As two of Warrington’s greatest, Paul Cullen and Ben Westwood were hardly shrinking violets.

Fan favourite Cullen earned the nickname ‘Psycho’ for his aggressive defence during a 15-year career in which he made 350 appearances for his hometown club.

Westwood, meanwhile, was known as the ‘Wrecking Ball’ for his integral role in the side that won three Challenge Cup finals between 2009 and 2012.

Yet as much as they clearly relished the bone-jarring collisions, both admit they may have met their match in wheelchair rugby league.

That growing sport is something they both now have experience of having joined a team of past Warrington players to face one of the club’s wheelchair sides in a promotional game.

The Wolves were admitted to the Wheelchair Super League last year and arranged the fixture earlier this month to raise funds and awareness for their side.

“It was frightening,” Cullen, who went on to coach the club after hanging up his boots in 1996, told the PA news agency. “They didn’t shirk anything and there were some very big hits.

“We were all experienced professionals but this was something else. It was so demanding physically.

“A few of us got knocked out of our chairs but while they just bounced back up we had to get helped back in.

“They absolutely schooled us. We didn’t score a single try. The only thing we were good at was kicking off – and we got plenty of practise at that because they kept scoring!”

As well as Cullen and Westwood, the ex-professionals’ team also featured other past stars including Toa Kohe-Love, Mark Forster and Mike Wainwright.

They were thrashed 24-0 by the Wolves’ wheelchair development side but the result was not the purpose of the exercise.

The wheelchair game gained new popularity with some national TV exposure during last year’s World Cup and Warrington are keen to build on that.

“I enjoyed it and it was good fun,” said Westwood, scorer of 188 tries in his 446-game Wire career. “I would definitely give it another go and hopefully we can be a bit better next time.

“The hits that went in – I was shocked – but, at the same time, I was thinking this is how rugby league should be, even in wheelchairs.

“There were quite a lot of people there. It can only help the sport going forward and hopefully get more people going to watch it.”

Owen Burrows is considering options at home and abroad for Alflaila after taking plenty of positives from his performance in last weekend’s Irish Champion Stakes.

The four-year-old was a 7-1 chance for the Group One feature at Leopardstown, his second run of the season after returning from a lay-off to land the Group Two York Stakes in July.

But with a slow start putting the Shadwell-owned colt on the back foot from flag-fall, Alflaila was last of all turning for home before making significant inroads on the leaders to finish fifth, in the end beaten just over three lengths by the winner Auguste Rodin.

While disappointed the race did not go as planned, Burrows was not discouraged by the performance and is hoping for strong end to his campaign.

“He’s grand, he’s come out of Ireland well. It just didn’t really go to plan as such but he seems fine,” the trainer said.

“It wasn’t quite the plan to be that far back, but he can jump a bit slow and round there it was always going to be difficult if he did that.

“Considering he was 10 or 12 lengths down turning in and he got beaten by just over three, I think that’s still a pretty promising performance for his first time in the Group One.

“On a different track and a different day I don’t think he’s going to be too far off, so there were plenty of positives to take from it.”

On future plans, Burrows added: “We’re just weighing up our options as to where we go next now.

“That was only his second run this year, he’s in the Champion Stakes, he’s in the Prix Dollar on the Saturday of the Arc weekend which possibly, with the way French races run, might not suit him.

“Then he might be on his travels again though the winter. He’s only had two runs so he can have a busy end to the year.”

Wales play their second game of the Rugby World Cup when they tackle Portugal in Nice on Saturday.

After a nerve-shredding victory over Fiji, another bonus-point win would strengthen Wales’ position in Pool C.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the main talking points heading into the game.

Wales have immediate momentum

The Fiji fixture in Bordeaux had been on Wales’ World Cup radar ever since the draw was made, with Warren Gatland’s squad knowing that victory over dangerous opposition would put them on a quarter-final course. While they were hanging on at times during the closing stages, Wales got the job done and did it in bonus-point fashion. Another five-pointer should follow against Portugal, setting them up to face Australia eight days later. If Fiji defeat the Wallabies on Sunday in Saint-Etienne, then Wales would be in control of the group.

