England boss Gareth Southgate is keeping a close eye on teenage talent Kobbie Mainoo having been impressed by his “fabulous” breakthrough at Manchester United.
The 18-year-old academy graduate joined the Red Devils aged nine and has long been tipped for stardom, going onto make his first-team bow in January 2023.
Mainoo has now made 14 appearances in all competitions for United and would have played more had he not sustained an injury during their US tour in the summer.
The midfielder has represented England up to under-19s level and his burgeoning displays have impressed senior boss Southgate.
“He’s doing brilliantly,” the England manager said after Thursday’s Nations League draw in Paris. “I’m not certain he’s necessarily going to be a defensive midfielder, as such.
“He’s quite a progressive player but he’s had a fabulous start to his career and it will be good to monitor him as we go forward.”
England return to action with Wembley friendlies against Brazil and Belgium as preparations continue for Euro 2024 in Germany.
Whether the tournament is too soon for Mainoo remains to be seen but Southgate’s side are short of in-form midfield options, plus he took Jude Bellingham to Euro 2020 aged 17.
Stockport-born Mainoo is also eligible for Ghana and their Football Association has expressed interest in calling up the United teenager.
Randy Abbey, a member of the executive council of the Ghana FA, last week told The Times: “The Ghana Football Association is interested in monitoring, attracting, and persuading all eligible talents for its various national teams.
“Kobbie is definitely one of these incredible talents and the association would love to work with him and many like him at home and abroad.”
Mainoo has started United’s last nine matches in all competitions and followed his first senior goal against Newport in the FA Cup with a stoppage-time winner at Wolves.
Last week’s outstanding solo goal secured a 4-3 victory at Molineux and led to team-mate Rasmus Hojlund to describe him as a “generational talent”.
Testing conditions will be the order of the day at Newbury on Saturday but no problems are anticipated if the forecast proves correct.
While more rain has fallen at the Berkshire track than was expected earlier in the week, no inspection is currently planned.
“We’ve had 45 millimetres this week, which is more than we were anticipating on Monday ahead of entries,” clerk of the course George Hill told Sky Sports Racing.
“We were expecting 25-35mm in total after entries but we’ve had more and we’ve seen a few tracks caught out already, but luckily we’re OK as we stand at the moment.
“The going is heavy, soft in places at the moment. We’re expecting 2-7mm, the forecasters are saying, but the heaviest of that will be this afternoon, so we’ll monitor that. It is due to finish by 5pm, so fingers crossed we only get what is forecast and we don’t end up with more, as we’re looking forward to tomorrow.
“I don’t think it will have a chance to get holding or tacky, I think it will ride as described or a little better, given we could have a dry 18 hours.
“The track is in very good condition, we’ve got fresh ground on both tracks and we vertidrained the track last week, which helped us out massively ahead of this heavy rain.
“Obviously, the Betfair Hurdle has filled for the first time in four years, which is fantastic, it’s great to have the Willie Mullins horses, they arrived in the early hours of the morning safe and sound.”
Unfortunately, Saturday’s meeting at Warwick has been called off due to a waterlogged track.
The fixture was due to feature both the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices’ Chase and the Listed Warwick Mares’ Hurdle, in which Cheltenham candidate You Wear It Well was set to run.
However, a total of 36mm of rain fell at the track on Thursday, leaving the course unfit for action.
Clerk of the course Tom Ryall said: “We had 36mm in total yesterday, it started about 4am and carried on through to midnight.
“When we came in this morning, parts of the back straight where it runs parallel with Gog Brook are waterlogged, as that was put on red alert last night, while the owners and trainers car park has flooded and that has spilled onto the track.
“We are basically about 50 per cent under water, so there is really no hope of racing.”
Uttoxeter were also due to race on Saturday, but that fixture has been abandoned.
The course is waterlogged, with further rain forecast.
Friday’s meeting at Kempton got the go-ahead after a morning inspection, while the other scheduled jumps fixture at Bangor was called off on Thursday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag has urged Manchester United’s young stars to keep striving to improve.
