Former Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri believes his old club can win the quadruple this season, as the EFL Cup winners prepare to host Inter in the Champions League.

The 30-year-old, who is now plying his trade in Major League Soccer after joining Chicago Fire in February, won the Champions League, Premier League, and FIFA Club World cup titles in a three-year spell at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp's side defeated Chelsea to win the EFL Cup last month, and are preparing for a Champions League second-leg clash with the Italian champions, boasting a 2-0 lead from the first leg at San Siro.

With the Reds sitting just six points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and advancing to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, recent talk has surrounded the prospect of Klopp's men completing an unprecedented quadruple this term.

Shaqiri, who scored eight goals in 63 appearances for the club, has talked up their chances of doing so, as long as the Reds can keep their key players fit.

"They must do everything perfect, to win everything", Shaqiri told Sky Sports. 

"But if one team can do it, then for sure Liverpool is one of them.

"I think it's important to go from competition to competition, because there are so many with the Carabao [EFL Cup], FA Cup, and they are still in all of these competitions.

"Everyone needs to be fit and healthy, because injuries as you know are always difficult to deal with, but Liverpool have a great team and they dealt until now with everything.

"I'm really looking forward to the end of the season, [to see] how they're going to finish, but everything is possible." 

Liverpool's recent EFL Cup triumph represented the 10th major trophy of Klopp's coaching career, and the in-form Anfield side have not lost a game in any competition since a 1-0 reverse to Leicester City on December 28th. 

The Cleveland Browns have placed the franchise tag on tight end David Njoku.

Njoku was set to hit unrestricted free agency but the Browns made the move to place a one-year franchise tender on Njoku before Tuesday's deadline, according to a report from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

The 2017 first-round pick has yet to live up to expectations since the Browns took him with the 29th overall selection five years ago.

His best season in terms of receiving yards came back in 2018 when he finished with 639, but he has since struggled with injuries.

He played in only four games in 2019 and 13 in 2020 as the Browns reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Njoku started 11 of his 16 games in 2021 and finished with 475 yards and four touchdowns in a campaign that saw a disappointing Browns team fail to qualify for the postseason.

However, his average of 13.2 yards per reception ranked fourth among all qualifying tight ends, and, by tagging Njoku, the Browns clearly believe he can have a more significant impact on their offense.

Wesley Fofana has signed a new contract with Leicester City that will keep him at the Premier League club until 2027.

Fofana joined The Foxes from Saint-Etienne in October 2020 and impressed at the King Power Stadium in his first campaign in England, being named the club's Young Player of the Season as Leicester won the FA Cup and narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification. 

However, the France Under-21 international has not played since suffering a broken leg and damaged ankle ligaments in a pre-season friendly against Villarreal last August.

That has not stopped the club from committing to securing Fofana's future though, and the centre-back's new deal was announced on Monday.

Speaking to Leicester's official website, Fofana said: "I'm really happy to sign a new contract. It shows the club have confidence in me offering me a contract to 2027.

"I'm really happy to be here. It's my club, I love the fans, so I'm really happy and really looking forward to being back playing.

"I love everything about the club. I love the city, I love the fans. It's a family which is what I love the most. Everyone is close and gets on well.

"We also have a great team and are continuing to progress, with a desire to win more trophies. That's why I have committed my future to the club until 2027. I want to achieve more with the club. There is a lot of talent here and still a lot more we can do together."

Brendan Rodgers recently confirmed that Fofana is back in training, but insisted he will not rush the 21-year-old back after such a serious injury.

Fofana follows fellow Foxes defenders Ricardo Pereira and James Justin in signing a new contract at the club, with both recently penning deals until 2026.

Kylian Mbappe suffered a knock to his right foot in training on Monday, though Paris Saint-Germain suggested the initial prognosis was positive.

Mbappe did not feature against Nice at the weekend due to a domestic suspension, but was set to be crucial once again as PSG go up against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old's brilliant late goal separated the sides in the first leg, with PSG holding a 1-0 aggregate advantage heading to the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, reports emerged on Monday that Mbappe had suffered an injury in training, potentially casting doubt over his participation.

