Liverpool manager Arne Slot expects Diogo Jota to feature in their Champions League clash with Serie A side Bologna at Anfield, despite the Portuguese forward's absence from training on Tuesday.

Jota received a knock in the 2-1 Premier League win at Wolves on Saturday but is set to play instead of Federico Chiesa, who arrived at training on Tuesday with an injury.

The Italian winger joined Liverpool from Juventus in August and grabbed an assist in the 5-1 EFL Cup rout of West Ham but will miss out on facing familiar opponents on Wednesday.

"It's a shame for him because he was looking forward to a Champions League night at Anfield, especially because we face an Italian team," Slot told reporters of Chiesa.

"How long is he out? It's always difficult because it happened yesterday but I am not expecting him to be out for a very long period of time.

"We will see if he can be in the team for Saturday [a Premier League match at Crystal Palace]."

Liverpool are off to a strong start in Slot's first season in charge. They top the Premier League standings on 15 points, opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 win over Milan, and have booked their spot in the EFL Cup's last 16.

"One of the reasons we can compete is we have a lot of quality. We have a lot of cohesion in the team. Those who are not playing are happy with us scoring and winning so those are two really positive things," Slot added.

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister had kind words for how well the Dutchman has done in filling the huge shoes left by former manager Jurgen Klopp.

"He's definitely an amazing manager. You can see how he's been from the first day," the Argentine said.

"We understand what he wants from us, and I think that's the main thing as a coach, to get the ideas in the players."

Liverpool are back in the Champions League after a one-year absence and Slot hopes to see the hunger reflected in his team on Wednesday.

"What I want from the players is them to show they missed this. I want to see this, I want to feel this," Slot said. "I am hoping it's the same from our fans. I hope they feel this desire to show Europe that you missed us."

Naomi Osaka was forced to retire from her China Open meeting with Coco Gauff due to a lower back injury, sending the American through to the quarter-finals.

Osaka, who was aiming for her fourth successive win after returning from maternity leave, had earlier caused Gauff plenty of problems as she took the opening set.

After a series of breaks to open the match, Osaka went into the changeover 3-2 up but received treatment on her back after appearing to struggle with her movement.

Some error-prone play by Gauff allowed Osaka to clinch a third break before serving out the opener, but she swiftly gave up a break to go behind in the second set.

Gauff ultimately edged a hard-fought, 51-minute second set featuring several more breaks, with Osaka retiring before the decider could get underway, having struggled to land her first serves in the latter stages.

Gauff now advances to the China Open quarter-finals for the second year in a row, with Ukraine's Yulia Starodubtsewa up next for the world number six.

Fellow American and second seed Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, was beaten in straight sets by Paula Badosa, who will face home favourite Zhang Shuai in the last eight.

Data Debrief: Twenty up for Gauff

The victory may not have come in the manner she envisaged, but Gauff has brought up her 20th career win over a former grand slam champion on the WTA Tour.

Since 2000, Gauff is the fifth player to achieve 20 such wins before turning 21, along with Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters (28 each), Martina Hingis (24) and Serena Williams (22).

Girona have been rocked by a couple of injury blows ahead of the first home Champions League game in their history, but coach Michel says they will go all out to beat Feyenoord.

The Catalan side, who qualified for Europe's premier club competition for the first time by finishing third in LaLiga last season, lost 1-0 at Paris Saint-Germain on matchday one.

On the domestic front, they played out a 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo on Sunday, losing key men Oriol Romeu and Daley Blind to injury.

The former is expected to miss around eight weeks with the latter likely to be sidelined for a month, but Michel is choosing to remain upbeat ahead of Girona's historic outing.

"It's our new reality. We need to take it one game at a time," Michel told reporters ahead of Wednesday's game at the Estadi Montilivi.

"The midfield without Romeu is short-handed. But tomorrow, we need the best possible eleven to win. We have to look at it like that.

"I'm especially worried about the psychological issue. Romeu didn't play against Rayo Vallecano and got injured. The most important thing is that the head is fine. My concern is to go game by game and the team that plays will be the best possible."

After going toe-to-toe with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona for much of the last campaign, Girona are now being tested by the best sides in Europe and Michel acknowledged it is a challenge to juggle domestic and continental duties.

Girona have had an underwhelming start to the season in LaLiga, winning two and drawing three of their eight matches to sit 12th with nine points.

"The pressure of playing LaLiga and Champions League is difficult. We want to win because making history in the Champions League is a dream for us and for our fans, those who will be on the pitch and those who will be away," Michel said.

