Anthony Martial continued his recovery from injury as he took part in training alongside his Manchester United team-mates ahead of Thursday's Europa League fixture with Real Betis. 

The France forward has not started a game for the Red Devils since January 14 when he was forced off with a hip injury at half-time during United's 2-1 victory against rivals Manchester City.

Martial did make a cameo appearance in February during the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest and scored in the second leg of that semi-final tie, but has not featured for Erik ten Hag's side since.

Having resumed light training in February, the 27-year-old completed his first full training session on Wednesday at Carrington as United prepare for the opening leg of their last-16 tie against Betis. 

However, Thursday's tie with the Spanish club - managed by former City boss Manuel Pellegrini - will come too soon for Martial, Ten Hag confirmed.

Speaking at a press conference, he said: "We have a strong programme [of fixtures], but I think we are quite good.

"The only disappointment is Marcel Sabitzer is not available, as well as Anthony Martial.

"Anthony Martial is back on the pitch, so we will see [when he can return]. For the rest, everyone is available and we are ready for the game.''

Martial has six goals in all competitions this season but has played just 14 games in total due to various back, Achilles and hip injuries. 

Ten Hag's side welcome Betis to Old Trafford on Thursday in the Europa League as they look to bounce back from their humiliating 7-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday in the Premier League. 

India captain Rohit Sharma labelled Ravi Shastri's recent criticism as "absolute rubbish", insisting his team's ruthlessness should not be mistaken for overconfidence. 

Former India head coach Shastri felt India played with "complacency and overconfidence" when they lost by nine wickets to Australia in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. 

Having won the first two matches in convincing fashion, the setback means hosts and defending champions India now lead the 2023 series 2-1 with the fourth and final Test starting on Thursday in Ahmedabad.

Rohit said: "When you win two games, if the people outside are feeling that we are overconfident, it's absolute rubbish because you want to do your best in all four games.

"You don't want to stop by winning just two games, it is as simple as that. 

"When they talk about being overconfident and all that - especially the guys who are not part of the dressing room - they don't know what kind of talk happens in the dressing room.

"Ruthless is the word that comes to my mind, and it comes to every cricketer’s mind, being ruthless. Not to give any inch to the opposition.

"The opposition will never let you come into the game, never let you come into the series. And that is the mindset we have as well."

India opened the batting in the third Test, but lost seven wickets in the first session and were all out for a mere 109 runs as they failed to repeat the form that won them the past three Border-Gavaskar trophies. 

Shastri then said on commentary: "This is what a little complacency, a little bit of overconfidence can do when you take things for granted, you drop guard and this game will bring you down.

"I think it was a combination of all these things when you actually cast your mind back to the first innings, see some of the shots played, see some of the overeagerness to try to dominate in these conditions."

The victory confirmed Australia’s spot in the final of the World Test Championship and for India to do the same, they must win in Ahmedabad.

With full focus on the final Test match, Rohit believes Shastri's comments will not affect the squad and says India will continue to play with the same mindset.

"We want to do our best in all the games," said Sharma, who scored just 12 in each innings of the third Test defeat.

"If it seems overconfident or anything like that to the outsiders, it doesn't really matter to us.

"Ravi himself has been in this dressing room, and he knows what sort of mindset we have when we play. It's about being ruthless, not being overconfident."

Scott Parker has been sacked by Club Brugge after just 12 games in charge. 

The club confirmed the news on Wednesday in a brief statement that read: "Scott Parker is no longer head coach of Club Brugge.

"Parker was appointed as Club Brugge's new head coach on December 31, replacing Carl Hoefkens. Before coming to Jan Breydel [Stadium], the former England international was at the helm of teams like Fulham and Bournemouth. Parker won two of his 12 games for Club."

The final straw for the Brugge hierarchy was Tuesday's Champions League humiliation at the hands of Benfica. 

Brugge were convincingly beaten as Benfica ran out comfortable 5-1 winners on the night and 7-1 on aggregate over the two legs of the last-16 tie.

Parker's record of two wins in 12 games has greatly damaged Brugge's hopes of winning another Belgian league crown.

He joined with Brugge in fourth place in the Belgian Pro League and 12 points off the top and leaves with them 21 points from the summit. 

Jose Mourinho has conceded it is difficult to find Real Sociedad's weaknesses as Roma prepare for the first leg of their last-16 tie in the "super quality" Europa League.

