Officials at Doncaster are hopeful Saturday’s high-profile card will go ahead despite calling a second precautionary inspection for 7.30am.

With the ground already heavy, further overnight rain on Thursday evening left some areas of the track saturated and forced the abandonment of racing on Town Moor on Friday.

An initial 3.30pm precautionary check was announced to assess the prospects for Saturday’s card, due to feature the Kameko Futurity Trophy – the final Group One of the British season.

With his team having spent much of Friday moving rails to avoid the worst of the ground, clerk of the course Paul Barker is hopeful that he will be able to give racing the go-ahead on Saturday morning.

He said: “The picture is a lot more positive than this morning. We have had 1.4mm of rain today, but it’s been a brighter afternoon and we have a little bit of breeze as well.

“The precautionary inspection is there really because the forecasters haven’t been great to us in the last three or four days and we just want to make sure everyone is happy in the morning.

“We’ve moved a mile of rail on the home straight to avoid the area that was a challenge this morning. It’s been a great effort by the ground staff to take out that problem and the rest of the ground, at the moment, is OK.

“Fingers crossed we get here in the morning, the rain gauge is empty and we’re good to go.”

Saturday’s meeting at Newbury has already been called off due to a waterlogged track.

With Friday’s fixture cancelled on Thursday, an inspection was called for 2pm on Friday ahead of Saturday’s meeting but clerk of the course George Hill was able to make an early call after a further four millimetres of rain.

“The weather at this time of year means it’s either overcast or even if the sun comes out for a bit, like yesterday, it’s only up for about five hours,” said Hill.

“Our back straight remained in the shade so it’s very difficult. All the racecourses are suffering.

“We walked it this morning and it had improved a little but not enough and then we got another 4mm on top, so unfortunately it was an easy decision to bring the inspection forward.”

Newbury’s Saturday card was set to feature two Group Threes, the BetVictor Horris Hill Stakes and the BetVictor St Simon Stakes, as well as the Listed Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Stakes.

The British Horseracing Authority has announced both the Horris Hill and the St Simon Stakes will be rescheduled to Newmarket’s two-day meeting next week, with original entries for both races cancelled and entries for the replacement racing closing at noon on Tuesday, October 31.

My Mate Mozzie and Encanto Bruno both breezed to victory to provide trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Keith Donoghue with a double on the opening day of the new season at Cheltenham.

Having won a Grade Three over hurdles, as well as being narrowly beaten in the Grade One Royal Bond two years ago and in the Galway Hurdle this summer, My Mate Mozzie’s ability was not in question ahead of the squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase.

However, he has on occasion been a weak finisher, including when beaten by 50-1 shot The Big Chap at cramped odds on his debut over fences at Fairyhouse three weeks ago.

Despite the doubts, My Mate Mozzie was a 4-7 favourite to reward those who kept the faith with victory and ultimately got the job done with consummate ease.

French recruit Jetronic took the field along for much of the two-mile contest on his British debut for Paul Nicholls, with Al Zaraqaan his nearest pursuer and My Mate Mozzie settled third of the four runners in the hands of Keith Donoghue.

Jetronic and Al Zaraqaan were both still in there pitching approaching the last, but My Mate Mozzie threaded between the pair under a motionless Donoghue and got up to beat the former by three lengths.

Coral make My Mate Mozzie a 33-1 shot for the Arkle Trophy at the Festival in March.

Cromwell said: “It was good. He jumped out a little bit to his right, and he made a couple of little novicey mistakes, but I’m happy with the result anyway.

“He arrives in all of his races travelling very well, and he has got beaten odds-on in running trading very short on a few occasions, but thankfully he didn’t today.

“On ratings he should have won at Fairyhouse no matter what way you rode him, but I think he really needs to be ridden to arrive late on and he probably only just barely sees out the two miles.”

Cromwell will consider a return to Cheltenham for the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial on November 17, but future plans are ground dependent.

He added: “He could possibly come back here for the Arkle Trial next month, but it will all be ground permitting. I don’t think you would run him on ground that’s too soft. We will give him a little break in the middle of the season then bring him back in the spring.

“He will have to get another bit of experience along the way somewhere and step forward plenty from that to be competitive at the Cheltenham Festival, but we wouldn’t rule it out.”

Encanto Bruno won in similarly dominant style on his debut for the Cromwell team in the Trustatrader Novices’ Hurdle.

