Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to become Manchester United manager one day but says he wants to return to his role as assistant coach under new boss Ruben Amorim. 

Having returned to Old Trafford as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants in the summer, he has stepped up as caretaker head coach since his compatriot was sacked last month.

Van Nistelrooy has overseen victories over Leicester City in the EFL Cup and PAOK in the Europa League, drawing his other game against Chelsea in the Premier League. 

The Foxes are the visitors once again to Old Trafford in the Dutchman's final game in charge on Sunday before Amorim takes the reins the following day. 

Asked if he would like to manage the team he scored 150 goals for during his playing days, Van Nistelrooy said: "Yeah, of course.

"I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as an assistant manager or assistant coach," Van Nistelrooy said.

"I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion, where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club in also an assistant role.

"I had clear ambitions to manage. I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant, and I'm still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity."

The 48-year-old does have managerial experience, too. He was previously the manager of PSV Eindhoven, winning the Dutch Cup in his only season in charge. 

During his short tenure in the Netherlands, he won 34 of his 50 games in charge (D8 L8), scoring 126 goals and ending with a win percentage of 66.67%. 

Van Nistelrooy is under contract with United until 2026, but question marks have been raised over his future with Amorim set to bring in his own staff.

But he insisted that this weekend's sole focus is on ensuring that United are in the best possible shape for Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford. 

"I called it an important period because I think it was important to get through the four games as good as we could," said Van Nistelrooy.

"I think we've done very well so far. The players have reacted very well in the games.

"The focus now is to build on that and show that on Sunday, with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.

"I don't know if it will be very emotional. I take it very pragmatically as well, although I am proud to be able to fulfil this. We'll see how I feel on Sunday."

And while this may be Van Nistelrooy's second Old Trafford farewell, he has reason to be confident of ending his latest Red Devils stint on a high. 

United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to become Manchester United manager one day but says he wants to return to his role as assistant coach under new boss Ruben Amorim. 

Having returned to Old Trafford as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants in the summer, he has stepped up as caretaker head coach since his compatriot was sacked last month.

Van Nistelrooy has overseen victories over Leicester City in the EFL Cup and PAOK in the Europa League, drawing his other game against Chelsea in the Premier League. 

The Foxes are the visitors once again to Old Trafford in the Dutchman's final game in charge on Sunday before Amorim takes the reins the following day. 

Asked if he would like to manage the team he scored 150 goals for during his playing days, Van Nistelrooy said: "Yeah, of course.

"I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as an assistant manager or assistant coach," Van Nistelrooy said.

"I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion, where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club in also an assistant role.

"I had clear ambitions to manage. I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant, and I'm still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity."

The 48-year-old does have managerial experience, too. He was previously the manager of PSV Eindhoven, winning the Dutch Cup in his only season in charge. 

During his short tenure in the Netherlands, he won 34 of his 50 games in charge (D8 L8), scoring 126 goals and ending with a win percentage of 66.67%. 

Van Nistelrooy is under contract with United until 2026, but question marks have been raised over his future with Amorim set to bring in his own staff.

But he insisted that this weekend's sole focus is on ensuring that United are in the best possible shape for Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford. 

"I called it an important period because I think it was important to get through the four games as good as we could," said Van Nistelrooy.

"I think we've done very well so far. The players have reacted very well in the games.

"The focus now is to build on that and show that on Sunday, with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.

"I don't know if it will be very emotional. I take it very pragmatically as well, although I am proud to be able to fulfil this. We'll see how I feel on Sunday."

And while this may be Van Nistelrooy's second Old Trafford farewell, he has reason to be confident of ending his latest Red Devils stint on a high. 

United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.

Roberto De Zerbi has sensationally threatened to quit Marseille just over four months after joining the Ligue 1 side following their 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre on Friday. 

Mason Greenwood's 65th minute penalty proved to be a consolation after Lassine Sinayoko, Gaetan Perrin and Hamed Traore had the visitors three goals up at the break.  