There has been a sense of nascent optimism at Old Trafford in recent weeks, with new investment and improved performances and results on the pitch.
In their last four games, United have claimed Premier League wins over Wolves and West Ham, a draw with Tottenham and an FA Cup victory over Newport, scoring 13 goals in the process.
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At the centre of all those matches has been the young trio of Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, who have contributed eight of those goals, with 21-year-old Danish striker Hojlund scoring in all the games.
A picture of the youngsters sitting on an advertising hoarding together celebrating Garnacho’s first goal in last Sunday’s 3-0 victory over West Ham summed up the shift in mood.
“Players need time, especially young players like Rasmus and Alejandro,” said United boss Ten Hag.
“They need time but also they need a team, so those two facts were not there in the first part of the season. We had to make a lot of adjustments in our way of playing, so by stages it was difficult to serve the offensive part of the team.
“When that happens, it can go really quickly that players are going to develop and to progress, like we have seen. From the start I was confident they have the potential to do what they are now doing, and now it’s about keeping moving, keeping going, be hungry.
“I think they enjoy to play together. There is adventure. They are a danger. They want to do it together and to pass to each other so that everyone can play to their qualities and everyone can score goals.
“It’s great if they want to do it together because that is the key then we can have a lot of pleasure from this.
“They are young players and the future for Manchester United is quite bright with such talent on board, but you have to develop the talent.
“There is a lot of space for improvement and that is necessary if you want to go to the top levels. This club wants to achieve a lot, to win trophies, is very ambitious, so they then have to step up and bring higher levels and consistency.
“Also, against the best opposition they have to express the same threat, and it is about end product.”
Hojlund, 18-year-old Mainoo and 19-year-old Garnacho’s next chance to impress will come on Sunday against Aston Villa.
Unai Emery has earned huge plaudits for the work he has done to elevate Villa into a team challenging for the Champions League and United will almost certainly need to overhaul them if they are to finish in the top four.
Ten Hag is an admirer of Emery, saying: “I think it is very good how he developed this team and it’s very clear how they want to play, in and out of possession.
“I think the players know exactly what they have to do, their jobs and how they have to cooperate with each other. They are really a team, they absolutely have weapons in their team, so we have to play our maximum levels to get the right result.”
Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel is targeting a “statement performance” to end the 30-match unbeaten run of title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen hold a two-point lead over Saturday’s visitors at the top of the Bundesliga after winning 16 and drawing four of their 20 league games this season.
Xabi Alonso’s side can also boast a 100 per cent record in the group stage of the Europa League and twice came from behind in the German Cup on Tuesday to beat Stuttgart 3-2 and advance to the semi-finals.
However, Bayern can call on their experience of winning 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles and Tuchel believes his side have room for improvement as they approach the business end of the season.
“It’s exciting that two teams are earning points at such a high level,” Tuchel told a pre-match press conference.
“We’ve also had a very good campaign in terms of our history. We’re completely focused on what we can do. We want a statement performance. If we want to win, we need a top performance.
“It’s the week in which we want to prove ourselves. We’re playing for our own objectives, and our objective is to step things up a notch, and then we can be fine in every game. Then we’ve got the individual quality for it. We’re ready to improve.”
Tuchel’s side also have the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Lazio to look forward to and the 50-year-old added: “We have a very attractive week ahead of us.
“A win for Leverkusen opens up a gap, but it won’t be over, although it feels like a special moment to lay your cards on the table. It’s about challenging ourselves and therefore the opponent from the first second to the last.
“We want to take the next step. Leverkusen are having an outstanding season. We’ve still got room for improvement. We feel ready to take the next step and want to push Leverkusen.”
Alphonso Davies remains sidelined with a tendon injury but Joshua Kimmich, Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano have returned to training and are set to be in the matchday squad.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has been struggling with a knee problem, was set to take part in training on Friday before a decision is taken over whether he or Sven Ulreich will make the starting XI.