The five-year-old won a bumper at this meeting last year for John McConnell before going on to contest the Champion Bumper and returned to the Cotswolds as the 11-4 favourite, despite being pulled up on his most recent appearance at Galway.

Encanto Bruno cruised into contention under an ice-cool Donoghue before kicking two lengths clear of Gordon Elliott’s Mel Monroe, with the Henry de Bromhead-trained Tag Man making an Irish one-two-three.

Cromwell added: “He was keen quite early, and he jumped a few of them quite big, but he travelled very strongly and won very well.

“Although he goes quite well at home I’d say he is a far better racehorse than he is a workhorse, which is always the way you like to have it. I’m delighted with that, and it was a good performance.

“He is a pretty straightforward horse and I’m delighted to have him. It was one of those runs (when he pulled up the last day) that you leave behind you as there was something amiss and I wouldn’t read into that.

“He is versatile, as he has won over two and a half miles today, and although he doesn’t show much pace at home he could certainly come back to two miles as he was quite keen at home.

“He is a lovely horse to look forward to. I think he will be a lovely horse when he jumps a fence too.

“We will go away and have a think about it and have chat with the owners and Keith (as to what we do next).

“I don’t think he would like deep Irish winter ground so he would be more for the spring.”

Betfair left Encanto Bruno unchanged at 25-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and 33-1 for the Ballymore.

Cromwell added: “We will have to look at a better race next and when life gets harder that’s when we will see how good he is.”

Max Verstappen has told the boo brigade to show him some respect as the triple world champion prepares to enter the lion’s den at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Verstappen has beefed up his security for Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez’s home race at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez venue in Mexico City.

Verstappen, who was jeered by Perez’s supporters a week ago in Austin, Texas, is prepared for another hostile reception this weekend – and he will be flanked by multiple security guards in the paddock.

Organisers of the event – which is set to attract a crowd of nearly 400,000 over the three days – have appealed to fans for tolerance by launching the #Racepect initiative. Verstappen was jeered by Perez’s travelling fans in Miami earlier this year, while Lewis Hamilton was also booed here last year.

“The hashtag doesn’t need to suit me,” said Verstappen. “It needs to suit the behaviour of the people and it is good to raise awareness because the behaviour of the crowd at some places can be better.

“In Austin, it was against me. Supporting your favourite driver is fine, but you also have to respect the competition.

“It is not only in Formula One, but is a general problem in a lot of sports that needs to be looked at and needs to be improved.”

Perez’s fans remain unhappy Verstappen did not help the Mexican secure second place in last season’s championship after he ignored a team order at the penultimate round in Brazil.

Perez has won only twice this season – his last victory in Azerbaijan on April 30 – with Verstappen racing to his third title in as many years.

But the Dutchman added: “The rivalry with Sergio is made up. We get on really well. As a driver you try to be first or faster, but we have a lot of respect for each other and we appreciate each other’s performances.

“For me, I feel very safe. I have had a great reception so far, and it is good to be back.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko will also be accompanied by security guards. Last month, Marko, 80, referred to Perez’s background when discussing his driver’s inconsistent form.

He said: “Let’s remember that he (Perez) is South American and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was.”

Marko apologised for the remarks, but Hamilton believes Perez deserves greater support from within Red Bull.

The seven-time world champion said: “As a driver, I understand the psychological and mental pressures weigh so heavily on you. It is difficult to put into words.

“Sergio has carried himself really well, but I don’t think his team has been massively supportive – one spokesperson in particular has not been really great in helping him.

“If I heard (Mercedes team principal) Toto (Wolff) talking negatively about me it would be tough. It is a difficult environment for him, but he has dealt with it to the best of his ability.”

Celtic will look to get to the bottom of Reo Hatate’s fitness issues as they wait to learn the extent of the midfielder’s latest lay-off.

The in-form Hatate is facing several weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury early in Celtic’s 2-2 Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid.

The Japan international had a six-week spell out with a similar problem towards the end of last season and missed a month with a calf injury earlier this term.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Hibernian, manager Brendan Rodgers said: “We don’t have a definitive timeline but he will definitely be out for a few weeks. We are just waiting for it to settle down and waiting for the result and we will see where he’s at but it looked quite a bad one.

“If you watch the game, the first 35 seconds he has over-stretched and he has felt it early on.

“It’s such a shame for him. It’s a different one. He was out with his hamstring last year, it’s his other one this time. So we just need to try to get to the bottom of that.”