Despite Marseille sitting second in Ligue 1, they find themselves six points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who can extend their lead at the top against Angers on Saturday.

De Zerbi's struggles have come at the Velodrome this season, winning just one of his five home league games in charge.

Only Anges and Montpellier (four) have picked up fewer points on home soil this term than Marseille (five). 

Their latest defeat saw Marseille lose two consecutive Ligue 1 home games for the first time since February 2023.

They also lost to a newly promoted side while conceding at least three goals for the first time in the league since a 3-1 defeat to Nimes in August 2018, leaving De Zerbi furious at full-time. 

"If I'm the problem, I'm ready to leave. I'll leave the money and hand back my contract," De Zerbi said. "I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome.

"And I can't get the players to give here what I see in training and in away games. It's my fault, it's my responsibility.

"Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to be able to pass on to the people who work with me what I think about football. And I can't do that."

The Cleveland Cavaliers set a franchise record by building a 41-point half-time lead en route to their latest victory, a 136-117 drubbing of the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Cleveland moved to 10-0 to extend the best-ever start in team history despite All-Star Donovan Mitchell managing just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Plenty of other Cavaliers stepped up with the playmaking guard struggling, however, as Darius Garland went 6 of 11 from 3-point range while totalling 27 points and Evan Mobley put up 23 points in 26 minutes.

The Cavaliers, the first team in NBA history to open a season with 10 straight wins while scoring at least 110 points in each, also received 13 points and 12 rebounds from Jarrett Allen and 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench from Ty Jerome.

Cleveland also held Stephen Curry to just 12 points while putting an end to the Warriors' five-game winning streak. 

Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 21 points, while fellow reserve Brandin Podziemski finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

The Cavaliers began the game on a 20-2 run and never looked back, as they sped out to a 39-22 lead after one quarter before completely dominating the second.

Cleveland outscored the Warriors by a 44-20 margin in the next period to own an insurmountable 83-42 advantage at the intermission, which tied a franchise record for points in a half. 

The Cavs shot 63.6 per cent (14 of 22) from 3-point range over the first two quarters, with Jerome and Isaac Okoro each tallying 13 first-half points and Garland and Mobley recording 11 apiece.

Nurkic's late surge lifts hot Suns over Mavericks

The Phoenix Suns are now on a seven-game winning streak after rallying in the fourth quarter for a 114-113 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Jusuf Nurkic scored the Suns' final five points and snapped a 113-113 tie by making one of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left. The veteran centre was fouled after grabbing the rebound of team-mate Royce O'Neale's missed shot to set up the go-ahead point.

Nurkic finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Durant scored 26 points to help Phoenix improve to 8-1, which matches the 2009-10 team for the best start in franchise history. 

Luka Dončić had 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Dallas, but misfired on a long 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Kyrie Irving compiled 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks, who have alternated losses and wins over a five-game stretch since starting 3-1. 

Dallas fought back from a 63-50 half-time deficit to take a 97-91 lead on Naji Marshall's layup with 7:47 remaining, but Bradley Beal had seven points during a 9-3 run that brought the Suns even at 100-100 with five minutes to go.

Nurkic scored on back-to-back possessions to give Phoenix a 113-111 edge with 31.4 seconds left. The Mavericks answered on their next trip down the court, however, as Doncic fed Daniel Gafford for a game-tying alley-oop dunk with 23.5 seconds left to play.

Thunder keep rolling with dominant win over Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder kept pace with the Suns atop the Western Conference by cruising to a 126-107 win over the Houston Rockets.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 29 points to help Oklahoma City (8-1) bounce back from its lone loss of the season, a 124-122 setback at Denver on Wednesday. 

The Thunder also kept Houston's top two scorers in check, as Jalen Green was held to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting and Alperen Sengun missed nine of 12 shots while finishing with 11 points. 