"Hearing the Champions League anthem at home will be historic in Girona. The maturity of this squad is great. We have players with a lot of experience who know how to handle this situation.

"From my perspective as a coach, from a management point of view, it is easier to manage the change towards the Champions League. 

"From the 'boom' of playing in the Champions League you need to return to the reality of the league, which is what is going to give us the possibility to continue growing."

John Stones says that while Manchester City will miss Rodri, his absence will give other players in the team a chance to shine.

The Spaniard suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that required surgery in City's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on September 22.

Rodri played 50 matches in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side last season, proving a key player as they won a fourth-consecutive top-flight title.

The team often struggled without him in the squad though, with their win rate dropping from 76% to 55.6% in the nine games they played without him.

With Kevin De Bruyne also currently on the sidelines, Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan played in midfield in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday.

And Stones, who has also been utilised in midfield by Guardiola in the past, says it is an exciting opportunity for the other players to step into the role.

"He's a big miss for us, we all know that," Stones told TNT Sports.

"We're still in contact off the pitch, and we miss him on there, as we do anyone who gets injured.

"We all wish him a speedy recovery. He's a big presence for us on the pitch in how he plays the game and what he's done over the past few years.

"But then again, we've got incredible players that can play in that position, and it's time and a chance for them to, not step up, but step in and show their qualities, whoever plays in that position which is quite fluid sometimes.

"He'll be a big miss for us this season, as anyone would who had that injury. It's exciting for us as players to fill that position and see what comes of it."

City's next match is against Slavan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster China Open final after the Italian downed home favourite Buyunchaokete in the last four.

Sinner, who overcame Daniil Medvedev in last year's final in Beijing, beat Buyunchaokete 6-3 7-6 (7-3) on Tuesday, extending his winning streak to 15 matches.

Buyunchaokete did well when standing up to Sinner in baseline rallies early on, also impressing when under pressure by saving eight of the nine break points he faced.

Sinner did manage to break six games into the opener, however, and he drew on all his experience in the second-set tie-break, surging into a 6-1 lead before seeing out his two-hour, seven-minute victory.

Sinner has won four of his nine head-to-head meetings with final opponent Alcaraz, beating him in their only previously final clash for the Umag Trophy in 2022.

"Of course, tomorrow is going to be completely different," Sinner said. "We know each other very well. It's going to be tactical, but I'm looking forward to it.

"I'm happy to be here again in the final. My season is going very, very well and playing finals is always great. I just hope tomorrow is going to be a good match from both of us."

Data Debrief: Sinner stands alone

Since the start of 2023, Sinner (13/23) has reached the final on 56.5% of his ATP main-draw entries on hard courts.

He has now surpassed Novak Djokovic (54.5%, 6/11) for the highest rate on the surface over that span, among players with a minimum of 10 tournaments entered.

Rohit Sharma says India were willing to be bowled out for a low score in the first innings to avoid defeat in their 2-0 series sweep over Bangladesh.

The second Test was severely hampered by rain, with days two and three lost due to the weather, but the hosts eventually prevailed in a seven-wicket victory.

However, in their return to action on day four, India first dismissed Bangladesh for 233 before setting a record first-innings run rate for any men’s Test, declaring on 285-9, to put themselves in the driving seat on the final day.

In a dominant performance, they bowled the tourists out for 146, before reaching their target of 95 in just over an hour, claiming their 18th consecutive home Test series win.

And they certainly started fast on Monday. They scored at a rate of 8.2 runs per over through their 34.4 overs before declaring, the fastest-ever rate recorded by any team in the first innings of a men's Test.

In the first innings, Rohit got off to a flying start, hitting 23 off 11 balls, including successive sixes off the first two, but Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star, scoring half-centuries in both innings, and the captain said they decided the reward would be worth the risk.

"We had to think a lot [about] how the game can keep moving forward once we lost two-and-a-half days," Rohit said.

"When we came on day four, we thought, okay, let's try and get them out as quickly as possible and then see with the bat what we can do.

"Once they had got 230-odd, we said it was not about the runs we got, but it was about the overs we wanted to bowl at them. It meant we had to try and up the run-rate, and score as many as possible because the pitch did not have much for the bowlers.

"To make a game out of that pitch was a super effort from the bowlers, and then for the batters to buy into that thought of going and getting the runs as quickly as possible," Rohit said.

"It was a risk we were willing to take because when you're trying to bat like that, it is very easy that you can get bundled out for a low score as well.

