Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has landed on the injured list, one day after he left his start at San Francisco with lower-back pain. 

Kershaw, who missed a month earlier this season with inflammation in a pelvic joint, has spent time on the injured list for back-related issues in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020.  

He walked off the mound after throwing a few warmup pitches before the bottom of the fifth inning in Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Giants.  

"I just felt something kind of lock up there in the fifth and couldn’t really throw after that. Something in my back again," Kershaw said. "Just more back stuff." 

The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and nine-time All-Star is 7-3 with a 2.64 ERA in 15 starts with 88 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings this season.  

Manchester United great Gary Neville is "a little bit disappointed" with Cristiano Ronaldo and the ongoing saga surrounding his future.

Ronaldo is widely reported to be seeking an exit from Old Trafford before the close of the transfer window on September 1, due to his desire to continue playing in the Champions League.

That has put new United boss Erik ten Hag in a difficult position, with Friday's news conference ahead of their Premier League opener against Brighton and Hove Albion dominated by questions on the future of his number seven.

Neville said earlier this week United should allow Ronaldo to leave and has now followed up those comments by urging the 37-year-old to come out publicly to make his feelings clear.

"I'm a little bit disappointed in him," Neville said on Sky Sports. "He's letting the manager go into those press conferences...

"Cristiano now is at a good age, he's been the best player in the world along with [Lionel] Messi in the last 10 years, he's got all that experience in the world.

"Would it be too much to ask for him to come out and do an interview to clear things up, tell us what he's actually thinking and what is actually happening? Would that be too much to ask?

"Is he just not going to do an interview in the next few weeks? Obviously, we're going to ask for him, is he going to come out, stand up, do the interview and not let everybody else have to answer the questions for him?

"I think that would be something that would be a start. I am disappointed, because it's the clarity that we haven't got, and the reason Erik ten Hag has been a little bit jumpy in his press conference is because he's been asked difficult questions, and he's probably not even telling us the truth of it, because he can't.

"The reality of it is if a Champions League clubs comes in for Cristiano Ronaldo in the next two weeks, I think we know that he wants to take that move, it's emerged over the last few weeks. But at the moment, no one has come in for him.

"That's why the club is saying at this moment in time that they want him to stay, but I think if somebody came in, he would go. 

"Should Manchester United be waiting until the final two weeks of the transfer window to see as to whether the star centre-forward leaves? I don't think they should be in that position. Do they just say no, you're staying, come what may? That would be clarity.

"But then there's a big risk that Ronaldo in a few weeks' time throws his toys out of the pram, says he's leaving. It's the sort of thing that could happen, and that's why I think it's a little bit unpalatable."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed the performance of debutants William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus in the Gunners' 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

While Jesus was a thorn in the side of the Eagles' defence with a threatening display, particularly in the first half, at the other end Saliba put in a commanding defensive display – having waited three years for his debut.

Saliba's dominant showing saw the 21-year-old register a team-high seven clearances and win possession seven times, behind only Thomas Partey (eight).

Speaking after the game, Arteta discussed the merits of a partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes.

"You need the right balance," the manager told Sky Sports.

"Physicality in this league is something that you cannot come short, because if you do, you're going to be exposed, and you're going to have to be able to deal with certain games and certain opponents, which demand so much in those aspects.

"The two, for their age, they're really well built, and they give us a different edge, the same with Ben [White].

"That's the resilience we need to win football matches and to see football matches through. We had some moments; you need your goalkeeper because, to be honest, they had the biggest chance in the game, the one against one, and Aaron [Ramsdale] did incredibly well."

Although Jesus was not on the scoresheet for Arsenal, his intent was evident from the start as he put the Palace defence under pressure and contested a team-high 21 duels.

"The fear factor," Arteta said, describing the forward's impact. "He's always on your shoulder, he's always had that ability, the intuition to get the ball off you, and he's never standing still.

"He's always on the move, he's always ready to act, and he's so sharp. For the defenders, it's difficult to play against him."

As well as Jesus, Arsenal have added Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos, but Arteta – who celebrated his 50th league win as Gunners boss – is still on the lookout for further additions before the transfer window shuts on September 1.

"We are going to try," he said. "There are a few things that we have planned, and if we can do them, it would be great.