Dillon Brooks led the Rockets, who had a two-game winning streak stopped, with 17 points.

After the teams played to a 31-31 tie through one quarter, the Thunder took control in the second by outscoring Houston by a 44-20 margin for the period.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren each had 10 points during the second quarter, and Oklahoma City shot 70 per cent from the field for the frame to go into half-time with a comfortable 75-51 lead.

The Thunder extended the margin to as many as 29 points in the third quarter, and Houston never got its deficit under 19 points the entire second half.

Antonio Conte has no intention of holding anything back when he returns to San Siro, as the top two face off in Serie A on Sunday.

The Italian revived Inter and helped them break Juventus's nine-year stranglehold on the Scudetto, stopping their run in the 2020-21 season to win the title for the first time since their treble-winning campaign in 2009-10.

Now at Napoli, a club that is looking to return to the heights of their 2022-23 title win, Conte's side sit top of Serie A with 25 points after 11 games - a point above Inter ahead of their upcoming clash.

"It's definitely nice to return to where I worked and won. Yes, two happy years," Conte told reporters.

"It was a wonderful experience that I carry within me, like all the past ones that I lived to the fullest."

Napoli's winning run in Serie A came to a grinding halt against Atalanta last weekend when Conte's side were beaten 3-0, and they have a poor recent record against Inter, having won just one of their last 10 Serie A matches against them.

Napoli are looking to avoid suffering two consecutive top-flight losses for the first time since last December, and Conte says he is in no mood to drop three points again.

"The three points is always important, it is inevitable that we face a team that today, for everything they have shown, is the strongest team," Conte added.

"We are not going to San Siro to wave the white flag before starting, but convinced to play our cards. Then we will see what happens. We are preparing in a major way, as we always do.

"It will be an important test, we will measure ourselves against the best, and it will be important to understand our progress. Do not forget that we arrive at the top of the table... and the objective is to remain at the top."

Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku has scored only one goal in his last four games, but when asked about his form, Conte said he was tired of questions about the Belgian striker.

"At every blessed conference, there is always the question about Lukaku. It becomes a bit - not annoying - but we are talking about the team. Lukaku's growth depends on the growth of the team," Conte said.

"But I am confident because I see them every day, they want to work and improve. I see a lot of commitment and I would not reduce it to a single player. It is not fair to the others."

Ireland captain Caelan Doris believes they were "not good enough" as they suffered a first home defeat in more than three years against New Zealand.

The All Blacks ran out 23-13 winners in Dublin thanks to Damian McKenzie, while Ireland's discipline cost them late on after they had made a bright start to the second half.

McKenzie scored three of his six penalties before the break to give New Zealand a 9-6 lead, but the visitors started the second half a man light after Jordie Barrett's yellow card for a high tackle.

Josh van der Flier scored a try for the hosts, but McKenzie soon added another three penalties before Will Jordan's try secured New Zealand a first win on Irish soil since 2016.

And Doris pointed to Ireland's discipline as the turning point late on in the game.

"It was intense out there. We were quite reactive out there and our discipline wasn't where it needed to be," he told TNT Sports.

"We got momentum at the start of the second half, but they came back. They were quality, we weren't good enough.

"Discipline was a big part. We didn't fire enough shots and part of that was our defence letting them hold onto the ball. I'm not sure exactly what the answers are, but we weren't good enough tonight."

Ireland were seeking a 20th home win in a row, but New Zealand ensured their impressive run came to a halt on Friday.

It is now five wins on the bounce for New Zealand in all competitions, having followed up their dramatic win over England last weekend.

Head coach Scott Robertson was impressed with what he saw from the All Blacks, both individually and as a team.

"It was a hell of a match, we defended extremely well, and it's really pleasing with all the work we have been doing," he said to TNT Sports.

"Discipline and self-control is an area you have to own it, and I think a lot of individuals did."