"But we were ready with that factor as well, that even if we get all out for 100-150, we wanted to give ourselves a chance to be in the game and try and get a result."

Carlos Alcaraz is through to the China Open final after powering past Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Tuesday.

The Spaniard prevailed 7-5 6-3 in the semi-final in Beijing in 86 minutes, extending his hard-court hot streak.

The pair were evenly matched in the opening exchanges and traded breaks, with Medvedev defending three of the six break points he faced in the first set, as both failed to find an early edge.

Eventually, Alcaraz nosed in front, winning the last three games in a row to take the lead.

The second set followed a similar story, though Medvedev would lose his serve in the fifth game, giving himself a mountain to climb.

Alcaraz stayed in control after that, even as the Russian valiantly defended three match points in the final game, setting up a meeting with either reigning champion Jannik Sinner or home wild card Bu Yunchaokete.

Data Debrief: Coming in hot

Alcaraz has won each of his last eight tour-level matches and is in strong form as he bids to finish the year as world number one. 

This win over Medvedev moves him to a record of 7-1 against ATP top-five opponents this year, surpassing Sinner (six) for the outright most ATP top-five wins of any player so far in 2024. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal got another half-century, helping India to a 2-0 series sweep over Bangladesh, claiming a seven-wicket win in what had looked like it would be an unlikely victory in a rain-affected second test.

After setting a new first-innings run-rate record on day four, having lost two days to rain, India followed it up with another strong performance on Tuesday.

Bangladesh started the day on 26-2, but with India's bowlers in fine form, they struggled to really get going, even with Shadman Islam bringing up a half-century.

Ravindra Jadeja (3-34) and Jasprit Bumrah (3-17) stunted any momentum as Bangladesh suffered a collapse of 7 for 55 and were bowled out for 146.

That left India with a target of 95, which they cruised to in just over an hour, despite losing three wickets in the chase.

Jaiswal set them on their way with a 45-ball 51, but it was Rishabh Pant (4) who hit the winning runs to get India over the line. 

Data Debrief: Clean sweep

While day five did not quite hit the record-breaking heights of day four for India, it was still a success as they earned an 18th consecutive Test series win at home. 

The 312 balls India batted for in this Test is just the second-fewest they have faced to win a Test match, behind the 281 against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who finished the series with 114 runs and 11 wickets and was named Player of the Series, has now received the award 11 times in men's Tests, the joint-most by anyone in the format alongside Muttiah Muralitharan.

Ashwin has won more Player of the Series awards than Player of the Match awards (10) in Tests.

Jared Goff was proud of making history, as he set an NFL single-game record by completing all 18 of his pass attempts to help the Detroit Lions to victory.

The Lions beat the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday, with Goff eclipsing Hall of Famer Kurt Warner's 10-for-10 performance in 2005, the previous standard for most passes in a game without an incompletion.

The quarterback threw for 292 yards, including touchdown passes to Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown on his perfect evening, while also hauling in the latter's 7-yard toss for a touchdown in the third quarter.

That made him the first quarterback with a receiving touchdown since Zach Wilson in 2022, while he also became the first QB in NFL history with 15 or more pass attempts with no incompletions in a game.

Goff was aware that he was closing in on a perfect game, even if he had doubts at one point.

"I knew I did it in the first half last week, so I was aware of it then, and I was kind of aware of it today in the middle of the third quarter," he said.

"I couldn't think of one [incompletion], but then I threw the one out of bounds that ended up being offensive pass interference, and I was like, 'Does that count?' I didn't know if that counted or not.

"But yeah, it was a good day."

On his touchdown reception, he added: "No, I think that's my first one, too. Ever.

"And I'm saying all the way back to 7 years old, I think that's my first one."

Lions coach Dan Campbell did not realise how impressive Goff's performance had been after the game, choosing to give the game ball to Williams and safety Kerby Joseph for their strong play.

"I just gave the game ball to somebody else," Campbell laughed. "So, I feel awful right now.

"I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect. I did not know he was literally 18 for 18.

"I thought what really kick-started him was that he had to move a little in the pocket, got spun around and hung with Jamo [Williams] and hit him on the hook for the first down, that was big because he was rolling after that."

Brendan Rodgers says Celtic are under "no illusions" they are in for a tough test against Borussia Dortmund in front of the 'Yellow Wall' in the Champions League.

Celtic got off to a flying start in the last round, brushing aside Slovan Bratislava 5-1 last month to win their Champions League opener for the first time, and sit second in the table behind Bayern Munich. 

Having also won their final group-stage match last season, Rodgers' side are looking to win three consecutive matches in the competition for the first time since 1976.