PSG have now confirmed those reports were correct, but added that the first examination of the forward's problem was not overly concerning, though a further update would be made on Tuesday.

A statement released on PSG's official website read: "Kylian Mbappe received a knock on his right foot in training today. He has undergone treatment this afternoon.

"The medical tests are reassuring and another update will be made in 24 hours."

PSG's medical update also revealed that Sergio Ramos is still training individually and will be doing so until the end of the week.

Ander Herrera, meanwhile, is also training alone and is continuing treatment for conjunctivitis. He will resume training with the team towards the end of the week.

Jordan Larmour has been ruled out of the remainder of Ireland's Six Nations campaign after suffering a hip injury in Leinster's win against Benetton on Saturday.

Larmour's last appearance for his country came in the win against Japan in July 2021 at Lansdowne Road.

The 24-year-old back has made 30 test appearances for Ireland, with 13 starts, scoring seven tries.

Ireland had already lost prop Andrew Porter, who sustained an ankle injury during the 57-6 round three rout of Italy, which left Ireland just a point behind leaders France in second place.

Ireland are hopeful centre Robbie Henshaw will be passed fit to take on England after he suffered a head injury in the thrashing of the Azzurri.

Iain Henderson returns to the squad for Saturday's game after missing the win over Italy with COVID-19, having played the full 80 minutes of Ulster's victory against Cardiff on Friday.

Henderson missed the opening win over Wales because of an ankle injury and came off the bench in the loss to France in Paris.

Munster loosehead Jeremy Loughman has also been called up to the Irish squad for the first time as extra cover.

Julian Nagelsmann is aiming to have Manuel Neuer back in his Bayern Munich team for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Salzburg.

Neuer has missed more than a month with a knee injury, last playing against RB Leipzig on February 5.

Since then, Bayern have kept only one clean sheet in five matches, conceding four at Bochum in the first match without their captain.

Stand-in Sven Ulreich has still been steady – saving only 61.1 per cent of shots on target faced but preventing 0.4 goals and not committing any errors leading to goals – yet Nagelsmann is keen to have Neuer available.

"If there is no reaction in his knee overnight, he will be able to play," Nagelsmann told a pre-match news conference.

"We are all very happy about that – even if Ulle [Ulreich] has done well."

If the identity of his goalkeeper is dependent on medical advice, Nagelsmann has trickier calls to make in attack, where Leroy Sane's past two appearances have come from the bench.

Sane has 13 goals and 12 assists in 34 games this season, although 12 of his goals have come in his 27 starts – and he has made every Champions League XI so far.

"He's a player I don't like to leave out because he has the quality that has already won us games," Nagelsmann said of Sane.

"I haven't decided yet what the first XI will look like. Of course, he is a candidate.

"I hope he's in the best shape if he plays from the start. He's an incredible player who can't really be defended when he plays to the limit. He has my confidence, even if he doesn't start."

Nagelsmann accepted Bayern can only have a "special season" if they continue their Champions League run beyond this tie, which is level at 1-1 ahead of the home leg.

And he will not allow his team to be complacent against Salzburg, who threatened an upset in Austria, where Kingsley Coman equalised in the 90th minute.

"Salzburg have been a good team for years – they have a very clear idea about how to win the ball," Nagelsmann added.

"It's never easy to defend that. It may not be the prettiest, but it is very dangerous.

"They have a lot of interesting individual players and have the quality to play football.

"They would also do well in the German Bundesliga because they have a lot of good players who are hungry and want to win something. They are a dangerous team who will demand everything from us."

Jurgen Klopp is very wary of the threat posed to Liverpool by Inter ahead of their Champions League last-16 second leg, but he has been boosted by positive injury news.

The Reds head into the second leg at Anfield 2-0 up thanks to a commendable win in San Siro last month, even if the scoreline flattered them.

Klopp suggested the two-goal advantage is somewhat precarious, however, claiming it to be the most overturned scoreline in football.