In a momentous celebration of two decades of rugby league growth in Jamaica, Rugby League Jamaica (RLJ) has proudly revealed its comprehensive 2024 domestic calendar. With an impressive lineup of over eight competitions, RLJ is set to embark on its most extensive domestic season yet, promising thrills for fans and participants alike.
As part of the commemorative year, RLJ has refreshed its competition logo branding to reflect the vibrant and enduring spirit of its fan base. The iconic Doctor Bird branding, rooted in the organization's early years, serves as a symbol guiding them into a future filled with excitement and possibilities.
The kickoff for the domestic season is set for Saturday, February 10th, with the eagerly awaited Intercollegiate 9s Championship. This inaugural event will see institutions such as the University of The West Indies, University of Technology, Mico University College, Caribbean Maritime University, Excelsior Community College, and Browns Town Community College vying for supremacy at the Mico University campus, starting at 11 am.
Throughout the year, rugby league enthusiasts can look forward to a series of exhilarating events, including four Community Club 9-a-side tournaments. The "New Year's 9s" on February 17th at the UWI Mona Bowl will feature local clubs alongside the Wigan-Leigh College U18s from England. Wigan-Leigh College will also face off against Jamaica Hurricanes U19s on February 24th at the same venue, promising an international flair to the competition.
The action-packed first half of the year includes the launch of the High School U14 and U16 Championships on February 23rd, the Easter 9s on April 7th, the inaugural U23 Club Championship on April 23rd, and the Women’s National Club Championship (WNCC) on April 27th. The Men’s National Club Championship (NCC) and U19 Championships kick off on May 4th and July 20th, respectively.
As the calendar progresses into the latter half of the year, rugby enthusiasts can anticipate the return of the National Knock-Out Cup on September 14th, the commencement of the High School Boys and Girls U19 Championships on October 17th, the start of the Men’s Division 2 Championship on November 23rd, and the grand culmination with the Christmas 9s on December 21st.
Additionally, RLJ's National and Representative teams are gearing up for exciting matches, with specific details about opponents and dates to be unveiled in due course.
Romeo Monteith, Director of Rugby, expressed his anticipation for 2024, stating, "It’s an exciting period; we have never before planned such an array of activities in a single year. This is particularly gratifying as we celebrate our 20th anniversary."
Despite challenges, including the absence of a dedicated rugby league field in the country, RLJ remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation and robust offerings, underscoring the unwavering growth of rugby league in Jamaica. As the organization looks forward to an unparalleled year of rugby festivities, fans can expect 2024 to etch its place in the annals of the sport's history in the Caribbean.
Martin Brassil is relishing the prospect of running Fastorslow in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, confident his star performer will not let him down on the big occasion.
Brassil’s flag-bearer had got the better of reigning Cheltenham champion Galopin Des Champs in both the Punchestown Gold Cup last April and the John Durkan earlier this season, but suffered defeat at the hands of Willie Mullins’ charge in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last weekend.
Although beaten four and a half lengths, Fastorslow more than played his part in what was a terrific showpiece to the Dublin Racing Festival – and with the race run to suit the defending champion, Brassil was content with the performance of his charge.
He said: “We were very happy with the run and he hadn’t run since November 26, so you have to be very happy with it.”
There was an argument to suggest Fastorslow may have been able to test Galopin Des Champs on the run-in if he had not been distracted by the front-running mount of Paul Townend at the final obstacle.
However, Brassil believes that is immaterial to the outcome of this particular battle.
“We might have got a flyer (at the last, if Galopin Des Champs had not jinked) but my horse was quick to spot what the other horse did and he just hesitated and got over the fence carefully,” explained Brassil.
“He was on the back foot then and Galopin Des Champs had him all the way to the line. However, I don’t think there would have been any different result I would say, he had the run of the race dictating it, so in that race he always had our measure.”
Fastorslow now heads to Prestbury Park as the general 4-1 second favourite for the Gold Cup, as he prepares to tackle the odds-on favourite for a fifth time, with the score currently 2-2, but Brassil is expecting a much deeper event on March 15 at a venue where his charge has performed well in the past.