But coming up against last season's runners-up, who began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge, is a different prospect for the Scottish champions.

Asked if this was the "acid test" for his side, Rodgers said: "I think this level is about as much about the head as it is about the skill. I don't doubt that with this team.

"I think we arrive in a great place. I am very relaxed and focused that we can get a result that builds on the first result."

Celtic have started the season in fine form and top the Scottish Premiership having won all six of their games, scoring 20 goals while conceding none.

Despite their strong start, Rodgers is looking back to pre-season to draw inspiration, after beating Manchester City and Chelsea in friendlies, scoring four times past both in back-to-back matches.

"I track it back to pre-season," he said. "The games that we played there, played some big teams and how we wanted to play at this level.

"We got off to a very good start in the last round, so we come here to a stadium very much like Celtic Park in that they breathe football, and we're very excited by the challenge.

"We are under no illusions that we are up against a team who are challenging at the very top of elite football, but for us, I've always said, whether domestically or away in this competition, it is about making us very difficult to play against with and without the ball.

"Offensively, Dortmund are very good. They lost some players in the summer, but I look at the team, and they have some fantastic players in that middle-to-top area, so will put you on the back foot at times.

"It is a top side with top players, and we have to be right on it to get a good performance and result."

LeBron James is feeling revitalised, saying the chance to play alongside son Bronny for the Los Angeles Lakers gives him "pure joy".

James is set to start his 22nd season in the NBA, tying Hall of Fame inductee Vince Carter for the most in NBA history.

While the Lakers had an up-and-down season last time out, making the playoffs with a late surge only to exit in the first round, James is going into this one on a high.

The 39-year-old won gold at the Paris Olympics with Team USA, their fifth in a row, being named MVP of the tournament.

This season, he has added motivation, as he will become the first father to team up with his son, who joined the Lakers as a second-round draft pick, in the NBA.

"It's a lot of excitement, a pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, put in hard work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow," James said at the Lakers media day.

"We push each other. He pushes me. I push him. We push our team-mates, and vice versa.

"So, it's just a very joyous moment, not only for myself but for our family. It's pretty awesome. Gives you a lot of life.

"I feel really good physically. Mentally, I feel really good. Really sharp. Very fresh. Looking forward to getting to work.

"I have not thought about what the future holds. Kind of just living in the moment. Especially with Bronny being here, too. I don't want to take this moment for granted."

James, who will turn 40 in December, believes that the tough games in the Olympics, and playing alongside fellow greats Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, also helped to renew his spirit for basketball.

"When you're with 11 other unbelievable, great talents, some of the best talent we've ever seen, it gives you a lot of joy to be able to play the game, play it at a high level," he added.

"For myself individually, to go out there at my age, the miles that I have, and to be able to play at the level I played at, it gave me like, 'Okay, I do have a lot in the tank, a lot, and I can help a big part of a team win the ultimate.

"It felt damn good to play meaningful basketball at the highest level.

"So, to have that feeling again where you're playing like meaningful basketball, every possession means something - if you make a mistake, it burns you. That was good to relive that moment."

The new NBA season begins on October 22, with the Lakers facing the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jared Goff set an NFL single-game record by completing all 18 of his pass attempts, and caught a touchdown pass as well to lead the Detroit Lions to a 42-29 victory over the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

Goff threw for 292 yards with touchdown passes to Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown on his perfect evening, which eclipsed a 10-for-10 performance from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in 2005 that had been the NFL's standard for most passes in a game without an incompletion.

The veteran quarterback was flawless as a receiver as well, as he hauled in St. Brown's 8-yard toss for a touchdown during a back-and-forth third quarter in which both teams scored touchdowns on their two possessions.

Detroit (3-1) also got two rushing touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs, who finished with 78 rushing yards on 14 attempts in the Lions' second straight win.

Seattle (3-1) was dealt its first loss after starting 3-0 under first-year coach Mike Macdonald despite piling up 516 total yards. Macdonald's defence had trouble coming up with stops, however, as Detroit produced touchdowns on all five of its red-zone trips.

Kenneth Walker returned from a two-game absence to rush for 80 yards and three touchdowns for Seattle, while Geno Smith threw for 395 yards and a touchdown and DK Metcalf recorded 104 yards on seven receptions.