A glimpse of the future

Wales’ starting line-up on Saturday is littered with players who could provide foundation stones for teams way beyond the current World Cup. Exeter locks Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza are just 20 and 21, centre Mason Grady is 21, wing Louis Rees-Zammit 22 and captain Dewi Lake only 24, highlighting a rich seam of young talent available to head coach Gatland. There are also those that missed the World Cup cut this time around – Max Llewellyn, Tom Rogers and Joe Roberts, among others – who could easily feature in the Six Nations squad later this season, suggesting that promising times lie ahead.

Warren Gatland in his element

The Wales head coach’s body language currently exudes belief and confidence. While he readily acknowledged a fraught final 10 minutes of last weekend’s victory over Fiji, ultimately Wales’ 32-26 success made an immediate statement in the quest to top Pool C. Gatland’s World Cup record shows semi-final appearances either side of reaching the 2015 quarter-finals, providing sustained excellence. And he has the air of someone eyeing not only a repeat performance of four years ago in Japan, but to go even better. It is early days, yet the initial signs could hardly be more encouraging.

Wales cut loose in Lisbon

It is 29 years since Wales and Portugal faced each other, and a one-sided affair played out in the Portuguese capital. After making a World Cup pool exit in 1991, it meant Wales having to qualify for the next tournament. Portugal were despatched 102-11, with Wales running in 16 tries. Wing Nigel Walker scored four of them, while there were hat-tricks for Ieuan Evans and Mike Hall as a Wales team that also included the likes of Neil Jenkins, Robert Jones, Gareth Llewellyn and Scott Quinnell ran riot. Wales successfully finished the qualifying job in Madrid seven days later, seeing off Spain 54-0.

What is Portugal’s World Cup record?

They qualified for the 2007 tournament, which was also held in France, being drawn in a tough group alongside Scotland and New Zealand. The Scots defeated them 56-10, before the All Blacks posted a points century. A 31-5 reversal followed against Italy, before Portugal regrouped impressively and went close to upsetting Romania before they were edged out 14-10. Former France wing Patrice Lagisquet is now their head coach, and recent form has been strong, notably a 46-20 World Cup warm-up win against the United States and a battling loss to Australia A. They qualified for the 2023 World Cup by winning a repechage competition in Dubai.

What the papers say

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is set to look at the transfer market in January to solve the club’s winger crisis with Jadon Sancho’s future in the air and Antony on a leave of absence from the club, the Mirror reports. Young forward Amad is also on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The Daily Mail says the club have identified Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who scored 14 times for the Serie A champions last season. Newcastle, Manchester City and Liverpool have all previously expressed interest in the 22-year-old from Georgia.

Turkish club Besiktas are hoping to acquire Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri on a loan deal after they had a permanent transfer bid rejected by the club, according to the Sun.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Andros Townsend: Turkish outlet Ajansspor reports the 32-year-old has signed with Konyaspor after he left Everton in summer.

Thiago Alcantara: Liverpool have no intention of letting the 32-year-old midfielder leave the club despite interest from Turkey, Football Insider says.

Jalen Hurts and D’Andre Swift starred for the Philadelphia Eagles to secure their second win in two games, beating the Minnesota Vikings 34-28 on Friday.

Hurts, the Eagles quarterback and 2022 MVP runner-up, threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

His running-back Swift carried for 175 yards and crossed for a touchdown himself.

The Eagles jumped out to a 27-7 lead in the third quarter after a mistake-prone game from the Vikings.

However, Minnesota fought their way back into the game with two touchdowns in the last two quarters to make it 27-21.

A late touchdown from Swift with four minutes left made the comeback insurmountable despite a late score from Vikings tight-end TJ Hockenson.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 364 yards with four touchdowns while wide receiver Justin Jefferson had 11 receptions totalling 159 yards.

The performance from the duo was not enough to give their team their first win of the season, with the Vikings to host the Los Angeles Chargers next week while Philadelphia will travel to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Luke Raley hit a tiebreaking home run and Tampa Bay’s bullpen continued its stellar stretch to lead the Rays to a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in the opener of a key four-game series.

The Rays pulled within a game of AL East-leading Baltimore with their sixth win in seven games.

Ryan O’Hearn and Gunnar Henderson homered for the Orioles, who have scored five runs during their first three-game losing streak since late June.

Aaron Civale allowed three runs and four hits over five innings with eight strikeouts before turning it over to Tampa Bay’s bullpen.

Colin Poche, Shawn Armstrong, Robert Stephenson and Pete Fairbanks teamed up to retire 12 straight, with Fairbanks striking out the side in the ninth for his 24th save.

Rays’ relievers haven’t allowed an earned run in 34 consecutive innings.