Roma coach Mourinho has won the Europa League twice with Porto and Manchester United and guided the Giallorossi to the Conference League title last season. 

The Serie A side are enjoying another good season, sitting fourth in the league and advancing past Salzburg in the previous round in Europe.

Now, Roma face La Real for the first time in UEFA competition, with the first leg taking place at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. 

Ahead of the match, Mourinho said of Roma's opponents: "They are an excellent team, and it is difficult to find their weaknesses. They have a very good coach, and the team is doing very well.

"They are organised both defensively and offensively, with technically very good players.

"They are fourth [in LaLiga] behind the three giants who are always there; it's really a quality team, and it can't be said that we were lucky in the draw."

Roma and La Real are joined in the last 16 by United, Arsenal and Juventus among others.

Mourinho added: "This year the Europa League is super quality, a difficult match, but they look at us with the same respect as we look at them."

The LaLiga side boast some quality players in their ranks, including David Silva, sought-after midfielder Martin Zubimendi and talented winger Mikel Oyarzabal.

Asked about Oyarzabal, Mourinho was keen to focus more on the collective.

"He's very good, but Real Sociedad is much more than him," Mourinho said. "Even from an individual point of view, they also have other players of the highest level.

"But the most important thing is how they play as a team, they are very organised."

Lyon defender Castello Lukeba "has everything" like Josko Gvardiol, according to team-mate Dejan Lovren.

Ex-Liverpool man Lovren returned to Lyon in January after almost 10 years away and has already been impressed by some of his new colleagues.

Lukeba, who only turned 20 in December, was promoted to Lyon's first team in 2021 and has formed a strong partnership with Lovren so far in 2023, starting the last four Ligue 1 games together.

Lovren said: "It's good, we communicate well. He understands what I ask of him. 

"Frankly, he's a very, very, very good player with the qualities to one day be one of the best defenders."

France Under-21 international Lukeba has made 56 appearances in all competitions for Lyon, including 23 in the league so far this season.

And Lovren, who has played alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Samuel Umtiti and, at international level, Gvardiol, sees similarities with a former defensive partner.

"I can compare him with Gvardiol," Lovren said. "He has everything.

"He is very, very young, and he still needs to work a lot. I am there for him, to give him advice. 

"He is a player that I really get a lot from playing with. He understands quickly."

RB Leipzig centre-back Gvardiol has been considered one of the most exciting young defenders around in recent years, attracting interest from many of Europe's biggest clubs.

Most strongly, the Croatia international has been repeatedly linked with a move to Chelsea following their big-money takeover by US businessman Todd Boehly.

France coach Corinne Diacre has vowed to lead Les Bleues at this year's Women's World Cup, hitting out at a "destabilisation operation" amid a boycott of the team by several big-name players.

France are in crisis ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with captain Wendie Renard and forward pair Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto putting their international careers on hold.

The trio will skip the World Cup if major changes are not made by the French Football Federation (FFF), with Katoto saying she feels "no longer aligned with the management of the team".

Reports have claimed the players want the FFF to call time on Diacre's six-year stint in charge, but the former France defender insists she is going nowhere.

"In view of the shameful media outburst of recent days, I wish to publicly reaffirm that I am fully determined to carry out my mission, and above all, to honour France at the next World Cup," Diacre said in a widely reported statement.

"My detractors have not hesitated to attack my personal and professional integrity without bothering with the truth.

"I will not let myself be affected by this destabilisation operation, which does not take into account my sporting record, and whose only objective is a personal settling of scores."

United States internationals Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan are among those to offer public support to the striking players, along with global players' union FIFPRO.

The FFF pledged to examine the matter last month, and French media reports have suggested Diacre's position will be discussed by the federation later this week.

France will begin their World Cup campaign against Jamaica on July 23, before facing Brazil and Panama in their subsequent Group F fixtures.

Paul Pogba's fitness will be assessed ahead of Juventus' Europa League meeting with Freiburg on Thursday, with the midfielder still eyeing his first start since his Bianconeri return.

Pogba made his long-awaited second Juve debut in a 4-2 win over cross-city rivals Torino last month after enduring several injury setbacks since re-joining from Manchester United last July.

Having appeared from the bench in that fixture, the France international did likewise in Sunday's demoralising 1-0 defeat at Roma in Serie A.

