Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted he will hand some players Champions League auditions as they close an unsuccessful campaign against Feyenoord.
Celtic have one point from five games and a 2-0 defeat against Lazio last time out consigned them to bottom spot and the Dutch champions to third place in Group E.
Rodgers has handed rare starts to Tomoki Iwata, Mikey Johnston and Oh Hyeon-gyu in the past two domestic games and he will partly use Wednesday’s match to continue assessing his January transfer window needs.
Rodgers, who will again be without Cameron Carter-Vickers and Daizen Maeda, said: “Because of the situation we have with injuries and with all the games, it will give the opportunity for players to play.
“When we reach January, a lot of the players in the squad will have the opportunity to play games and play games through all the levels, and then can be assessed from there.
“But whatever team we put out, we are putting a team out always to win at Celtic. There’s no gifts, there’s no free games.
“Every game is to win and, even though disappointingly we won’t have anything in Europe after Christmas, we are still playing for pride here and the support. So we will have a team looking to fight for the result.
“It’s our last game here in the competition and we want to give the supporters something to go home happy with.
“Our attitude is exactly the same, to go and look to win the game. And we do that by playing our way. I think we showed at the weekend, once we divert from that, we don’t have the same qualities and it’s not our strength. Our strength is to play the way we want to play.”
Rodgers felt his side deviated from their positive passing game as they lost a half-time lead at Kilmarnock to suffer their first cinch Premiership defeat of the season.
“The value of the game at the weekend is we know what the issues were,” he said.
“In the St Johnstone game, the intensity wasn’t right and we fixed that. Sunday for us, when we analysed the game, we didn’t play with the poise that we need to play with in the second half.
“But at least we see that and we can take that learning into the game on Wednesday.”
Celtic have now gone 15 Champions League group games without victory, a run stretching back to Rodgers’ first spell in charge.
But the manager dismissed the long-term significance of getting a morale-boosting win ahead of next season’s European campaign.
“It’s still such a long way to go,” he said. “And probably, come this time next year, the squad may look a lot different again.
“We can only focus on the present and for us it’s performing to the level we know we can consistently.
“We have done that in spells over the course of this competition and played some really high-level football and showed in those moments that we belong at the level. But you have to do that consistently.”
Carter-Vickers and Maeda trained on Tuesday and Rodgers hopes they can return from recent lay-offs when his side host Hearts in the league on Saturday.
Reo Hatate was training on his own after returning from Japan following the first part of his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.
The midfielder does not look likely to return before the winter break.
Gerri Colombe appears increasingly likely to travel across the Irish Sea over the festive period to contest the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
So impressive when scoring at Aintree in the spring, Gordon Elliott’s charge made a successful reappearance with a last-gasp win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal last month.
The leading Cheltenham Gold Cup contender has the option of remaining on home soil for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, but Elliott is currently favouring the trip to Sunbury.
“He’s going to work Friday morning and if everything is okay, he’s going to go to Kempton,” the trainer said at Punchestown on Tuesday.
Gerri Colombe is the 11-4 second-favourite for the King George with the sponsors, who make last year’s winner Bravemansgame their 2-1 market leader despite suffering back-to-back defeats so far this season.
The Willie Mullins-trained Allaho is next on the list at 11-2, with Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin a 6-1 shot to claim victory on what will effectively be his seasonal debut, having refused to start at Ascot last month before subsequently missing potential outings at Newcastle and Sandown.
Royale Pagaille, who beat Bravemansgame in last month’s Betfair Chase at Haydock for Venetia Williams, is also a single-figure price at 8-1, as is Patrick Neville’s stable star The Real Whacker.
Gordon Elliott has branded reports that the British Horseracing Authority could limit the number of runners an individual trainer can run in major handicaps in Britain as “very dangerous”.
It has been suggested that the ruling body is consulting stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of capping the amount of runners a trainer can declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.
If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.
Elliott, no stranger to saddling multiple runners in high-profile races both in Britain and in Ireland, admits the prospect of being limited to how many horses he can run in a race is a huge concern.