Paulo Bernardo, who is yet to start a game since his loan move from Benfica, replaced Hatate on Wednesday.

“It’s always disappointing when players of that quality are missing but our strength is our team and Paulo came in and made his longest appearance he has made,” Rodgers said. “And I thought he coped very, very well.

“We have a number of young players that can step up if Reo is going to be out for a period of time. It always presents an opportunity.

“For any player, whoever it is coming in, without forcing it, you want them to make an impact. I don’t want them to feel big pressure that this is the only chance they are going to get, but take the opportunity when it comes.

“And (Bernardo) certainly did that the other night. He worked very, very hard in a high-level game, showed quality, had that bit of bite in midfield. I thought he did very well.”

Rodgers switched to a 3-5-2 formation in the second half after being pegged back following a first-half display full of pace and purpose.

“I was really proud of the team the other night in terms of how they played,” he said. “I think we are in the process of becoming a really good side at the level.

“The cynics will look at it and say, well you have got one point from three games. But it’s more than that, and it’s more than this season, it’s about next season and the season after.

“We are in the process of becoming a good side – dynamic, fast, goal threat, and defensively compact, tight, aggressive, and when the need comes in a game to have that intelligence to change tactically, then being able to do that. And the players did it really well.

“Getting to around the 70-minute mark, playing against a team that are playing 3-5-2, they can really stretch your back four. There were spaces starting to open up.

“It wasn’t so much a defensive change to plug the gap because you can still be really aggressive and progressive in 3-5-2.

“I like teams to have the flexibility to change. We may not have to do it so much domestically but it’s an option for us if need be, to change the momentum in a game.”

Rodgers will face a new opponent at Easter Road in the form of former Central Coast Mariners manager Nick Montgomery.

“I really like what Nick is trying to,” he said. “Only in the door, looking to play an offensive game.

“There will probably be lots of people telling him that’s not the way to work but I have been through that many years ago in my early stages of management.

“I like they are trying to build the game from behind, work their way through the lines with speed, with quality, and looking to play an attacking game.”

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea could have Christopher Nkunku available as early as the week after the November international break as the summer signing’s recovery from a knee injury is progressing quicker than expected.

The 25-year-old, who was injured in a friendly against Borussia Dortmund during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, had been expected to be out until at least December but that timescale has now been brought forward, raising the possibility he could make a long-awaited competitive debut when the team face Newcastle at St James’s Park on November 25.

The loss of Nkunku weeks after completing a £52million move from RB Leipzig was a significant blow to Pochettino’s preparations for the new campaign, particularly as he had been a standout performer during the two weeks in the US.

And his absence was keenly felt once the Premier League season began as Chelsea scored just five times in their first six league matches, a run that saw them fail to score a single goal during September.

That record has improved markedly during the last three games during which the team has more than doubled its goal return, but the possible early return for the France international – who was last season’s joint top scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals – would represent a boost for Pochettino as he faces a torrid upcoming run of fixtures.

After Saturday lunchtime’s meeting with Brentford at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea face consecutive league matches against Tottenham, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United.

“(Nkunku) is doing really well, working hard, I think he’s really close,” said Pochettino. “As soon as possible we can have him involved again.

“After the next internationals maybe he could be involved.

“He’s a player that when you see the goals he scored last season, (you see) he provides goals, and I think we’re missing goals. That’s why we think he’s a player that can be important for us.

“He’s proved he can score goals in the Bundesliga. If today we had eight or 10 goals from Nkunku, maybe the situation (in the league) would be completely different.

“It’s goals that we are missing to be in a different position. It’s unlucky but we can’t complain, we need to work. We’re looking forward to recovering him and helping the team be in a different position.”

Pochettino previously said that he could be tempted to look at options in the transfer market if form in front of goal did not improve by January, but acknowledged a run of eight goals in three league games coupled with Nkunku’s progress could lessen the urgency.

“Football is really dynamic,” he said. “Today maybe we are thinking in a different way to three weeks ago, but we’re ready and working with the sporting directors to be ready in the transfer window, if we need to add players in an offensive position.”

The Premier League confirmed on Thursday that Chelsea will take part in the competition’s first Christmas Eve fixture since 1995 with their visit to Wolves moved from December 23 to accommodate TV coverage.

The decision has drawn significant backlash from supporters, but it is particularly resonant for the Pochettino household as the previous day marks his and his wife’s 31st anniversary – which the manager will now spend travelling to Wolverhampton.