But only once in Champions League history has a team ever lost the first leg of a knockout tie by two or more goals at home and still gone on to progress, with Manchester United doing so against Paris Saint-Germain at this stage three years ago.

That is the only such example in 41 previous instances of the scenario, meaning that, despite Klopp's concerns, Liverpool are in a very strong position.

Klopp is not risking complacency, though, reminding his team that Inter will not be on Merseyside as "tourists".

Asked what he feels the main danger is ahead of Tuesday's second leg, Klopp told reporters: "It's a danger everyone knows about: it's a lead that gets turned over the most in the history of football I think.

"You can't have a team at half-time that thinks they are already through. Then you are on the wrong path.

"It's a much better result than we expected if I'm honest. The game didn't look like we would win it 2-0 for most of it. It is a tough tie and was a really difficult game.

"We knew they had quality but now we know they have real quality. They will show up here after winning their last game 5-0. Yes, against bottom of the table, but still really impressive. [Lautaro] Martinez scored [a hat-trick], [Edin] Dzeko scored, [Robin] Gosens is back.

"I'm really happy [Nicolo] Barella isn't playing because he set up three or four chances. That's a really good, experienced team who don't come here as tourists.

"They want to chase the game and that's what we want to do, we're not a team that defends results. We want to attack the game, so let's see what we can do."

Liverpool's cause should be aided by the likely returns of at least two important players, with Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip back in contention following brief absences through injury.

"All trained yesterday, fully," Klopp said of them and Roberto Firmino. "Not sure what we make of that yet exactly to be honest, we have to see how they react.

"Thiago was only a week out so should be fine but I have to wait for it. Joel was only three or four days so is fine.

"Firmino was a bit longer, [Sunday was his] first session so we will see. It might make sense to give him a few more days as we don't train fully today as it's MD-1, and Bobby might need more intense work."

Despite Klopp's apparent concerns about the scoreline, the omens are good for Liverpool.

They have kept more home clean sheets in the competition since the start of 2017-18 than any other team (15 in 24) – that is 63 per cent, the best proportion of shutouts of all clubs to play at least 10 home games in the Champions League in that period.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner disagrees with the decision to remove controversial Formula One race director Michael Masi.

Masi was offered a new role elsewhere in the FIA after being replaced by two men in Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas for the 2022 season.

The Australian official was at the forefront of the controversy surrounding Max Verstappen's title triumph last year.

Verstappen pipped Lewis Hamilton in the final lap of the final race, but he was only able to stage that late recovery after Masi let the cars between the pair – running first and second but separated by a series of lapped rivals – pass a safety car and allow one lap of racing.

Verstappen, on fresher tyres, prevailed, prompting a protest from Hamilton and Mercedes that failed – although Masi has now been removed from his role.

"It's going to be interesting to see how that works," Horner told BBC Breakfast on Monday.

"For me, you want consistency. Having one race director, for me, was preferential, rather than splitting that role.

"We have a new president [Mohammed Ben Sulayem] who has come in and inherited this situation, and he's looked to impose change.

"It's great that Herbie Blash, a very experienced race control member, is coming back into the fray as well, so we will see how it pans out.

"But I thought it was harsh on Michael Masi that he was replaced after a lot of pressure being put on him. Everything is back to zero, new season, new regulations."

Wittich and Freitas will have to deal with a similarly tense, tight title race, though, according to Horner.

"It has been so intense," said Horner. "I think you might get a couple of other drivers come into that fray as well.

"It was epic last year, and if that continues I think there's going to be some fantastic races in the season ahead.

"It's great for the sport. The sport has never had so much coverage and so much following. The following in the sport has gone exponential over the last season, and that's great to see."

Australia protected a likely draw in the first Test against Pakistan as the tourists batted out day four in Rawalpindi to close to within 27 runs.

A remarkable collapse from one side or the other is now required on Tuesday to deliver a winner, with the batsmen continuing to dominate in the opener of a three-match series.

Australia resumed 205 back on Pakistan's first innings' 476-4 declared and steadily closed that gap over the course of the day.