On Damian McKenzie, he added: "He is so mercurial, and sometimes he doesn't get it right, but when he does! He got enough right tonight, and I'm really pleased with how he controlled the game and kept calm."

Tom Cleverley believes Watford "deserved the three points" after an improved second-half display saw them beat Oxford United 1-0.

Vakoun Bayo scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute after he turned in the rebound of his own saved shot.

It is the fifth goal he has scored in three games, having also netted four times in the Hornets' 6-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

The hosts registered 12 shots, seven of which were on target, as they upped the pressure after the break. They only had four attempts in the first half, though Ciaron Brown had to clear an in-swinging Watford corner off his own goal line on the stroke of half-time.

The three points lift Watford up to fourth in the Championship table ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures, and Cleverley was pleased with the marked improvement he saw in the second 45 minutes.

"I thought the second-half performance was really good until the last five minutes really," he told Sky Sports.

"I thought we didn't manage the game as well as we could do and a few refereeing decisions - dubious one that went against us - meant they could get the ball in our box.

"So, it felt a bit hands to the pump at the end, but I thought for the first 35 minutes of the second half, we were absolutely fantastic and were unlucky not to make it two, three.

"Understandably flat performance in the first half, probably from both teams with it being such a demanding week.

"But I thought our second-half performance in the main deserved the three points and our supporters helped us through."

Meanwhile, Oxford remain 16th and have now won just one of their last 10 matches in the Championship.

They failed to register a single shot on target in the first half, and are yet to win a game when conceding the opening goal in the league this season, with this the fifth such match they have gone behind.

It was Oxford's sixth defeat of the season and while manager Des Buckingham said there were positives to take, he was left frustrated by their lack of a clinical edge.

"I'm extremely proud but extremely frustrated," he said.

"I'm disappointed we haven't come away with something. I felt we created enough, we just haven't taken them. If we keep playing that way, we will be fine.

"We speak about being a together group. We did well, but Watford took their chance."

Pep Guardiola is facing the prospect of losing four consecutive matches for the first time in his career but is confident Manchester City do not need extra reassurance.

All three of City's recent losses have come in different competitions, first falling to Tottenham in the EFL Cup round of 16 before following it up with defeats to Bournemouth in the Premier League and Sporting CP in the Champions League.

It is the first time the Citizens have been on such a run since doing so between May and August 2021, while in the same season, it is the first time since April 2018.

In the Premier League, Guardiola's men were on a 32-match unbeaten run before their defeat to Bournemouth, and they have only lost two consecutive top-flight matches three times under the Spaniard before.

The Spaniard has been vocal about his team's recent injury struggles, and will once again be without Jack Grealish, despite his recent England call-up, John Stones and Ruben Dias for the trip to Brighton on Saturday.

Bernardo Silva said the team were in a "dark place" after their game at Sporting on Tuesday, but Guardiola does not believe he needs to provide any extra motivation to help get his players back to winning ways.

"I don't think [the players need extra reassurance]. Of course, we are not used to losing three games in three different competitions, but it is football, and it has happened," Guardiola said.

"We know the reason why we struggle, but we are looking forward to this game and after the international break, and after that a few players will be back and recovered. All the little problems we have with players will be solved. I hope.

"There always is a first time [to lose four straight]. Hopefully, it is not the case.

"Twenty minutes against Fulham we were not good, against Bournemouth we were not good, but the rest of the games we were good. We are good. We will see what happens."

Coco Gauff saw off world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets and is now just one win away from taking the WTA Finals crown.

The American, who also beat Iga Swiatek on her run to the final, handed the Belarusian a second consecutive loss in Riyadh as she triumphed 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes on Friday.

The pair traded blows in the opening set, with Sabalenka getting the first break in the third game, only for Gauff to follow her lead in the next.

The world number three forced the tie-break, and she had to hold her nerve to take the first set as Sabalenka had fought back from 6-1 down.