"But now we'll work with the players we have. We're into the season already, and the focus should be on the players we have, to get the best out of them."

Chun In-gee heads into the weekend with the lead at the Women's Open after a super round of 66 propelled her to the top of the leaderboard ahead of Ashleigh Buhai and Madelene Sagstrom who finished day two seven under.

Hinako Shibuno had led overnight but struggled on day two, plummeting down the standings after carding a two-over 73, now one of three players to sit four under par in a tie for seventh.

Chun was out in front at eight under following her 66, even if Buhai was perhaps the star of the day.

Her 65 included an eagle at the fifth, and she could even have been better placed, sitting a stroke back after failing to putt from 10 feet at the 17th and then finishing with a bogey at the last.

Buhai was alongside Sagstrom, who also shot a six-under round after eight birdies.

Jessica Korda, second overnight, saw her charge stumble with four consecutive bogeys on the back nine that saw her finish three over for the day, now two under for the week.

The cut was set at three over, and Anna Nordqvist became the third consecutive defending Women's Open champion to miss the cut after finishing at four over.

World number one Ko Jin-young also departed at the halfway stage, failing to recover from her opening 76 with an even-par round on day two.

Mohamed Salah is ready to light up the Premier League again after committing his long-term future to Liverpool, claims Jurgen Klopp.

Last season's Golden Boot joint-winner, who shared the prize with Tottenham's Son Heung-min, signed a three-year contract last month to calm fears he could quit Anfield.

Salah's previous deal was due to expire at the end of the 2022-23 season, when he would have been able to walk away as a free agent.

Now that Liverpool have him tied down to fresh terms, the player and club can focus on chasing more trophies, having lifted the FA Cup and EFL Cup last term.

"Knowing where he will be for the next important years of his career – I wouldn't say for the rest of his career because he can play much longer – that gave all of us a boost, him as well," Klopp said.

"It's much better than if there was any contract [to resolve] next summer."

Thirty-year-old Salah's new deal served as a pick-me-up for a club who were pipped at the post for the Premier League and Champions League titles in late May, dashing hopes of an unprecedented quadruple.

There is likely to be at least one new challenger for the league's top scorer prize in the new season, with Erling Haaland having arrived at Manchester City after racking up 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool's new recruit Darwin Nunez may also have an eye on the honour, but Klopp suspects Salah will only be interested in the Golden Boot when the season nears an end.

"People are motivated by different things and i think Mo's biggest motivation is to win football games and to score," Klopp said.

"I don't think he looks about other players and how many they've scored. That may be in May when he has hopefully 34 or 35 and the other two have 32. Then maybe, but before that I can't see that."

Klopp has no doubt Salah would have been motivated to perform even if he had just months left to run on his Anfield deal, but the Liverpool manager accepts there would have been incessant talk about such a scenario.

"Mo would have been the same person, I'm 100 per cent sure he could have pushed that aside as long as he was only with us," Klopp said. "But the world does not stop asking, and that's a problem we are constantly facing.

"It helps, it's much better to know as much as possible, even about the season after."

Salah could match a record in their opening game of the season, with Liverpool tackling Fulham on Saturday.

He has scored in Liverpool's first Premier League game in each of the past five seasons and has seven matchday-one goals to his name, meaning he stands one short of a competition record that is held jointly by Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, who managed eight each.

The former England trio are three of the Premier League's all-time goalscoring greats, with Shearer's 260 strikes putting him top of the pile. Rooney (208) and Lampard (177) sit second and sixth on the Premier League era goals list.

Salah has scored 118 Premier League goals in 180 outings for Liverpool, putting him 10 away from matching Robbie Fowler's club record in the competition.

Harry Kane is "very happy" heading into the new season at Tottenham, according to head coach Antonio Conte, who is pushing for the club to achieve "something incredible".

Spurs rallied from a slow start to the 2021-22 season to secure a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League, having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo with Conte in November.

Kane entered last season with his future shrouded in speculation amid interest from Manchester City, and he scored just once under Nuno in the Premier League before the coach was axed.

Better form from the England captain followed under Conte as he netted 16 league goals across the remainder of the campaign – including five in the final five matches of the season as Tottenham pipped rivals Arsenal to fourth place.