Raley’s home run with two outs in the seventh off starter Kyle Bradish snapped a 3-3 tie.

The game turned in the fifth inning when Baltimore had bases loaded and no outs.

After Adam Frazier’s force play tied it at 3, Civale got Adley Rutschman to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Surging Rangers complete sweep of Blue Jays

The Texas Rangers rolled to their sixth straight victory, as Corey Seager homered and drove in three runs in a 9-2 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jonah Heim also went deep and Robbie Grossman reached base four times as Texas completed a four-game sweep to pull within one-half game of idle Houston in the AL West.

Seager homered off Kevin Gausman in the first inning and put the Rangers ahead for good with a two-run double in the second.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, but the Blue Jays were outscored 35-9 in the four games.

Toronto dropped 1 ½ games behind idle Seattle for the final AL wild-card spot.

Taylor sparks Brewers past Marlins

Tyrone Taylor had a pair of RBI doubles and a key slide in the fifth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Miami Marlins, 4-2.

With the game tied at 2 in the fifth, Taylor attempted to score on Sal Frelick’s single. The throw from right fielder Jesus Sanchez beat him to the plate, but Taylor managed to avoid the tag from catcher Jacob Stallings to score the eventual winning run.

The Brewers won three of four in the series and increased their NL Central lead to 4 ½ games over the Chicago Cubs.

Miami was limited to five runs in the four-game series and dropped one-half game behind the final NL wild-card spot.

Elliot Daly insists it is time for England to show their teeth in attack as they look to build on the defensive masterclass delivered against Argentina.

Steve Borthwick’s team top Pool D of the World Cup after routing the Pumas 27-10, securing a vital victory even though flanker Tom Curry was sent off for a dangerous tackle in the third minute.

A steely performance addressed concerns about the vulnerability of their defence but with all the points arriving off the boot of George Ford, the deficiencies of an attack that has yet to fire since Borthwick took charge were exposed once more.

Moments of promise in Marseille – most notably a five on two overlap – failed to materialise into tries and Daly is targeting an improvement when the group campaign continues against Japan on Sunday.

“We know how good our attack can be, so hopefully in the next few games we’ll be able to show that,” the Saracens wing said.

“A lot of people wrote us off against Argentina so for us to come out and perform like that and get that scoreline was pretty impressive.

“If we can do the same this weekend, perform how we want to perform and put our game on Japan, let’s see where that takes us.

“We’re not saying we’re going to chuck the ball around, but we’re going to put ourselves in positions in attack to take the opportunities we create.

“We did actually see the space on the weekend, but we probably couldn’t go into it when down to 14. We’re seeing the space a lot more, which is going to create more opportunities with the ball.

“There’s a lot more to come from us and I’m very excited about how we’re approaching it.”

For England to thrive against Japan they must shed their habit of seeing players sent off for illegal challenges having amassed four red cards in six Tests.

Curry’s dismissal against Argentina lifts the total number of cards for their 10 matches this year to nine, the highest of any side ranked in the top 10.

While Daly takes comfort from knowing England have played some of their best rugby when their backs are against the wall, he insists they must be aware of the current climate in the game which sees dangerous play being clamped down on.

“We just need probably to make sure we’re whiter than white, but these things happen, so it’s about we react on the field to that,” he said.

“Obviously we don’t want that in big games, but if we do have it, it’s something we’ve got to shrug off and understand what we’re lacking in that position.

“We understand that we want to keep 15 people on the field but if we don’t it’s how we react to that really.

“We’ve got to understand that if you do go high and it’s 50-50 there’s a chance of a penalty or even worse.”

Borthwick names his starting XV on Friday evening with prop Kyle Sinckler and number eight Billy Vunipola expected to be recalled to the 23 following absences through injury and suspension respectively.

Nat Sciver-Brunt reflected with pride on her record-breaking century as England brought the curtain down on their summer in barnstorming fashion by thrashing Sri Lanka.

On her 100th ODI and captaining the side in the absence of the unwell Heather Knight, Sciver-Brunt demonstrated a masterclass in controlled aggression to peel off a stunning 66-ball hundred.

It was the fastest ton in a women’s ODI by an England batter – eclipsing Charlotte Edwards’ 70-ball effort from March 2012 – as the hosts prevailed by a whopping 161 runs to seal a 2-0 series win.