“If you headed into a Gold Cup only worrying about one horse, then you wouldn’t be doing too bad, but I’m sure there will be a lot more competition when we get to the race though,” he added.
“He seems to like Cheltenham, which is always a positive. He’s a horse who has never let us down and you can always depend on him to perform at his best. Sometimes that’s good enough and others you come up a bit short. If he continued to do that, there will be no one complaining.
“It’s five weeks today we’re working towards and we’re looking forward to it.”
Fierce rivals England and Wales continue their Guinness Six Nations campaigns with an eagerly-awaited clash at Twickenham.
England kicked off with a narrow victory over Italy in Rome, while Wales almost pulled off the biggest comeback in Six Nations history, scoring 26 unanswered points before going down 27-26 to Scotland.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the talking points heading into Saturday’s encounter.
England’s magnificent seven
England have a strong record against Wales at Twickenham since losing to them in 2012. Centre Scott Williams’ late try clinched a Six Nations Triple Crown that day, but Wales have come unstuck on five subsequent Six Nations visits. The shining light from a Welsh perspective was their 2015 World Cup pool victory over England, but it is seven defeats on the bounce at English rugby headquarters following that 28-25 success, with England winning four Six Nations Tests, two World Cup warm-up games and a summer international. Wales can take heart from five of those reversals being by six points or fewer, but they face a tough ask to turn things around.
Half-century for George North
Wales are boosted by the return after injury of centre George North for their trip to south-west London. North, who wins his 119th cap, is the solitary player in Saturday’s match-day 23 to have been part of a winning Wales team at Twickenham, while he also clocks up 50 Six Nations games. Only four other players have reached a half-century in the competition for Wales – Alun Wyn Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones and Martyn Williams. North, who made his Six Nations bow against France in Paris 13 years ago, remains an integral part of head coach Warren Gatland’s plans.
Pump up the Twickenham volume
England return to headquarters for the first time since they were booed during a shock World Cup warm-up defeat against Fiji. Steve Borthwick’s team went on to finish third in the World Cup, and they host Wales on the back of an opening Six Nations victory over Italy. The Twickenham atmosphere in recent times has undoubtedly been flat, and changes introduced to the match-day experience include an increase in length of the players’ walk through the crowds from their bus to the changing room.
Ioan Lloyd in the spotlight
Former Bristol back Lloyd makes his first Wales start on Saturday, and it will be in the number 10 shirt after taking over from the injured Sam Costelow. The 22-year-old featured twice as a substitute during Wales’ 2020 autumn campaign, but it was more than three years until he reappeared on the international stage, replacing Costelow against Scotland last weekend and helping to orchestrate a spectacular second-half fightback. Lloyd is among several players in Wales’ match-day 23 never to have played Test rugby at Twickenham, but the visitors need him to thrive.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to make a mark?
The Exeter wing pledged allegiance to England and made his debut off the bench against Italy, despite being born and raised in Cardiff. It prompted Wales boss Warren Gatland to remark last month that his decision had not gone down well across the border, although Gatland also insisted that preparations for England had not involved the 21-year-old being mentioned, stating: “It doesn’t add any extra spice. Good luck to him. I hope things go well for him.”
Jamal Murray shined as the Los Angeles Lakers' three-game winning streak was halted by the Denver Nuggets, who won 114-106 at Crypto.com Arena.
Denver beat Los Angeles for the seventh game in a row, having swept them in the Western Conference finals last season on the way to their NBA championship success.
Anthony Davis scored 32 points and LeBron James added 25 for the Lakers but D’Angelo Russell was out injured after the team opted not to make any moves at the trade deadline.
Russell’s replacement Max Christie also suffered an injury shorty before halftime as the Lakers dropped to 27-26, while the Nuggets (36-16) have now won three straight games, and eight of their last 10.
Nikola Jokic just missed a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, while Murray scored 29 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 27.
The Nuggets led by 15 at one stage in the second half but the game was level again at 104-104 entering the final two minutes. A 10-0 Denver run proved decisive, ending the Lakers' best winning streak since they lifted the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.