“I think to try and cap an owner or a trainer’s horses is very dangerous,” he said after racing at Punchestown on Tuesday.
“If you go back to the 1960s, Tom Dreaper won seven Irish Grand Nationals in a row and he had 50 per cent of the field, although I know there weren’t big fields then.
“In 1983, Michael Dickinson had the first five home in the Gold Cup and then 20 years later Martin Pipe had eight and nine of the field in two races at the Cheltenham Festival – things haven’t changed.”
Elliott made the headlines last month when saddling 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase at Navan, a move which he staunchly defends.
He added: “There would only have been four runners in the Munster National if I didn’t run one in it, never mind eight, and it would have been the same in the Troytown.
“These races aren’t filling up and you have to try and support them for the sponsors and everyone.
“In the Galway Plate, I ran six horses for six different owners. It’s very hard for me to have to tell someone that they can’t run.
“We buy them all thinking they are going to be Gold Cup horses but a lot of them end up being three-mile chasers.”
When asked to comment on the potential move, a BHA spokesperson said: “From time to time, the BHA will contact stakeholders for views on various issues. We would not comment on speculation around private discussions.”
Gordon Elliott has branded reports that the British Horseracing Authority could limit the number of runners an individual trainer can run in major handicaps in Britain as “very dangerous”.
It has been suggested that the ruling body is consulting stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of capping the amount of runners a trainer can declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.
If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.
Elliott, no stranger to saddling multiple runners in high-profile races both in Britain and in Ireland, admits the prospect of being limited to how many horses he can run in a race is a huge concern.
“I think to try and cap an owner or a trainer’s horses is very dangerous,” he said after racing at Punchestown on Tuesday.
“If you go back to the 1960s, Tom Dreaper won seven Irish Grand Nationals in a row and he had 50 per cent of the field, although I know there weren’t big fields then.
“In 1983, Michael Dickinson had the first five home in the Gold Cup and then 20 years later Martin Pipe had eight and nine of the field in two races at the Cheltenham Festival – things haven’t changed.”
Elliott made the headlines last month when saddling 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase at Navan, a move which he staunchly defends.
He added: “There would only have been four runners in the Munster National if I didn’t run one in it, never mind eight, and it would have been the same in the Troytown.
“These races aren’t filling up and you have to try and support them for the sponsors and everyone.
“In the Galway Plate, I ran six horses for six different owners. It’s very hard for me to have to tell someone that they can’t run.
“We buy them all thinking they are going to be Gold Cup horses but a lot of them end up being three-mile chasers.”
When asked to comment on the potential move, a BHA spokesperson said: “From time to time, the BHA will contact stakeholders for views on various issues. We would not comment on speculation around private discussions.”
The remarkable patience of Elixir D’Ainay’s connections was rewarded as he made a triumphant return from almost four years on the sidelines in the William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Hurdle at Punchestown.
The JP McManus-owned gelding proved his ability in his first season with Willie Mullins during the 2019/20 campaign, notably chasing home Envoi Allen in a Grade One at Naas before falling two flights from home in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham won by Shishkin.
Despite a mammoth absence totalling 1372 days, Elixir D’Ainay was a 4-5 favourite for his comeback in County Kildare and showed at least some of his talent remains intact with a comfortable victory.
Ridden by Mark Walsh, the nine-year-old looked to have a race on his hands after being chased into the home straight by Whimsy, but he knuckled down after the final flight to repel that challenge by two and a quarter lengths.
McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “Willie had him entered in a chase and I’d presume that’s the road he’ll go down from here.
“It’s lovely to get him back and that was a lovely race to find for him. We’ll be happy now if the wheels stay on.
“He’s a fine, big horse and his form was very good around the time he got injured. It’s lovely to see him back and credit to all of Willie’s team.”
Elixir D’Ainay was one of three winners on the card for the champion trainer, with Paul Townend steering Embassy Gardens (8-11) and Blizzard Of Oz (5-4) to short-priced victories in the beginners chase and maiden hurdle respectively.
Townend was particularly impressed with Embassy Gardens’ jumping, saying: “He’s brilliant, when you’re riding him, you’d be encouraged to keep asking him everywhere but on that ground you can’t.