Sciver-Brunt holed out for 120 off 74 balls, her third three-figure score in her last four ODI innings, having helped England draw a gripping multi-format Ashes series with back-to-back hundreds in July.

“I’m really happy to bat the way I did and continue with what I was doing against Australia as well,” Sciver-Brunt said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Sciver-Brunt was rested from the preceding three T20s between the teams, where England suffered a shock defeat, but the 31-year-old has felt the benefit of some downtime in a hectic summer programme.

She has been managing a knee problem for several months and played in this series as a specialist batter but anticipates returning to all-rounder duties on England’s tour of India before Christmas.

“The decision not to bowl post-Ashes was more to give the body a bit of a rest,” she said. “I’m looking forward to picking up the ball again. I want to influence games as much as I can.

“That’s the best part of being an all-rounder and fielding for 50 overs and not really being able to influence with the ball was a little bit frustrating but I was happy to have the body break for that.

“When we play so much cricket through the summer, we probably don’t need to train too many things, just be right in the mind and body and hopefully continue that mindset that I had (in the Ashes).”

England were bogged down by Sri Lanka’s spinners in the T20s when batting first and may have feared the worst when Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey were dismissed early in a match reduced to 31 overs per side at Grace Road because of rain that led to the start time being pushed back by more than three hours.

But Sciver-Brunt exhibited why she is so instrumental, taking on the coterie of off-spinners and slow left-armers, punching with aplomb off the back foot and displaying her full range with fluid drives, pulls, sweeps and one scoop for 18 fours and a single six.

Maia Bouchier, featuring in just her third ODI and in her second innings in the format, provided ample support with 95 off only 65 balls.  The 24-year-old opener crashed a dozen fours and two sixes in a 193-run stand from just 121 deliveries with Sciver-Brunt.

“She’s a fantastic player,” England head coach Jon Lewis said of his stand-in captain.

“It’s the calmness she brings – and I thought we saw that in abundance here. The calmness she brought to Maia in a situation when we were 18 for two, she’s come out with an authority.”

Sciver-Brunt was the first to three figures but Bouchier could have made sure her team-mate’s record lasted just a few minutes had she dispatched her 65th ball for six, only to be trapped lbw.

“I was absolutely gutted for her that she didn’t score a hundred because I know that when she does score a hundred, she’ll score a lot of hundreds,” Lewis added. “She’s incredibly talented.”

Sciver-Brunt and Bouchier underpinned a mammoth 273 for eight, a total which would have stretched Sri Lanka in a regulation 50-over game and the tourists were never in contention in the chase.

They capitulated to 112 all out in 24.5 overs, as Charlie Dean claimed five for 31, her maiden five-wicket haul for England which the off-spinner recognised was built on Sciver-Brunt’s stunning knock.

“She’s the best all-rounder in the world, the best batter,” Dean said. “She brings a lot to the team, she definitely elevates us with her standards alone.

“I guess she goes under the radar with her leadership – she’s so calm. We have so many players that can do similar but there’s only one Nat Sciver-Brunt.”

Peter O’Mahony says Ireland squad would be lost without “characters” like Mack Hansen in their camp at the Rugby World Cup.

Wing Hansen will make his full tournament debut against Tonga on Saturday evening following a 20-minute cameo in last weekend’s 82-8 win over Romania.

Flanker O’Mahony believes the 25-year-old is among the best in the world in his position, as well an asset to the group off the field due to his fun-loving nature.

“He’s been a breath of fresh air,” said O’Mahony. “An incredible character, good person. Straight away we knew he was a top man.

“A character but above it all he’s an incredible athlete and one of the world’s best wingers at the moment.

“The overriding factor is that he’s a good person and he’s seamlessly fitted into our squad. He’s been great craic and you need characters like that.

“The beauty of the game of rugby is the different characters you get and we’d be lost without guys like this.

“Tours like this are made for being incredibly serious but the craic that fellas like this bring make it a great place to be.”

Hansen was initially a surprise omission from Andy Farrell’s match day 23 for Ireland’s Pool B opener against Romania in Bordeaux.

But he was a late addition to the bench in place of the injured Robbie Henshaw before coming on for Keith Earls.

Head coach Farrell dismissed any suggestion that Hansen had originally been left out for disciplinary reasons.

Asked by a reporter why the Connacht player was overlooked in the first instance, Farrell interjected: “Was it you who kept on asking the question last week? Where the hell did all that come from?