Steve Smith spent much of Monday at the crease, albeit he added only 54 more runs to reach 78 from 196 balls.

Indeed, Australia seemed happy to wear out the Pakistan bowlers ahead of a second Test that is likely to have a greater say in the outcome of the series, largely limiting their errors having had eight wickets in hand in their first innings at the start of play.

Marnus Labuschagne (90) put on 108 for the third wicket with Smith but was denied a third Test century against Pakistan by excellent bowling and equally good fielding, caught at slip by Abdullah Shafique off Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Travis Head did not last long in Labuschagne's place, but Cameron Green stuck around and picked up the pace slightly after tea before paying the price for his ambition with a top edge off an attempted sweep to go for 48.

Smith gloved behind attempting a similar shot and Naseem Shah beautifully bowled Alex Carey (19), yet Pakistan's improved bowling late in the day failed to breathe life into the Test.

Green leaves runs out there

Labuschagne was undone by excellent play from Pakistan, but Green really had only himself to blame, getting too much on his shot from a relatively uncomplicated Nauman Ali delivery and giving Iftikhar Ahmed a simple catch.

As the bowlers toiled on a tough pitch, this was an opportunity missed for Green, who with a little more care could have followed his first fifty in his previous Test against England with a first outside of Australia.

Little to separate sides again

Australia have been away from Pakistan for over 23 years, but you would not know it looking at the outcome of this match. Ten of the previous 17 Tests between the sides in Pakistan have ended in draws – and this match will surely make it 11 in 18.

The Kansas City Chiefs are placing the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the Chiefs will not allow Brown to test free agency.

The deadline to franchise tag prospective free agents, tying them to a one-year franchise tender with their current team, is on Tuesday.

Brown becomes the first known unrestricted free agent to be tagged, following a strong first season with the Chiefs.

The Chiefs gave up last year's first-round pick as part of a package to land Brown in a deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

Brown had expressed unhappiness at being deployed as a right tackle during his time in Baltimore, stating emphatically that, in his mind, he was best placed on the left.

He provided evidence to back up those claims in 2021, allowing a pressure rate of 7.4 per cent. The average for left tackles was 9.4.

Stats Perform data had Brown losing just 35 of his 300 pass protection one-on-ones last season, while he came off worst on seven of the 28 stunts he faced.

That gave Brown a stunt-adjusted pass protection win rate of 88.19 per cent, sixth among tackles with at least 200 one-on-ones.

Brown's success, which saw him named to the Pro Bowl for a third straight season, and that of the Chiefs' offensive line rebuild did not inspire Kansas City to Super Bowl glory, as they suffered a shock defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.

Manchester United great Paul Scholes was once again left questioning the club's wisdom in hiring Ralf Rangnick as interim manager after Sunday's 4-1 derby humiliation by Manchester City.

Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez got two goals apiece at the Etihad Stadium, as City restored their lead at the Premier League summit to six points over Liverpool.

United – without Cristiano Ronaldo due to a hip injury – started the game well and were good value for their 22nd-minute equaliser by Jadon Sancho, but thereafter it was one-way traffic as Rangnick suffered only his second Premier League defeat in 14 matches.

Despite that record, Scholes cannot get past Rangnick's lack of recent experience in coaching, having only actually been in charge of a team for two of the previous 10 seasons, instead spending much of his time as a sporting director.

Rangnick was hired as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's replacement at the end of November until the end of the season, at which point he will move into a consultancy role.

The move was initially widely praised as it seemed to suggest United were looking to establish an on-field identity that Rangnick would subsequently be able to influence with big-picture decisions, but Scholes is struggling to see the reasoning behind hiring him as the interim manager.

"What do we expect? We've brought in an interim coach who hasn't coached at an elite team," he told Premier League Productions.

"He hasn't coached a big team, he hasn't coached at a big football club like United where there's so much expected of Manchester United, whoever you're playing against, it doesn't matter. He's never been at a top club. He's coached a club for two years out of the last 10 years.

"How have United behind the scenes come to the conclusion that this man is going to be the right man for six or seven months? It baffles me. The players are lost on the football pitch.