“Our fans are not happy? Me neither. The 23rd is my anniversary with my wife and now I need to travel to Wolves.

“I believe I am not going to convince her to come.

“The 24th (of December) for Argentine people is a really important night, and I hope to arrive (home) in time to celebrate after. But if our fans are not happy, I am not happy also.

“(The decision) is not easy to change, but we need to accept we are in England and it’s different to the rest of the world. I need to adapt myself. But even if I’m not happy, I need to do my best to be at my best level and accept it’s a situation we cannot change.”

Pep Guardiola distanced Manchester City from the two banned supporters who chanted offensively following the death of Sir Bobby Charlton, insisting the pair “don’t represent us”.

Footage emerged on social media of two people, both minors, chanting about Charlton during City’s match against Brighton last weekend, soon after the Manchester United great’s death was announced publicly.

City have acted swiftly, denouncing the chanting as “vile”, ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, where United will hold a minute’s applause before kick-off in memory of Charlton.

Guardiola is hopeful the travelling fans will conduct themselves respectfully, as he condemned the behaviour of the two fans who have been suspended from attending City matches home and away.

“They don’t represent us,” Guardiola said. “Alcohol makes bad things in people. (City ambassador) Mike Summerbee went to Old Trafford to sign the book (of condolence for Charlton), he represents us.

“We have huge respect for Manchester United, especially for the icon of Sir Bobby Charlton. We will be part of the condolences, to Man United and English football.”

This weekend will be the first meeting between the rivals since last season’s FA Cup final, when Ilkay Gundogan’s double sealed a 2-1 win for City as they collected a second trophy en route to the treble.

With only nine matches gone in the Premier League so far, this derby does not have the same emphasis but it is a fixture that former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has always enjoyed.

“When I was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich and I travelled to England to play against United at Old Trafford, it was always special,” he said. “It is a special place and here it is special for our fans.

“The clubs have a good rivalry. The clubs respect each other, no big issues have happened in my eight seasons here. Of course the FA Cup final was special because we wanted to win and win the treble.

“But it’s not like an FA Cup final or the last fixtures of the season where winning or losing can define winning the Premier League or not.

“There have only been nine fixtures so there are 87 points to play for. It’s another game, we have to be focused to beat them.”

City, who will be without suspended defender Manuel Akanji, beat Brighton last weekend to rebound from successive top-flight defeats at Wolves and Arsenal before the international break.

They currently sit second, behind Tottenham, but United, who finished third last season, have had a turbulent start to their campaign, losing four times in their first nine fixtures.

While City are six points and as many places ahead of United, Guardiola is on his guard after Erik Ten Hag’s side snatched victory in last season’s corresponding showdown.

“United have always had that feeling – it doesn’t matter who the manager is – they are a tough, tough opponent,” Guardiola said.

“The qualities of the individuals they have, the stadium, the character they have, the momentum. They can score goals, we know the quality they have. Always that has been and always it will be.”

Tyson Fury has no chance of losing to Francis Ngannou in the pair's exhibition fight this weekend.

That is according to former boxer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who promised to quit his job if Ngannou pulls off a shock victory.

MMA fighter Ngannou, who has won 17 of his 20 professional fights, is making the move into boxing to face WBC heavyweight champion Fury in a lucrative exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia.

De La Hoya, though, is giving Ngannou little hope.

"As a boxing expert, as a fight expert, as a promoter now and as a boxing historian, if Ngannou beats Tyson Fury then I'll quit my job," De La Hoya told Stats Perform.

"And I love boxing, so I don't plan on quitting! 

"I think Tyson, inside a boxing ring, he's been in there with [Wladimir] Klitschko, he's been in there with [Deontay] Wilder, there's nothing that Ngannou can do to even make Tyson flinch. It's not going to be a good night for Ngannou."

Hall of Fame fighter De La Hoya is promoting Ryan Garcia, with whom he has had something of a complicated relationship. 

Garcia is going up against Oscar Duarte, and like his promoter, he does not see Ngannou having a chance against Fury, hitting out at the "crossover" fight.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I don't see any reality where Ngannou wins," Garcia told Stats Perform.

"There's just no way. I'm a big fan of Fury and I think he's just an unbelievable fighter. He's beaten the best in boxing.

"I'm not going to think that a UFC guy is going to come in and beat him. It's just fun for the fans, man. 

"It's like these crossover TV shows where you get to watch your favourite cartoon being in another cartoon. That's all."