With Kane far more settled ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Conte believes his star striker is in a good mindset.

"Harry is very happy," the coach said. "I see him very happy and totally involved in this process and the club. I like to see him this way with this desire and this will.

"He's the first player that's understanding that we're moving in the right direction. I'd like to have the best satisfaction with my players. "

"We need to be ambitious. We have to give 120 per cent of our capacity, we need to try and do something important for the club, but target to be better than last season."

Conte is targeting success with Spurs but recognises he has to "be realistic" while understanding the excitement of the supporters.

"For sure I'm excited because I'm living this time with joy. We are going in the right way," he added.

"We have just started a path, that if we are good to follow, we can reach an important level in the future. But I can't talk about winning the Champions League, Premier League, it would be arrogant. I feel that we have started a good path.

"I'm a dreamer for sure, but I have to be realistic. If you are a dreamer and work hard then it can bring you something incredible.

"But you have to know the reality. It's good for our fans to be excited."

Arsenal began the new Premier League season in fine fashion with a 2-0 victory away to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

New signings Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko made their debuts for Mikel Arteta's side on Friday and both made an impact, with Jesus catching the eye and Zinchenko providing the assist for the opening goal of the game.

Gabriel Martinelli was the beneficiary, heading in from close range, with Arsenal belatedly adding a second in the closing stages when Bukayo Saka's cross was deflected into his own net by Marc Guehi.

Palace had chances to equalise in the intervening period, forcing strong saves from Aaron Ramsdale, but he and Arsenal stood firm to earn their first three points of the new campaign.

Jesus immediately showed what he will bring to Arsenal by dancing through the Palace defence before seeing his shot deflected into the path of Martinelli, who wastefully missed the target.

Martinelli soon had his goal, however, as Saka's deep corner was headed back across goal by Zinchenko for the forward to nod in.

Early opportunities were few and far between for Palace, but a golden chance fell to Odsonne Edouard before half-time and his header drew a strong save from Ramsdale down to his right.

Ramsdale was again called into action early in the second half, with Wilfried Zaha feeding Eberechi Eze, who aimed his finish too close to the England goalkeeper.

Arsenal invited pressure in the closing stages, but Palace could not capitalise and saw their hopes of rescuing a result dashed unwittingly by Guehi.

It does not feel like it has been away for long, but the Premier League is back.

Just shy of the competition's 30th anniversary, the action gets underway a week earlier than usual as club football attempts to adjust to the upcoming mid-season World Cup in Qatar.

Narratives galore have emerged over the pre-season, but in terms of opening-weekend curiosity, it is fair to suggest Old Trafford will attract more than its fair share of intrigued glances.

Another new era begins at Manchester United on Sunday as Erik ten Hag takes charge of his first competitive match at the club.

There's a long list of managers who have failed to bring sustained success to United since Alex Ferguson's retirement nine years ago – Ten Hag will hope he can buck the trend, and he begins with the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion.

New beginnings

Ten Hag's April appointment came amid gloomy days at Old Trafford. Ralf Rangnick's spell as interim manager was proving tumultuous, with the German as familiar to criticising the club's structure as he was presiding over underwhelming performances.

United had been dumped out of the Champions League by an unimpressive Atletico Madrid side, and that began something of a downward spiral, with hopes of a top-four finish quickly diminishing.

Now, Ten Hag will be the eighth manager – including caretaker/interim bosses – to take charge of United since Ferguson left.

At least the short-term omens are good: of the previous seven managers, only Ten Hag's compatriot Louis van Gaal failed to win his opening match, losing 2-1 to Swansea City.

It will take a lot more than one win over Brighton to bring the good times back to Old Trafford, however.

Ronaldo: A point to prove and a milestone within reach…

Of course, one of the major sideshows for United in pre-season has been Cristiano Ronaldo.

Reports claimed he wanted to leave for a Champions League club and he did not join United on their pre-season tour of Australia and Thailand. This was put down to personal reasons.

But no such move away has so far materialised, and so he was welcomed back into the fold before playing 45 minutes against Rayo Vallecano last weekend. Cue more controversy, as he and several other United players left early, which Ten Hag later called "unacceptable".