“Left out of the 23? No. We wanted to give someone else a game, as simple as that.

“Mack’s up next (for media), so you can ask him the question as well, ‘was he a naughty boy?’. He definitely wasn’t.”

However, when an attempt was made to ask Hansen about his coach’s comments, O’Mahony, who was sitting alongside him, stepped in, saying: “Did Andy not just answer a question about this a second ago?”

Hansen then joked: “We had a five-minute tiff whatever and we’re fine now, so it’s all good!”

The native Australian, who made his Ireland debut in last year’s Six Nations after qualifying through his Cork-born mother, is already relishing his first World Cup experience.

“It’s an absolute privilege, I didn’t know if I’d ever get the opportunity to do so,” he said, ahead of the weekend match in Nantes.

“First start, against a good Tongan team, it’s really exciting. I was lucky enough to come off the bench last week so (that) kind of settled the nerves a bit and I can really enjoy this week.

“A lot of my mates are over at the moment, so it’s tough getting Snapchats of them smoking vapes and drinking beers at 12 in the morning while I’m trying to prepare for a game.

“But it’s good craic and it’s actually been nice getting that aspect outside of playing and seeing how much a World Cup means to people.”

Hansen attracted attention following the Romania game by stripping to his underwear after swapping shirts with an opponent and giving his shorts to a fan, much to the amusement of the onlooking Farrell.

“I’m not the first person to take their shorts off after a game, I doubt I’ll be the last,” Hansen said. “I’ve been told to keep them on this week I’ll try my hardest.”

Stand-in captain Nat Sciver-Brunt marked her 100th ODI with a record-breaking century as England thumped Sri Lanka to wrap up their summer in scintillating fashion.

Deputising for an under-the-weather Heather Knight, Sciver-Brunt gave a masterclass in controlled aggression as she flayed a 66-ball hundred – the fastest in women’s ODIs by an England batter.

After eclipsing the previous best off 70 balls by Charlotte Edwards against New Zealand in March 2012, Sciver-Brunt made 120 from 74 deliveries before England prevailed by 161 runs for a 2-0 series win.

Her record would only have stood for a couple of minutes if Maia Bouchier had hit her 65th ball for six but she was lbw for 95, ending a boundary-laden 193-run stand in 121 deliveries with Sciver-Brunt.

Their efforts underpinned England’s mammoth 273 for eight in a contest reduced to 31 overs each because of a rain-delayed start at Grace Road, with Charlie Dean’s five for 31 hastening Sri Lanka’s demise to 112 all out in a doomed pursuit.

Bouchier and Sciver-Brunt came together after England had lurched to 18 for two, with Tammy Beaumont edging a wild heave to slip before a flat-footed Alice Capsey saw her stumps disturbed by a Udeshika Prabodhani inswinger.

With Sri Lanka’s coterie of spinners still to bowl, England might have feared the worst in their final outing of their summer programme.

They laboured when batting first against Sri Lanka’s slower options in a shock defeat in the preceding T20 series, but Sciver-Brunt was rested for those matches and she exhibited why she is regarded as one of the best batters against spin in the women’s game.

After taking two singles from her first seven deliveries, Sciver-Brunt settled into her stride with one of several back-foot punches through cover off Inoka Ranaweera before larruping through midwicket to bring up England’s 50 and then shimmying down to the slow left-armer and elegantly driving for six.

Opposite number Chamari Athapaththu rotated her options but the spinners offered very little threat and no containment, with all of them going at more than 10 an over when Bouchier and Sciver-Brunt batted.

Sciver-Brunt drove, pulled and swept expertly, scooping once, going proficiently through the gears as she brought up her third ton in four ODI innings, reaching the milestone in understated fashion as she nudged seamer Achini Kulasuriya off her pads for a single.

Bouchier offered ample support. This was just her second ODI innings but she matched Sciver-Brunt blow for blow, registering a dozen fours and two sixes, having benefited from Emma Lamb’s continued absence with a back spasm.

Her timing was excellent as she effortlessly whipped left-armer Prabodhani and fellow seamer Hansima Karunaratne over the leg-side fence, while she was also fluent driving down the ground and pulling across the line.

https://x.com/englandcricket/status/1702357098393145776?s=20

After three successive fours off Oshadi Ranasinghe, Bouchier might have been stumped on 55 when she overbalanced against the off-spinner but wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani fumbled the take.

