Ruben Loftus-Cheek available for Saturday’s clash, but they will still be without Simon Kjaer, Rafael Leao and Noah Okafor.
Pioli also confirmed that 15-year-old forward Francesco Camarda has been training with the squad and could be used in future games if needed.
“I think talent is ageless, Francesco is talented. Sometimes, destiny creates certain opportunities, and both we and him need to remain calm,” Piolo added.
“He’s a very young lad but also very mature character-wise, and he’s ready to give us a hand if needed.
“Whether he’s used will depend on many factors, but he’s trained well with us in the past few days. I’m sure he has a great future ahead of him.”
Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will not be fit to be involved in Chelsea’s visit to Newcastle on Saturday.
There had been hopes that the £52million summer signing from RB Leipzig would have sufficiently recovered from the knee injury he sustained on the pre-season tout of the United States to play a part at St James’ Park.
But, despite being fit enough to have taken part in training with the first team, the 26-year-old has not worked tactically with the squad and will not travel.
Chelsea struggled without the France international in Pochettino’s first Premier League games in charge, with the goalscoring problems that he had been acquired to help solve carrying over from a tumultuous campaign last season during which the team scored fewer league goals than they had in almost a century.
Those issues have become less urgent in recent weeks, with four goals scored on three separate occasions against Burnley, Tottenham and Manchester City.
By contrast, the team had not previously scored four times in a game since April 2022.
“(Nkunku) was doing things with the group last week,” said Pochettino. “But he’s not fully recovered to be part of the squad.
“He’s a fantastic player, top scorer in the Bundesliga last season. He can play different positions, his quality is amazing. It’s really bad luck to lose him from the beginning of the season.
“We’re going to find the best way for him to fit in the team. He’s going to find massive competition. His team-mates are ahead of him, they’ve had four months of competition. He needs to build his form and be at his best level.
“We need to understand he’s coming back from injury, he will need time. We will be patient with him.
“It’s not a competition (the Premier League) that he’s normally used to. He came from Europe, he needs to recover from injury but also to know the league. It’ll take time to perform at his best.”
Pochettino confirmed that Romeo Lavia, signed in the last week of the transfer window from Southampton for £53m, is also nearing fitness but is slightly behind the progress made by Nkunku.
Wesley Fofana has trained on grass at Cobham as he continues his rehabilitation from an ACL injury, though is unlikely to be available before the new year.
Chelsea had come into form prior to the international break with five wins from eight in all competitions, a run which saw them score 19 times having previously netted only seven in their first seven under Pochettino.
The manager is hopeful that the pause will not have disrupted his side’s rhythm ahead of their visit to face Eddie Howe’s side.
“The break came at a bad time,” he said. “It came in a moment we were building a way to play, results were on our side. But I believe we can keep momentum even after two weeks with no competition.”
Pochettino added that the squad has held group discussions about why performances and results have been better this season against the stronger teams – draws with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and victory over Spurs – while there have been home losses to Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
“It’s part of the process,” he said. “We’re a young team, we started to work four months ago. We need to be more mature, more patient. We cannot get frustrated so soon when things don’t work.
“Expectation creates nervousness when you play a team with less quality than you. You take rushed decisions, get frustrated. You want to do the job of your team-mate.”
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