"They made shots and executed," said LeBron. "The ball always ends up in Jamal Murray's hands.
"We tied the game and twice they hit big 3s, so they made more plays offensively than us and were able to win the game.
"Very good teams have an ability to run plays late in the game that they haven't run all game and have certain packages they can go to where they can get a really good shot.
"But it makes it even more dynamic when you have a point guard and center as great as [Murray and Jokic], it definitely helps the play calls when you have those two!"
For LeBron, who also had nine rebounds and seven assists, he was able to focus on the game despite speculation around the trade deadline and a big day which saw the emotional unveiling of Kobe Bryant’s statue.
"I went through my regular game-day routine and focused on the job at hand," he said.
"I knew coming in coming off a 12-day, six-game road trip is difficult on us, but once you get on the floor you have to lock in on an assignment. That’s all that matters.
"Our whole year so far has been about health. We haven't got to the point yet [where everyone is available]."
A busy schedule continues for Los Angeles as it hosts New Orleans on Friday, while Denver is at Sacramento next.
Davis echoed LeBron in citing health as the Lakers’ key issue, but still felt they could have won the contest.
"This is our team, who we are going to have," he said after the trade deadline passed. "Like I said, until we get guys healthy, we kind of have to get back into our groove.
"But this was a very, very winnable game and down the stretch kind of hurt us."
Nuggets coach Michael Malone was glad to see his team hold their nerve in the final moments.
He said: "What I saw in that stretch was poise on offense and executing.
"Give them [the Lakers] credit, they had all the momentum and they were attacking us, so to outscore that team 10-2 in the last few minutes, that means you’re defending at a high level and you’re rebounding."
Denver has the same record as the Minnesota Timberwolves at the top of the Western Conference, with Los Angeles in the No,9 position.
Stephen Curry urged the Golden State Warriors not to run before they can walk after his 42-point haul inspired them to victory over the Indiana Pacers.
The Warriors won for the fifth time in six games on Thursday, claiming an emphatic 131-109 win over Indiana.
Curry was in scintillating form, with 29 of his points coming in the first half. The four-time NBA champion has now recorded three 40+ point games across his last seven outings.
Golden State are 11th in the Western Conference, with a 24-25 record, but are now looking up as they aim to secure a playoff place.
But they must keep their feet on the ground.
"The challenge is to not get too far ahead of yourself, thinking you can just show up and win games," Curry said.
"We've got a long way to go to get some security."
Coach Steve Kerr believes the Warriors are beginning to show what they are truly made of.
He added: "We had a great start to the season and then things, obviously, went kind of haywire for a while.
"But this feels like the best version of us, with the starting lineup, playing they are, bringing guys off the bench who are giving great energy and effort.
"And then, Steph was just scalding hot there early."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle offered up few excuses, simply pointing to the quality of Curry's performance.
"Well, he was making shots, but we got beat by their hard play — and our lack of hard play," he said.
"Simple as that. It was ugly. I think we lost every quarter."
The Republic of Ireland and England will kick-off the next edition of the Nations League against each other in their first match competitive meeting since 1991.
The nations were drawn together in Paris on Thursday and UEFA has confirmed the pair will open Group B2 in Dublin on September 7.
The return fixture in England will take place on matchday six on November 17, with the pool completed by Finland and Greece.
These will be the first competitive fixtures between the Republic and England since a Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley. They have met in four friendlies since then, most recently in November 2020 at Wembley.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is not worrying about personal reputations as he prepares for Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Shanahan, the son of two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Shanahan, has been here before, facing the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV four years ago, but came out on the wrong end of that one in a 31-20 defeat.
In each of the previous two seasons, the 44-year-old saw his 49ers lose in the NFC Championship game.
While he boasts a strong overall record in his seven seasons as a head coach, Shanahan faced questions in Las Vegas this week about whether another loss would feed a narrative that he could not win ‘the big one’.
“I’d deal with that the same as if we win,” Shanahan said. “I’d celebrate with my team, my family and then move on with the rest of my life, which is being a father, a son, coaching and working. A narrative, good or bad, is just a narrative.