Given the circus around Ronaldo in recent times, at any other club you would expect him to be dropped for this game – yet, with Anthony Martial out injured, Ronaldo looks likely to start, and few would put it past him making the occasion about himself again.

After all, he's only three away from his 500th career league goal. He couldn't, could he?

A score to settle

Brighton and United played each other quite recently. Well, recently in competitive action terms, anyway.

The Red Devils' penultimate game of last season was at the Amex Stadium, and Seagulls fans will remember it fondly as they ran out crushing 4-0 winners.

That was Brighton's biggest top-flight win ever in their 356th match at that level, while it inflicted a fifth successive away defeat for United, their worst such run since 1981.

Winning at Old Trafford is another matter entirely, though – Brighton have never won there. If United do lose, they will have suffered three consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time in seven years.

Good habits

While that May encounter was a game to forget for United and Bruno Fernandes, the playmaker does have a good track record against Sunday's opponents.

In five league meetings with Brighton, Fernandes has been involved in six goals (four goals, two assists), which make the Seagulls  his second-favourite opposition, behind Leeds United (eight goal involvements).

Similarly, Brighton's Pascal Gross has done well against United in the past.

His four goals versus United is more than he has managed against any other team, and Gross has netted in all three of Brighton's Premier League victories over the Red Devils, getting the winning goal on two occasions.

Sadio Mane scored his first Bundesliga goal as Bayern Munich opened the new campaign with a stunning 6-1 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Europa League winners Frankfurt seemed a tricky first opponent for the champions, but Julian Nagelsmann's side swept them aside in sensational style.

Having defeated RB Leipzig 5-3 in the DFL-Supercup in their first competitive match after Robert Lewandowski's departure last week, Bayern were five up by half-time on Friday – Joshua Kimmich, Benjamin Pavard, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry joining Mane on the scoresheet.

Manuel Neuer's sloppiness gifted Randal Kolo Muani a consolation, yet it was a minor blip in a supreme Bayern display, and Musiala capped things off with his second late on.

Bayern had full control by the 10th minute. Kimmich fooled Kevin Trapp with a long-range free-kick that clipped in off the right-hand upright, before Pavard lashed in his second goal in as many games.

Juventus-linked Filip Kostic teed up a golden chance for Frankfurt to drag themselves back into contention, only for Tuta to head against the woodwork, which then denied Bayern a third after Gnabry's poor pass sold Thomas Muller short in front of goal.

Another glorious Eintracht chance went begging due to Jesper Lindstrom's profligacy, but Bayern had their third after Trapp had parried Musiala's effort onto the crossbar – Mane stooping low to head in Gnabry's cross.

Mane turned architect for Bayern's fourth six minutes later, drawing out the Frankfurt defence and finding Muller, who squared for Musiala, and it was five before half-time when Gnabry squeezed home.

Kristijan Jakic, one of three half-time Frankfurt substitutes, thought he had pulled a goal back in the 56th minute, yet it was disallowed for offside.

Neuer hardly covered himself in glory in that incident, and Bayern's captain was entirely at fault eight minutes later when he was bundled off the ball by Kolo Muani.

Musiala had the final say, though, tucking in after Leroy Sane's exquisite pass to add further gloss to a statement win.

What does it mean? No Lewy, no problem

Bayern have now gone unbeaten in their opening league fixture for 11 straight seasons – they went on to win the title in each of the previous 10.

Although Bayern have lost more times away to Frankfurt than they have any other team (23), they were in top gear from the off, and there was never any danger of another defeat.

Lewandowski may have gone, but Bayern's attack – spearheaded by Mane and the evergreen Muller, who matched Hans Georg Schwarzenbeck's 416 Bundesliga outings for Bayern (the second-most among outfield players) and finished with two assists – looks scintillating. 

Magical Mane off to a flyer

In five of his six Premier League campaigns for Liverpool, Mane scored in his first away game of the season, including on his Reds debut in a 4-3 win at Arsenal in August 2016.

The Senegal forward always seemed likely to start fast in Germany, and he has done just that. He is the first player to score in his maiden Bundesliga away game for Bayern since Joshua Zirkzee did so against Freiburg in December 2019, while Mario Mandzukic, in 2012, was the last Bayern player to score in his first two appearances for the club in all competitions.