Bouchier was eventually out five short of a maiden hundred after playing all around one from Kavisha Dilhari, but the opener’s innings went some way to justifying England giving their fringe players a chance in this series.

Sciver-Brunt had not offered so much of a sniff in compiling the sixth fastest ODI century in the women’s game but her stay, containing 18 fours and a six, ended when she holed out to long-off off Ranaweera.

Her departure marked the start of England losing five wickets in their last 32 balls although debutant Bess Heath’s cameo 21 off 14 deliveries helped them add 50 to a monumental total that would have stretched Sri Lanka in a regulation 50-over game.

Having amassed 106 for nine in Tuesday’s abandonment at Northampton and been skittled for an identical total in a seven-wicket defeat at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, Sri Lanka simply never got going.

Lauren Filer continued her excellent summer by uprooting Sanjeewani’s middle stump and castling Imesha Dulani. Teenage left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur, recalled after being rested at Wantage Road, located the outside edge of Harshitha Samarawickrama before Charlie Dean ran amok.

Unperturbed at being thrashed for two fours in her first over, Dean invited another swipe from Athapaththu, who missed a slog sweep and fell lbw to the off-spinner for the second match in a row.

The Sri Lanka captain was the big wicket and any faint hope disappeared with her although Dean still rubberstamped the win by snaring Karunaratne, Hasini Perera and Dilhari in the same over.

A maiden five-for in England colours was assured when Prabodhani dragged on and Sri Lanka quickly subsided in 24.5 overs.

Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique intends to take things one match at a time as his squad prepare for a testing run of fixtures through the start of their Champions League campaign.

Nice head to the Parc des Princes on Friday night before PSG open their Group F schedule at home to Borussia Dortmund and then host arch rivals Marseille.

It is a run of games which looks set to stretch the PSG squad following on the back of an international break, during which Kylian Mbappe suffered an injury scare.

Enrique, though, feels PSG have enough strength in depth to see them through.

“We are focused on one match, the next one against Nice. We don’t think about those who come next,” Enrique told a press conference.

“We are used to having weeks with three matches – we have a squad with two or three players per position at the top level.

“It is vital to manage that well if we want to achieve our goals. Every player is ready, they will all play and will all be important in the season which will be long.”

Mbappe missed France’s defeat against Germany on Tuesday because of a minor knee injury, which PSG said was a patellar tendon problem, but was able to take part in training again on Thursday.

“He felt uncomfortable, we will discuss tomorrow to find out if he will be able to play against Nice, but I think he will be ready,” said former Barcelona and Spain boss Enrique.

Midfielder Fabian Ruiz faces a check on his calf, while forward Marco Asensio also picked up a foot problem while on international duty with Spain and is expected to be out until at least the end of the month.

PSG will climb above leaders Monaco with a victory on Friday night having recorded two wins and two draws from their opening four matches.

Nice are also unbeaten in Ligue 1 so far, having opened the new season with three draws before beating Strasbourg ahead of the international break.

Enrique said: “Nice is a team that works a lot. They take few risks and are courageous with and without the ball.

“They will be a difficult opponent, but we want to start this series of matches with a success.

“We want to impose our style of play, but our next opponents will want to do that too.”

Ahead of Friday’s game, PSG are planning a send off for Marco Verratti, with the veteran Italy midfielder having signed for Qatari side Al-Arabi, ending his 11-year stay with the French club.

Enrique said: “Marco Verratti will be there tomorrow before the match, this is the opportunity for all the supporters to say goodbye.

“He has been a very important player for the club over the last decade. I think it will be a special moment for him and his family.”

Nice boss Francesco Farioli hopes to be able to welcome France midfielder Khephren Thuram back into the side following injury.

“He is one of our possible game changers, someone who can change a match and improve our level in a very important way,” Farioli said at a press conference.

“Our goal is to bring him back to his best level. He is someone important for the club. We give it attention, time and we want to give it everything we can.

“Tomorrow, he will definitely be there and I think that what is more, it will be the ideal stage for him to express his qualities and help us greatly.”

Alexis Claude-Maurice (knee) and Antoine Mendy (calf) are Nice’s only absentees.

Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu has been training with the club, who continue to assess the Italian international’s fitness following a ruptured Achilles tendon last season.

“Salvatore can be a great addition for the club. He has knowledge of Ligue 1,” Fariol said. “We are currently evaluating his physical condition, not how he is as a player.”