Asked if Pogba could make his first start of the season when Juventus host Freiburg in the first leg of their last-16 tie, boss Massimiliano Allegri was hopeful but uncertain.

Allegri said: "Yesterday [Tuesday] he did a good workout, today [Wednesday] he was separate from the group. Tomorrow [Thursday] morning we'll understand if he can be available.

"He didn't work with the team [on Wednesday]. I think he will be available, but we'll see."

An Angel Di Maria hat-trick fired Juve past Nantes in the last round of the competition, delivering a 3-0 away win after the Bianconeri toiled to a 1-1 draw at home to the French side.  

With Freiburg one of just three teams to go unbeaten in the Europa League's group stage this term (also Real Betis and Fenerbahce), Allegri is aware of the need for an improved home display.

"We want to lay the foundations for the second leg," he said. "They are physically strong, they are fifth in Germany, they are unbeaten in Europe. 

"We have to go back to winning at home – in the Champions League and in the Europa League we only got one win [at the Allianz Stadium this season].

"So we'll need attention, otherwise we'll have to do the same as against Nantes. We have to win on Thursday, whether it's by one or two goals – it won't be easy, it will be balanced."

Juventus will be able to draw on the experience of Filip Kostic, a Europa League winner with Eintracht Frankfurt last season, and the Serbian says lifting Europe's secondary club trophy is now the team's foremost aim.

"I know the competition, I won it with Eintracht – it was our dream to win the Europa League. With Juventus it's different, the goals were different, but now we want to win it," Kostic said.

"They are a tough, compact, solid opponent. To win this Europa League – which is our main objective – we will have to overcome them. We want to get as far as possible and we go game by game."

Chelsea are on the right track under Graham Potter, believes Enzo Fernandez, after they sealed a Champions League quarter-final berth against Borussia Dortmund.

Goals for Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz helped overturn a first-leg deficit for the Blues to secure a 2-0 win on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge and a 2-1 aggregate victory across the tie.

After a frustrating few months for Potter that has seen the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss come under mounting pressure, the result marked back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023.

With those improvements in their back pocket, Fernandez feels the club are headed in the right direction under the Englishman, and says they must stay the course with him.

"We're going to be staying on this path, and we keep hope things carry on improving," Fernandez said. 

"It was a great plan from our coaches for the game. We had trust that the team could do it.

"We had more people running in behind and many people working at the back. We just had to do our jobs and follow that game plan.

"When we play at home, it helps the confidence of the group. We played really well and we believe in the path that we are working on."

Fernandez, who followed a World Cup triumph with Argentina by making the move from Benfica to Chelsea in January, has at times struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League so far.

But he delivered one of his stronger performances against Dortmund, and insists he is feeling more settled by the day, with hopes he can help the Blues to another major European run.

"I am really happy here, and I am getting to know my team-mates better," he added. 

"I am feeling more confident - we all are after our second win. We hope that we can be the champions [of Europe] again."

Manuel Pellegrini believes his Premier League title with Manchester City "can't be taken away" after the club were charged over alleged breaches of financial regulations.

The league referred City to an independent commission after numerous alleged breaches that date back as far as the 2009-10 season.

Possible punishments have not been confirmed, but there has been discussion of what any sanctions might mean for titles won during the period in question.

Pellegrini, now at Real Betis, won the 2013-14 league title with City, as well as two EFL Cups, before being replaced by Pep Guardiola in 2016.

"That league can't be taken away because it's been lived – with your fans, at the ground," Pellegrini told the Guardian. "You were at Wembley, you lifted a cup.

"Could there be some legal means? I hope not, that everything gets clarified.

"But that can't be taken from you. Imagine they take the trophy away, I don't think the runner-up now feels like the champion.

"Football is the moment. You win on the pitch."

The 2014 title was City's second – after Roberto Mancini's 2011-12 team provided the first – but Pellegrini recalled his side's spending was not out of the ordinary.

He added: "The criticism is unfair. If there had been an astronomical difference, then maybe, but Chelsea were spending a fortune, Manchester United were spending a fortune, Liverpool, Arsenal.

"The work City did was very good; it's not just related to money.

"For example, they swapped Mancini for me for football reasons. And then [when I left], they said: if it's not Guardiola, it's you. You work for three years, Guardiola comes; there's continuity.