“When you go into these games, what makes you prepare is you don’t want regrets. You want to do everything that makes sense to myself and to the team.
“When you do that, no matter how hard something is or how good something is, you keep perspective. If you want your perspective to be someone else’s narrative, good luck.”
Shanahan has a 72-54 overall record with the 49ers since they gave him his first head coaching job in 2017. But he acknowledged that now, only a Super Bowl win would represent a good season.
“That’s how it boils down for everybody in the NFL,” he said. “The only time in a season you’re satisfied without a Super Bowl is maybe the first year if you exceed expectations – that’s the only time if you don’t make the play-offs you don’t feel you’ve completely failed.
“Other than that, if you don’t make the play-offs in this league, no-one is happy. If you make the play-offs and lose your last game, no-one’s happy. If you get to the Super Bowl and lose the Super Bowl, you’re not happy.
“Only one team is happy at the end of the year. Whether it comes down to the Super Bowl or a play-off game, it’s the same. When you go for the big one it hurts when you get that close because it’s that hard to get there.
“We’re fortunate our team has been able to get here twice. The last one was a tough one.
“We have every opportunity but they made the plays and we didn’t. I think it will be a real tight game this weekend. We’ll see how it unfolds, but I like our chances.”
Iroko is on course to make the Cheltenham Festival but which race he runs in has still to be decided.
Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, the six-year-old won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the meeting last season in the famous JP McManus colours.
He went on to finish third to Apple Away in Grade One company at Aintree and reappeared over fences at Warwick in early November, putting up a faultless chasing debut over two and a half miles.
Unfortunately he picked up an injury a couple of weeks later that connections initially felt would rule him out for the season, however, he has returned to full training much quicker than anticipated and has been entered in the Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chases next month.
While Greenall favours the Turners, McManus also owns ante-post favourite Fact To File which may have a bearing on his destination.
“I think he’ll get to Cheltenham,” said Greenall.
“He won’t be able to have a run before, there’s not enough time, but he’ll get to Cheltenham.
“Which race he’ll run in there, I’m still not sure. I’d rather go over two and a half miles but JP has obviously got other options in that, so we’ll just have to see.
“The Arkle may have opened up after last weekend but obviously he ran so well in the three-mile Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree.
“It’s great that he’s back anyway, and he’s back in full training.”
Saturday’s meeting at Warwick has been called off due to a waterlogged track.
The fixture was due to feature both the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices’ Chase and the Listed Warwick Mares’ Hurdle, in which Cheltenham candidate You Wear It Well was due to run.
However, a total of 36 millimetres of rain fell at the track on Thursday, leaving the course unfit for action.
Clerk of the course Tom Ryall said: “We had 36mm in total yesterday, it started about 4am and carried on through to midnight.
“When we came in this morning, parts of the back straight where it runs parallel with Gog Brook are waterlogged as that was put on red alert last night, while the owners and trainers car park has flooded and that has spilled on to the track.
“We are basically about 50 per cent under water, so there is really no hope of racing.”
Friday’s meeting at Kempton got the go-ahead after a morning inspection, although an area of the track is riding heavy, while the other scheduled jumps fixture at Bangor was called off on Thursday afternoon.
What the papers say
Manchester United have reportedly determined their ceiling for Brentford striker Ivan Toney. According to the Daily Star, the Red Devils value the 27-year-old at £70million, and will not be drawn into a bidding war should competition arise for Toney’s signature.
Elsewhere, the Daily Mirror says Arsenal scouts are keeping a close eye on Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. The Gunners could chase Williams as an option to ease the pressure on Bukayo Saka, however the 21-year-old is also said to be attracting interest from a number of heavyweights including Real Madrid and Liverpool.
The Evening Standard reports AC Milan lead several Serie A sides in expressing interest in 23-year-old Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Thomas Partey: Spanish outlet Fichajes says the Arsenal midfielder is being circled by Juventus.
Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool are all tracking the Bayern Munich left-back, according to the website HITC.
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