Gauff's momentum carried her into a 4-1 lead in the second set but that run was halted despite valiantly defending six break points in the next as Sabalenka attempted to start a comeback.

They traded more breaks, but Gauff had already done enough, avenging her defeats to Sabalenka in the Australian Open and Wuhan Open semi-finals to reach the championship match, where she will face Zheng Qinwen for the prize. 

Data Debrief: Young guns pave the way

It has been an impressive WTA Finals for Gauff so far, and this victory means she has become the youngest player to defeat the world number one and number two at the tournament since Kim Clijsters in 2002 (Serena and Venus Williams).

She is also the youngest WTA Finals finalist since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

In fact, Gauff and Zheng will have the youngest combined age for the two finalists at the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams in 2004, at just 42 years and 271 days. 

Sabalenka already knew she would be the year-end number one before entering these Finals, but she finishes the year on a slightly dour note, having lost consecutive matches for the first time since 2022 (against Donna Vekic in San Diego and Liudmila Samsonova in Guadalajara).

Sanju Samson's century and a strong bowling display set India on their way to a 61-run victory over South Africa at Kingsmead on Friday.

The teams met for the first time since the T20 World Cup final, with India once again coming out on top to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match T20I series.

Samson started strongly, plundering 107 in a knock which included 10 sixes, and held firm to get his second consecutive T20I century, even as Abhishek Sharma (7) and Suryakumar Yadav (21) were both taken early.

Tilak Yarma added 33, but Gerald Coetzee (3-37) helped to ensure India's momentum faltered, though the tourists still set a tough target, finishing on 202-8.

Any hopes of a quick start for South Africa crumbled though as Aiden Markram (8) fell inside the first over.

Varun Chakaravarthy (3-25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) impressively stopped any rhythm from building, with the latter stopping South Africa's top-scorer Heinrich Klaasen on 25 as the hosts stumbled to all out for 141 in the 18th over.

Data Debrief: No home comforts

South Africa will have been looking to avenge their World Cup final loss, but their struggles on home soil continued in Durban.

They have lost their last five men's T20Is at Kingsmead, including their last four. Meanwhile, India are undefeated in their five matches at Kingsmead (W4 T1).

In fact, South Africa have lost 17 of their last 20 men's T20Is in South Africa, with India responsible for their last two such losses. They had only lost once in nine matches prior to this span (W7 T1).

The damage was done early on by Samson, whose hundred is the fastest by an Indian in T20Is against South Africa. 

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique confirmed he will rotate his squad for their trip to the Stade Raymond Kopa to face Angers in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 

The Parisiens' stuttering start to their Champions League continued in midweek, losing late on to Atletico Madrid to leave them 25th in the new 36-team league table. 

PSG have lost five of their last eight games in the Champions League (W2 D1), as many as in their previous 19 games in the competition. 

However, Luis Enrique's side have been impressive in the league and are currently six points clear of Marseille at the summit of the standings. 

They also boast an impressive record against this weekend's hosts, winning 19 of their 20 encounters in all competitions (D1) against Angers. 

"The most important match is tomorrow. Tomorrow, we'll rotate," Luis Enrique confirmed.

"I feel that with so little rest I need players. Angers are a highly motivated opponent who play at home.

"They can defend well and create problems in transition thanks to their wingers. I need all the players ready."

PSG will, however, be without William Pacho, who travelled to Ecuador on Thursday ahead of the international break and did not take part in Friday's training session. 

Luis Enrique also insisted there had been a "blockage in finishing" in their recent fixtures in Europe, though they have not been shy of goals in Ligue 1. 

In their midweek defeat, the Parisiens registered 22 shots compared to their opponents' four, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) of 2.12 to Atletico's 0.67. 

However, PSG have scored a division-high 29 goals from their 10 games so far, and Luis Enrique is relishing the chance of rediscovering their clinical edge this weekend.

"After a match like Wednesday's, and I've been through others in my career, it's difficult. Emotions are going to absorb everything," he added. 