Mikel Arteta has called on the Premier League to increase squad sizes as the Arsenal boss lost another two key players through injury.

Both Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey face “a few weeks” on the sidelines after Arteta confirmed the pair have suffered setbacks.

Arsenal, who remain unbeaten in the league so far this season, host winless Sheffield United on Saturday but Jesus will miss out with a hamstring issue suffered in the midweek Champions League win at Sevilla.

Partey is absent having pulled up in training with a muscular injury which the PA news agency understands could rule him out until December.

Arteta has already been without a host of players for periods of the campaign with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard needing treatment while summer signing Jurrien Timber is a long-term absentee following knee surgery.

Arteta has often criticised footballing authorities for the number of fixtures in the calendar but, with that particular cork out of the bottle, he feels the solution could now lie in the Premier League expanding squad sizes beyond the current limit of 25.

“If we have more games, more competitiveness and physically the standards are higher – by playing more minutes – we have to do that or instead of five subs, we have 10,” he said when asked about increasing squad sizes.

“The five subs is now something normal but it was a big fight to go from three to five. I cannot imagine the game in the conditions we are in today after last year and the World Cup without five subs, it would be so difficult.

“If the calendar extends, for sure we would have to think of not dropping the quality. The only way to do it is players have to have certain availability and you need players to pick.”

“When is this going to stop and how long will it take for us to make the right decisions? The laws will change and probably our capacity to do things during games will change as well. We will have to adapt, for sure.

“We will need more players. The players have a certain amount of energy. The battery lasts so long and we will burn them. We will need more players if that’s the case. We have to adapt.

“There are periods sometimes where you get really unlucky, and sometimes things that are really difficult to prevent. When you are loading players more and there are players who haven’t done it in the past that risk increases.

“We try to manage every single thing to control it, but there are things that are difficult to do and we have to accept that.”

Martin Odegaard is available and, despite being substituted in the last two games, Arteta is backing his captain to come good.

Asked about recent criticism of Odegaard’s performances, Arteta said: “(It’s because) he’s an incredible player and he’s doing so much for us.

“He’s our captain. We expect him to step in all the time like with the other players, and this is great because that’s the role that he has.

“We have developed him into that player, that person, and now it’s about maintaining and sustaining that level. That’s the challenge.”

Auguste Rodin is firmly on course for what is shaping up to be a top-class edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

The dual Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner has enjoyed a break since his victory at Leopardstown, with Aidan O’Brien reporting the Deep Impact colt in good heart ahead of his date at Santa Anita on Saturday week.

The mile-and-a-half contest is also the destination for Juddmonte International winner Mostahdaf, as well as Champion Stakes victor King Of Steel.

Speaking on a Breeders’ Cup teleconference, O’Brien said: “We’re very happy with him, everything has gone well. He’s had a nice long lead up into this race and it’s a race we always thought would really suit since the last day.

“Obviously Leopardstown is a flat, left-handed track and we thought and hoped it would set him up nicely for the Breeders’ Cup given we’ve had our eye on it all year. Hopefully everything goes well for the next few days.”

Despite disappointing in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, Paddington, a multiple Group One winner this season, is heading for the Mile.

“Paddington has had a very busy season, he turned up time after time and he wasn’t having a big break between them but he kept producing in all the top races,” said O’Brien.

“He went from the Irish Guineas and on from there. The last day at Ascot he was just a bit fresh and ran too keen in very deep, heavy ground and Ryan (Moore) just looked after him so it was one of those races you could put a line through.

“He seems to have come out of the race very well, he’s fast, he’s tough he’s hardy and tactical as well so we’re looking forward to him.”

The Ballydoyle handler will be well represented in California, with Cherry Blossom and Pearls And Rubies in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Content (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Johannes Brahms (Juvenile/Juvenile Turf), Mountain Bear (Juvenile Turf), River Tiber (Juvenile Turf), Unquestionable (Juvenile Turf), Warm Heart (Filly & Mare Turf), Bolshoi Ballet (Turf), Broome (Turf) and Aesop’s Fables (Turf Sprint) all nominated.

One who will not be travelling, however, is 1000 Guineas fancy Opera Singer, winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac.

“Opera Singer had a busy enough season here,” explained O’Brien.

“After her last piece of work she worked very well but was a little bit quiet after it. The season was long here. We just felt to be fair to her, with a few to next year, it was the best thing to do not to ask her to travel.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers questioned whether someone was “making tricks” over their festive fixtures after his club’s trip to Dundee was moved to Boxing Day.