Few home comforts for Frankfurt

Friday's game was the ninth example of an away team scoring five before half-time in Bundesliga history, and Bayern are responsible for four of those occasions.

But in truth, they were helped by a woeful defensive display from their hosts. Frankfurt picked up just 19 points at home (W4 D7 L6) last season, bettering only the two relegated sides in Arminia Bielefeld and Greuther Furth, and Oliver Glasner must strike a better balance.

What's next?

Bayern host Wolfsburg in their second Bundesliga game of the season, while Frankfurt travel to Helsinki for the small matter of facing Champions League winners Real Madrid in the Super Cup.

Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller has discussed the uncertainty around quarterback Deshaun Watson, saying he and his team-mates "want to know what is going on and be done with it".

Watson was set to be issued a six-game suspension on Monday following a disciplinary hearing conducted by former US district judge Sue L. Robinson.

The NFL has since formally appealed that suspension in order to seek a harsher penalty for Watson, who had been facing 24 separate civil lawsuits filed by female massage therapists alleging sexual misconduct between 2020 and 2021 during his time with the Houston Texans.

Watson settled 20 of 24 lawsuits in June, with a further three settlements reported on Monday ahead of the hearing verdict.

He has not played since the 2020 season and was traded to the Browns in March, signing a fully guaranteed five-year $230million contract.

While the league appeals the decision, the Browns do not know if Watson will be their starting QB in Week 1, as any ban could be delayed.

Asked about how the developments were distracting from the team's preparations, Pro Bowler Teller told reporters: "It is only a distraction if you turn on the TV and you are listening to it and everything like that.

"It has been pretty quiet in my household at least, but I know that it is the talk of the town and there has to be something to talk about. Obviously, it is big, but we are focused so much on what we are doing.

"Obviously, we want to know what is going on and be done with it. I think that if any team was in that situation, that is what they would want."

As and when Watson does miss games, Jacoby Brissett will be the man to start under center for the Browns.

And Teller is confident the team can still have a productive offense led by the former Miami Dolphins QB, adding: "He is a talented quarterback, and I am excited to see what he has.

"He has been here the whole time. He is studying the playbook. He has been learning." 

West Ham have confirmed the signing of Maxwel Cornet from Burnley for a reported £17.5million fee.

Cornet, who signed for Burnley from Ligue 1 club Lyon in 2021, impressed during his first season in England, scoring nine Premier League goals.

Yet the 25-year-old's efforts were not enough to keep Burnley up, as the Clarets suffered relegation for the first time since 2015.

Cornet never looked likely to stay with Vincent Kompany's team in the Championship, and the versatile winger has now made the switch to London, agreeing a five-year deal with an additional one-year option.

"It's a new step for me to join this big club and I'm really happy to be here, to be part of the project for the club. I'm just excited to start," Cornet, who was also linked with Newcastle United, Everton and Nottingham Forest, told West Ham's official website.

"Everyone knows the level here in the Premier League is very high and I want to play here for that, so I'm really happy to be here for the next stage in my career."

While Cornet's arrival provides David Moyes with another attacking option, West Ham have this week been disappointed in their attempts to bring in Amadou Onana from Lille.

West Ham reportedly agreed a fee with the French side earlier this week, yet the 20-year-old midfielder is instead set to sign for Everton.

The Hammers open their Premier League campaign at home against champions Manchester City on Sunday.

UEFA has hit Fenerbahce with a partial stadium closure after fans chanted the name of Russian president Vladimir Putin during a Champions League qualifier against Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February and the war has caused thousands of deaths while millions have been displaced.

The chanting started after Oleksandr Karavayev scored what ended up being the winner for the Ukrainian side in the tie's second leg in Istanbul as they ran out 2-1 victors on aggregate.

It led to Dynamo boss Mircea Lucescu boycotting the post-match news conference, and UEFA has now sanctioned the Turkish club for the behaviour of their fans.

The club have been fined €50,000, while a partial closure of at least 5,000 seats has been ordered for Fenerbahce's next European home game for "the throwing of objects and transmitting a provocative message of an offensive nature, i.e. illicit chants."