"The first 20 minutes I was surprised, they played really well, they were comfortable on the ball, [Paul] Pogba up front looked alright. His [Rangnick's] subs have worked the last few weeks don't get me wrong, but it was a deflated team.

"As much as you can have a go at United, they were playing against possibly one of the best teams we've seen. In the second half, the players looked lost. They looked like they didn't have a clue what they were doing."

Prior to the weekend, Rangnick had been praised for improving United defensively. Before Sunday's hammering, they had conceded 10 goals in 13 league games under the German, having let in 21 in 12 with Solskjaer at the helm – only Norwich City and Newcastle United (27 each) had worse records at the time of the Norwegian's sacking.

But Scholes believes their change in fortunes at the back is a red herring, and the data seems to back him up to a certain degree.

David de Gea's saves since Rangnick's arrival have accounted for the prevention of six goals the average goalkeeper would not be expected to prevent, second only to Jose Sa (6.1).

Sa (192) is also the only keeper to face more shots than De Gea (180) in that time as well, suggesting United are not much better defensively than before – they are just relying on their goalkeeper's improved form.

"They were lucky it's not five or six. Again the goalkeeper, five or six saves," Scholes continued.

"We spoke before the game saying defensively since Ole's gone [Rangnick]'s shored things up – he hadn't. Never in a million years.

"He's kidding himself if he thinks that. The keeper has stopped him from getting batterings for a long time. [Sunday] was exactly the same."

Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets team-mates have no doubt the reigning MVP is the best player in the NBA again this season.

The Nuggets have been hampered by injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. this season but remain a competitive sixth in the West thanks to Jokic's outstanding displays.

The center's latest heroics guided Denver to a 138-130 overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

Jokic finished with 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, four blocks and three steals – the first example of a player achieving those statistics in the NBA since blocks and steals were first tracked in 1973-74.

This sensational triple-double included 23 fourth-quarter points – matching Jokic's career high – and seven more in overtime.

Team-mate Aaron Gordon said: "[He is] phenomenal, different, he's just different. That's just not something that you see often.

"He took over, 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime; that's just sick. That was just an amazing game. He's an amazing ballplayer.

"This dude is incredible. I don't say that about a lot of people. I only say that about a handful of people. This dude is incredible.

"He's the MVP. I believe that. He's coming out night in and night out putting up ridiculous numbers, and we're winning. I don't know everybody that votes on it, but this guy has got to be at the top of the list."

Jokic ranks 11th for points per game (25.8), second for rebounds (13.8) and seventh for assists (8.0) this season, with his combined 47.6 just clear of MVP rival Giannis Antetokounmpo (46.9) in first place.

For Nuggets coach Michael Malone then, it was a "luxury" to be able to turn to such a player late in the game against the Pelicans.

"What a luxury to have the MVP in an overtime game knowing you can just play through him," Malone said.

"They double-teamed him, Monte Morris makes a big three. It's just such a confidence that you have because you know in a close game he's just going to make the play again and again.

"For him to step up the way he did just speaks to his greatness."

Kalon Barnes came within a hundredth of a second of John Ross' NFL Scouting Combine record in his stunning 40-yard dash.

The Baylor cornerback ran a 4.23 on Sunday, the second-fastest time since media were allowed into the event in 2003.

Barnes becomes the fastest defensive back in Combine history in the fastest defensive back class.

There were a record 13 DBs who ran sub-4.40 dashes, including Texas-San Antonio cornerback Tariq Woolen, who was close behind Barnes with his 4.26.

Remarkably, Baylor had three players to run sub-4.40, with Barnes joined by wide receiver Tyquan Thornton (4.28) and safety JT Woods (4.36).

They became the first school since 2003 to have three such players at a single Combine, while no other school have had two sub-4.30 players across that entire period – as Baylor did in 2022 alone in Barnes and Thornton.

"It feels amazing to be out here competing with a bunch of guys on the same mission as me," Barnes said in a short social media message. "It's a real blessing to be here."