Ludvig Aberg continued to justify his billing as golf’s next superstar as he outscored two of the world’s best players to make an impressive start to the BMW PGA Championship.

A day after Rory McIlroy declared himself firmly on board the Aberg “bandwagon”, Aberg partnered the world number two and FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland at Wentworth and outscored them both.

The 23-year-old Swede, who only turned professional in June but was given a Ryder Cup wild card hours after winning the final qualifying event, carded a four-under-par 68 despite a double bogey on the 17th, while Hovland returned a 69 and McIlroy struggled to a level-par 72.

Aberg made five consecutive birdies from the 11th and also birdied the last after running up a seven on the 17th, where he pulled his drive out of bounds.

“The 17th was a little bit stupid but other than that I felt like I hit the ball great and gave myself a few chances, especially on the back nine where it’s a little bit more scoreable,” Aberg said.

“Overall, I’m really happy with the way I played. I was very nervous this morning, it would have been weird if I wasn’t, and there were a lot more people following me round than usual.

“But playing with Rory and Viktor was a lot of fun. To be walking down the fairway with them and having conversations has been pretty cool. I am proud of the way I handled that, playing good golf with so much going on and I am trying to keep that up.”

Hovland was full of praise for his Ryder Cup team-mate, echoing Justin Rose’s description of the former world number one amateur as a “stud”.

“The way he’s played the last couple of months, he has not been a pro very long but he certainly doesn’t look scared of the moment,” the world number four said.

“I think this week is a great experience for him but I think he’s ready regardless.

“He’s a stud. When you have the tools, it is easy to trust it. He’s obviously very mature and you just step up and do it. He’s super talented and he is going to be around a long time. He’s going to do great things.”

Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde held the clubhouse lead on eight under par after carding 10 birdies and two bogeys in a 64, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland’s Richie Ramsay sharing second on six under.

Fitzpatrick, who announced his engagement to girlfriend Katherine Gaal last week, said: “It’s a great start to the week. I feel like I just played really solid overall and did everything well.

“It’s nice to play well in front of the home crowd, I’m focused on playing well this week and I know that when Sunday night comes I can look towards the Ryder Cup and work on what I need to do to get ready for that.”

Former winner Tyrrell Hatton carded a 68 despite finding the water with his approach to the 18th, while defending champion Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood both shot 69.

“I got off to a great start, three under through seven, and a couple of bogeys around the turn wasn’t great, but I think the course is playing a little bit more difficult this year,” Lowry said.

“There’s a lot more rough and it’s a little bit firmer so three under is not a bad score.”

Former winner Danny Willett looked set to challenge the lead when he covered his first 12 holes in six under par, only for the 2019 champion to aggravate an ongoing shoulder injury after hitting his tee shot on the 15th.

That led to a double bogey and the former Masters champion dropped three more shots on the last two holes and had to settle for a one-under-par 71.

“I hit balls for half an hour on Tuesday, half an hour yesterday and then the warm-up today and actually in fairness I felt pretty strong,” Willett said. “But when it goes it goes.”

Willett, who pulled out of last week’s Irish Open after an opening 76, will visit a surgeon in Manchester on Monday to determine the best course of action.

Military could be set for bigger and better things having made a winning debut at Naas on Thursday.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Siyouni cost 375,000 guineas as a yearling and although making a belated racecourse bow, holds plenty of entries for high-class events later this autumn.

Sent off 2-7 favourite for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden, Military went some way to booking his ticket for those contests with an impressive display in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Having travelled through the race like a classy operator, he overcame greenness a furlong from home, before kicking the best part of three lengths clear of his nearest pursuer in the closing stages.

O’Brien is now considering an immediate step up in class for the colt’s next outing, with Newmarket’s Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (September 30) and the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp on Arc day (October 1) both on the radar.

He said: “He was working like a lovely colt. We knew that was probably plenty short for him but it was to get him out and get him started. He will come forward lovely from that.

“You’d be very happy with him. He could maybe go to the Middle Park or the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

“We knew he was a six or seven-furlong type horse and he will be probably be a miler next year. We just needed to get him started.

“Dylan said he was very green but he would have learned a lot there today.”

However, there was disappointment for the Ballydoyle stable later on the card when the highly-touted Gallantly could finish only seventh as the 8-11 favourite in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The seven-furlong contest was won by Jessica Harrington’s Bluedrum (6-1), who ran out a cosy two-and-a-half-length victor.