Rodgers and Motherwell have both expressed frustration on behalf of supporters after two cinch Premiership games were moved to accommodate live television coverage.

Motherwell’s Fir Park clash with Rangers has been moved from the Saturday afternoon of December 23 to a noon kick-off on Christmas Eve.

Celtic’s game at Dens Park will now take place at 3pm on Boxing Day instead of with the rest of the December 27 evening fixture card.

“It’s not ideal,” Rodgers said. “Obviously we would have preferred it to stay as it was. Especially at that time of the year.

“It’s interesting actually, I am pretty sure I’m correct in this, I think the last seven years Celtic have been away at that period of the season.

“So either we are very, very unlucky to be drawn away, or someone is making tricks behind the scenes.

“For seven years on the spin this club have been away at that time of the season. That’s not right for supporters.

“So hopefully they can maybe look at that going forward.”

Celtic’s previous six fixtures immediately after Christmas Day have been away against Hibernian, Hearts, Hamilton, St Mirren, Aberdeen and Dundee – five of them were on Boxing Day.

Motherwell revealed they were given one hour’s notice before the Scottish Professional Football League was initially going to announce their fixture change on Thursday afternoon.

Any representations the club made proved futile before the announcement was eventually made on Friday.

Motherwell acknowledged the broadcast contract allowed for such changes but claimed “moving a major fixture to this date is a special circumstance that should’ve led to additional consultation/ discussion with the club”.

A statement added: “We can only apologise to supporters who will be inconvenienced by this move and especially to those who will no longer be able to attend the game.

“We understand this move is particularly inconvenient for fans who had booked pre-match hospitality, which was already sold out.

“We are working with suppliers to provide an alternative offering pre- and post-match. We hope to still see as many of our fans as possible at the game.”

After a midweek of drama in European competition, the Premier League returns with plenty of eye-catching fixtures.

As well as the first Manchester derby of the campaign, teams towards the bottom of the table go head to head.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the main talking points ahead of the action.

Haaland v Hojlund

Erling Haaland hit a hat-trick when Manchester City beat neighbours Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium a year ago.

The free-scoring Norway striker, however, drew a blank in a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford and the FA Cup final win in June.

City will be favourites when they make the short trip to the red side of Manchester on Sunday afternoon and Haaland will no doubt be the main goal threat.

United will hope two slender wins in the space of three days has prepared them for the derby, with their own forward, Rasmus Hojlund, in line for his first taste of the fixture.

A season finale for Toon Army’s Tonali?

Newcastle splashed a handsome £55million to land Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali in the summer – but he has just been hit with a 10-month ban after admitting to betting charges during his time at AC Milan.

While the suspension rules Tonali out for the remainder of the campaign – as well as Euro 2024 should holders Italy qualify – Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is hopeful he will have one of his new recruits available for Saturday’s trip to Wolves.

According to reports, authorities in Italy are yet to ratify the ban, opening up the prospect of a season swansong for the 23-year-old.

Bournemouth and Burnley in battle at the bottom

Between them, Bournemouth and their weekend visitors Burnley have taken just seven points from 18 Premier League games this season – leaving both sides in the bottom three.

Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola will be hoping to pick up a first league victory since his appointment in the summer with newly-promoted Burnley suffering similar struggles.

Vincent Kompany’s men won at Luton earlier in the month and, despite the slow start of both teams, victory at the Vitality Stadium could take them above the drop zone.

Luton go behind Emery lines

Luton’s five points keeps them just ahead of the bottom three heading into the weekend’s round of fixtures, but the Hatters face what is becoming an increasingly daunting prospect – a trip to Villa Park.

Unai Emery has guided Aston Villa to 11 successive home wins, with Arsenal the last side to leave with three points well back in April.

Luton will be buoyed from the fact they battled from two down to draw 2-2 at Nottingham Forest last week, but recent history is against Rob Edwards and his players, who will also be tasked with keeping the in-form Ollie Watkins quiet.

Blunted Blades face Arsenal test

While Bournemouth, Burnley and Luton are early strugglers, the Premier League table is being propped up by winless Sheffield United.

The Blades have taken just one point from their opening nine outings back in the top-flight – although boss Paul Heckingbottom will take some comfort from their improved showing in a 2-1 loss to Manchester United last time out.

They head to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, coming up against unbeaten Arsenal who will be keen to keep pace at the top as Mikel Arteta aims to build another sustained title tilt.