"Other big clubs invested but couldn't do that. We've seen teams come up, spend £100m, go down again."

In Pellegrini's title-winning season, City spent a reported £90million  on players such as Fernandinho, Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo.

Chelsea spent more, around £110m, while Liverpool finished second despite spending less than half of both those clubs.

Pellegrini indicated the Premier League's increasing and diverse spending power has become one of its strengths, with many clubs able to splash out – unlike in LaLiga.

However, he still ranks the standard of football in Spain's top flight ahead of its English equivalent.

"City, United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, now Newcastle, could all compete for the league," Pellegrini said.

"The distribution of money is better, the amount generated. In Spain, the gap is significant.

"England is the best league, but the best football is played in Spain.

"Look at the Champions League, and Real Madrid or Barcelona are champions. In the Europa League, Villarreal and Sevilla."

Erik ten Hag labelled Bruno Fernandes "an inspiration" as the Manchester United manager leapt to the defence of his vice-captain after attracting criticism in the wake of Sunday's thrashing by Liverpool. 

The Portuguese midfielder was chastised for his performance and attitude during United's humiliating 7-0 defeat at Anfield, with critics suggesting he should lose the armband, which he wears in the absence of out-of-favour club captain Harry Maguire.

However, Ten Hag dismissed those suggestions and is optimistic his on-field captain will respond well to the weekend's hardships. 

"Everyone has to learn, I have to learn, he will learn as well because he's intelligent," the Dutch manager said at a press conference ahead of his side's Europa League first-leg fixture against Real Betis.

"He's an inspiration for the whole team but no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. I'm really happy to have Bruno in the team and really happy that if Harry Maguire isn't on the pitch then Bruno is the captain. 

"He's been playing a brilliant season, he has a really important role for why we are in the position we are because he's giving energy to the team, running a lot at the highest intensity, but also in the right way, right direction, and he's pointing and coaching players."

Marcus Rashford seconded his manager's thoughts and threw his full support behind Fernandes, whom he believes has been invaluable since joining from Sporting CP in 2020.

He said: "I love playing with Bruno, as you can imagine. I think, for a forward like me, he's a perfect player to play with. 

"He's been a good leader for us even when not captain, which is always a good sign. He's helped others become better leaders. 

"Nobody's perfect and sometimes you want to win so bad that you end up doing things that are a little out of character. 

"I 100 per cent support Bruno and I'm behind him, and I think as a team we have to support him because he's a fantastic player and as the boss said, we wouldn't be in the position that we're in if he wasn't playing games for us."

The Red Devils host Betis on Thursday. The Spanish side – coached by former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini – are fifth in La Liga.  

Tyson Fury's potential heavyweight unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk could be in doubt after the Gypsy King turned down a 60-40 purse split, according to the Ukrainian's promoter Alex Krassyuk.

The duo's teams are in discussions for an undisputed clash, and negotiations seemed to be nearing a conclusion earlier this week.

Fury's promoter Frank Warren revealed both camps were looking to set a date and venue for the bout, while Usyk himself said both men "need this fight".

But Krassyuk has now claimed Fury's camp have turned down an increased offer for a 60-40 split favouring the fight's winner, having also reportedly pushed against an even 50-50 purse.

"Frank Warren said he's got a pot and he needs to get the agreement of both parties to participate," Krassyuk told talkSPORT.

"If the money in the pot is not enough, it won't happen. I completely agree with it. On our side, I have nothing more to add.

"We have said that we want this fight to happen as much as possible, and we are in the position to share whatever the fight generates.

"But boxing is a sport of two men and if only Usyk gets into the ring, there won't be a match for undisputed. It will be shadowboxing of the unified champion.

"We initially agreed for 50-50. But then Tyson was asking for some bigger money. We made it clear that we are ready to go 60-40, but the winner takes 60.

"That was our latest offer [but Fury turned it down], exactly."

Warren previously indicated there would be no negotiations beyond the end of this week, with both parties reportedly eyeing up an April 29 bout at Wembley Stadium.

"We're still none the wiser, we're still waiting for it to be done," Warren said. "It's all coming to a head now, but it's still not done.

"You need the agreement of both boxers to make it happen and at the moment we haven't got that, so that's where we're at.

"We're working hard to make it happen. But I would say it's not going to go past the end of this week because the proposed date is April 29."

Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly wants to avoid Napoli in the next round of the Champions League in the hope of a potential final against his former club.

Two-time European champions Chelsea beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Tuesday to progress to the quarter-finals in a 2-1 aggregate victory. 

Meanwhile, Napoli lead 2-0 in their last-16 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of the second leg next week and have emerged as one of the tournament's favourites given their 15-point lead in Serie A.

Koulibaly left the Partenopei for Chelsea at the start of the season and is keen for any reunion to be delayed until June.

"I hope to meet them as far away as possible," Koulibaly told Sky Sports. "Maybe in the final in Istanbul would be better.

"We know how important Napoli is to me, but now I'm focused on my team.

"If we meet them, we will do everything to win, but I hope it is as far as possible because I also wish them to go a long way, and why not face us in the final?"

A second straight victory for Chelsea in all competitions followed a run of just two wins in 15 before last weekend.

The poor run has Graham Potter's side in 10th in the Premier League, raising doubts about the head coach's future.

"It was a bit of a difficult moment," added Koulibaly. "We knew that this game was fundamental for us; we wanted to win it at all costs.

"We played a great game, I think, and we showed the intensity we had to show. We wanted to win at all costs, and we can be happy."

Next for Chelsea is an away trip to Leicester City on Saturday, with the Champions League quarter-final draw taking place on March 17.

Marcus Rashford defended his Manchester United team-mates from accusations of downing tools in Sunday's annihilation by Liverpool, labelling such suggestions "nonsense".

United were beaten 7-0 during an astonishing Premier League game at Anfield, suffering the joint-heaviest defeat in their entire history.

It was the first time they had lost by seven goals since 1931, while it was Liverpool's biggest win over their bitter rivals, surpassing their 7-1 victory in October 1895.

The loss was a brutal reality check a week on from United winning the EFL Cup, but it was not just the scoreline that saw them attract stinging criticism.

Several United players had their commitment called into question by pundits due to their body language or attitude during a second half in which the visitors conceded six goals.

But Rashford snapped at the idea United threw in the towel.

"We didn't give up, that's nonsense," he told reporters ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Real Betis.

"We were disorganised, yes. Communication was bad, yes, that's why we conceded the goals, but it comes down to the fact that I believe everyone was trying to get back into the game that much, we came away from the team's principles in and out of possession.

"I mentioned after the game, I felt the forwards were trying to press just as the forward unit, we weren't connected to the midfield, and the same with the midfield and defence.

"We were trying to get a grip of the game when it was 2-0, 3-0, we were talking but I don't think we were in agreement about what to do.

"Listen, it's happened, and the only thing we can do is learn from it and move on. So, I'm happy and grateful we have another game so quickly because we have an opportunity to take a step forward and put it behind us."

It was then put to Rashford if the scoreline made a defeat to Liverpool even more harrowing, though the England forward suggested they would have felt just as bad had they only been beaten 1-0.

"Just losing against Liverpool is enough, it doesn't matter the score when you lose again them," he continued. "When you lose against them or any of the biggest rivals, it cuts deep and it's not nice, it's never a nice feeling.

"But I always remember how many games we have won against them, and they have the same feeling. It's football, it's why everyone loves the game so much.

"It's obviously disappointing, but we can't dwell and look back, we just need to be grateful the games are coming thick and fast - because of the principles we've had since start of the season, we're in a position where we're still fighting on all fronts and we still have a lot of games to play.

"When you have a game like that against Liverpool, you want to play as soon as possible because we want to put it right and hopefully tomorrow we can do that."

United manager Erik ten Hag was not kidding himself about the gravity of such a defeat, with the Dutchman seeming to appreciate just how damning the loss was.

Though he also insisted difficult situations like this can yield positive lessons.

"I think the players reflected well," he said, "but we also know when you go through a season setbacks will always be there.

"This was a huge setback, clear, but when you have a run of I think 23 games with one loss, and that was the second [loss].

"There were a lot of lessons in it that can help us for the future, and that's what [we have to do], take the positive out of it.

"How negative it is, that is that we were really below average, especially mentally. We have to take the lessons.

"We want to be a big team, we want to win trophies, so you have to act differently. After Sunday we got a big lesson, but we take that, move on, that's the way we treated it and now all the focus has to be on the next game."