The Lions never trailed after building a 14-0 lead with back-to-back touchdown drives, the first a 12-play, 93-yard series capped by David Montgomery's 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

After recovering a fumble by Metcalf in Detroit territory which Carlton Davis returned 49 yards to the Seattle 14, Gibbs ended a 3-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

The Seahawks answered with a 10-play, 70-yard sequence culminating in Walker's 1-yard touchdown run with 10:08 to go in the first half, but Goff marched Detroit 70 yards in nine plays on the ensuing possession as the Lions took a 21-7 lead on Gibbs' 1-yard touchdown run with 5:11 left before half-time.

Seattle closed the gap on the opening drive of the third quarter, which Smith finished with a 9-yard touchdown pass to AJ Barner after the Seahawks converted three times on third or fourth down.

Montgomery took Goff's short toss 40 yards on the following possession, however, to set up St. Brown's well-thrown touchdown pass to Goff on a trick play that fooled the Seattle defence.

Smith promptly moved the Seahawks 80 yards in eight plays on their next drive as Seattle pulled to within 28-20 on Walker's second 1-yard TD run of the night. Smith's pass on the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, however.

Detroit quickly restored a two-score advantage, though, as Goff hit Williams near midfield on the next play from scrimmage and the speedy wide receiver outran the Seahawks' defenders for a 70-yard touchdown with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter.

The Seahawks continued to fight back, as Walker brooke lose for a 23-yard run on the following drive before concluding it with a 21-yard touchdown to bring Seattle within 35-27 with 12 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter.

Detroit forced a punt on Seattle's next series, however, before Goff fired a 29-yard completion to Tim Patrick and a 30-yard pass to Sam LaPorta before extending the lead to 42-27 with an 8-yard touchdown strike to St. Brown with 5:23 to play.

Seattle was stopped on downs from the Detroit 3-yard line on its next possession, and Kerby Joseph later sealed the Lions' win by intercepting Smith with a minute left.  The pick came after the Seahawks got two points on a safety when Dre'Mont Jones sacked Goff in the end zone. 

Titans get first win, extend Dolphins' struggles

The Tennessee Titans rode strong performances from running back Tony Pollard and kicker Nick Folk, as well as a stout defensive effort, to their first win of the season with Monday's 31-12 victory over the punch-less Miami Dolphins.

Pollard rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries as Tennessee (1-3) prevailed in what turned out to be a battle of backup quarterbacks after the Titans' Will Levis left the contest in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury.

Mason Rudolph threw for just 85 yards in place of Levis but led seven scoring drives, five of which ended on field goals by Folk that helped give Tennessee's Brian Callahan his first win as an NFL head coach.

Miami (1-3) generated little offence under Tyler Huntley, the Dolphins' third starting quarterback in three weeks and second since top signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills that landed him on injured reserve.

The Dolphins were held to 184 total yards in their third consecutive loss, with Huntley managing just 96 on 14-of-22 passing. 

After neither team moved the ball effectively during a scoreless first quarter, Rudolph got the Titans in range for Folk's 53-yard field goal 44 seconds into the second for the game's first points.

The Dolphins were stopped on 4th-and-1 from the Tennessee 46 on the ensuing possession, with the favourable starting position leading to Folk's 52-yard kick with 8:20 left before half-time.

Huntley then led Miami on a 10-play, 44-yard drive capped by Jason Sanders' 44-yard field goal to cut the lead to 6-3, but a 27-yard pass from Rudolph to Tyler Boyd late in the first half allowed Tennessee to extend its lead at the break on Folk's 47-yard field goal.

Sanders knocked home a 56-yard attempt midway through the third quarter before the Titans finally scored the game's first touchdown on the following series.

After Pollard ripped off a 41-yard run to put Tennessee inside the Miami 10, Tyjae Spears took a direct snap and powered into the end zone from seven yards out for a 16-6 advantage with six minutes left in the third quarter.

Folk's fourth field goal, a 51-yard boot, increased the margin entering the fourth before the Titans' defence came up with another big stand.

The Dolphins opted to go for it from 4th-and-1 at their own 39-yard line, but running back Devon Achane was stuffed for a loss and Tennessee turned the stop into Folk's 29-yard field goal and a 22-6 advantage.

Miami answered with its best drive of the night, an 11-play, 70-yard sequence capped by Huntley's 1-yard touchdown run with 3:36 left that trimmed their deficit to 22-12. The Dolphins failed to convert the resulting 2-point attempt.

Huntley was called for intentional grounding in the end zone on Miami's next possession, however, to give the Titans two more points on a safety.

Pollard concluded the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds left, ending a 4-play drive where the Titans started at the Miami 20 after the Dolphins botched an onside kick attempt following the safety.