"The result will make you see everything in a negative light. 

"How am I feeling? Perfectly. The more difficult it is, the better. We're aware that there's a blockage in the finishing.

"There's no denying it, it's a general problem. We need to overcome that, through confidence, by trying to create clearer chances, and collectively.

"I know it's a medium to long term project, and there will be ups and downs."

Paulo Fonseca confirmed teenage forward Francesco Camarda will make his first Milan start in place of the injured Alvaro Morata against Cagliari.

Morata suffered a head injury in training on Thursday and was taken to hospital where an MRI was carried out, and while no damage was found, he will take no part in Saturday's away game.

"It was a strange situation, in an exercise yesterday he collided with [Strahinja] Pavlovic," Fonseca told reporters.

"Initially, I didn't think it was such a problem as it turned out to be, but he is not ready to play tomorrow. He's fine, but he's not ready."

Morata has, however, been selected in Spain's Nations League squad, with their manager Luis de la Fuente saying the player is fit, something which surprised Fonseca.

"I don't know why he said that. There is a protocol that says that a player must stop for 10 days," Fonseca added.

"I don't know how he can say that he plays. That is, it is not an option, it is a mandatory thing. I don't know how De la Fuente can do this."

With Morata, who has scored three goals in all competitions for Milan this season, unavailable, and Luka Jovic struggling for fitness, it was expected that Tammy Abraham would lead the line at Cagliari after recovering from a shoulder injury.

However, Fonseca revealed he had instead chosen the 16-year-old Camarda.

"Morata at the moment has a very specific role. Morata is not always a striker, but many times he is a player who unlocks the passing lines," said the 51-year-old.

"I think Camarda right now is more ready than Abraham to play this role."

Last season, Camarda became the youngest-ever player to appear in Serie A, coming on as a late substitute against Fiorentina in November at 15 years, eight months and 16 days old.

He then came on to replace Morata during Milan's 3-1 Champions League win over Club Brugge last month, where he thought he had scored his first goal for the club, but it was ruled offside, and now the youngster will get his first chance from the start.

"For me, it's not surprising. He works with us every day. I think everyone at the club believes in him a lot, he works well and understands the role well," Fonseca said.

"For me, players have no age, they have quality. And he shows every day that he has quality."

Michel says it is easier to pick Girona's starting line-ups due to their mounting injury problems, as the players struggle to cope with the packed schedule.

Girona, who had never qualified for the Champions League in their 94-year history, secured a place in the European competition by finishing third in Laliga last season.

But playing matches across competitions with minimal time to rest has taken its toll, with Girona sitting 12th in LaLiga ahead of Sunday's trip to Getafe.

They have won just four matches in LaLiga this season, and only notched one victory in four Champions League matches, suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to PSV on Wednesday in what was Michel's 150th game in charge of Girona. 

"It's very easy to make the lineup, but it's very difficult to manage the games," he told reporters. "There is always a risk of injury, we cannot do rhythmic training and we have played every three days.

"It's complicated for everyone, but you have to face it with mentality and personality. The most important thing is to always be ourselves."

Last season's surprise package Girona have so far struggled to find form this campaign along with rising injury concerns.

Jhon Solis, Portu, Yaser Asprilla, Ivan Martin, Abel Ruiz, Viktor Tsygankov, Arnaut Danjuma, Gabriel Misehouy and Alejandro Frances are either doubts or unlikely to travel to Coliseum Stadium due to injuries.

Girona are coming off a 4-3 win over Leganés in their last LaLiga fixture and are looking to make it two wins in a row in the competition this season for only the second time, after doing so in early September (W2).

However, they have three draws and five losses in 12 league games, but Michel blamed himself for the team's underwhelming performances.

"The players always give their best on the pitch, but sometimes it is not enough to win games, like the other day in PSV," Michel said.

"When we lose, it's my responsibility. Playing every three days is difficult for everyone, but we have to face it with personality."