“It was the perfect introduction, he relaxed and jumped well. I didn’t have to be too hard on him but going around on that ground will take a bit out of them anyway.
“He raced properly with me today. He was too keen when he ran in the Albert Bartlett in Cheltenham, but I lit him up early. Today was just about getting him to do things right and he did, he couldn’t have done any more.
“He has loads of scope for the big one and he was a joy to ride. Hopefully, this will be his year.”
Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower won the opening William Hill Ireland Rated Novice Chase for the McManus-Walsh combination.
Fourth behind the top-class Facile Vega at Navan last month, the five-year-old was the 9-4 favourite to make it third time lucky over fences in this lower grace and got the better of a duel with Firm Footings to do just that by a head.
“He had two great runs and he delivered today, so it was great,” said Mangan.
“It turned out to be a sprint, they went very handy for the first mile. He has a bit of class, he’s not too slow. I’ll be speaking to Mark and I’ll see what they want to do with him.”
Gordon Elliott’s point-to-point graduate Kish Bank (4-5 favourite) made a winning debut under rules in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction (Pro/Am) Flat Race, with Harry Swan in the saddle.
Elliott said: “He’s a grand horse. To be honest, I was kind of nervous about running him because he ran in a point-to-point a few weeks ago.
“He’s a horse for the future, a big horse and we’ll put him away now until next year. You might see him run in a graded hurdle or something but he won’t do much this season, as he’s a massive horse.”
Former Italy and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has announced his retirement.
The 39-year-old has called time on his career following the end of the MLS season, where his side Los Angeles FC lost the MLS Cup to Columbus Crew at the weekend.
Chiellini, who won Euro 2020 with Italy, says it is time to “start new chapters” in his life.
“You have been the most beautiful and intense journey of my life,” he wrote on social media.
“You have been my everything. With you I have travelled a unique and unforgettable path. But now it is time to start new chapters, face new challenges and write further important and exciting pages of life.”
The centre-half made over 700 career appearances after making his debut for Livorno in 2000.
He spent the mainstay of his career at Juventus, winning nine Serie A titles, before heading to LA to see out his career in America.
Juventus said in a statement on their official website: “You were always by our side, like a superhero ready to intervene if necessary. In your case, however, there was no shield, red cloak or bat-mobile: a blow to the head was enough – you took a lot of them – and off you went, all bandaged up.
“Once you wore that, there was no escape for our opponents: it was Kryptonite for any Superman who tried to challenge us, from the “Romeo Neri” of Rimini to the “Santiago Bernabeu” of Madrid.
“Even in the MLS, where you’ve brought to an end your stellar 23-season career, they had a little taste of what you could still do, at 39 years of age. On the slopes of Hollywood Hill they know how to tell the deeds of heroes from other times, of apparently normal men who later turn out to be extraordinary.
“Should they ask us which is our favourite, we have no doubt: with Giorgio from Livorno by our side, complete with that iconic bandage around his head, no one ever scared us. Wishing you all the best, captain!”
Karachi Kings have appointed the former West Indies allrounder Phil Simmons as their head coach ahead of the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season. Simmons takes over from the former South Africa allrounder Johan Botha, who coached Kings to a second-from-bottom finish, with three wins from 10 games, in PSL 2023.
Simmons, who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs from 1987 to 1999, has enjoyed an extensive coaching career including multiple stints with West Indies, the most recent of which ended after the team's first-round exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. He is currently head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and LA Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC).
Simmons played one international game in Karachi, during the 1987 World Cup, and he said in a statement that he looked forward to returning to the city and working with Kings team director Haider Azhar.
"Returning to Karachi, a city I hold dear from my playing days, feels like a homecoming," Simmons said.
"I am thrilled to join forces with Haider Azhar and the rest of the team's think tank, drawing from the rich cricketing heritage of this country. I am thankful to team owner Salman Iqbal, CEO Tariq Wasi, and Karachi Kings management for this opportunity. We are eager to move ahead with our rebuilding and restart process of Karachi Kings and establish this franchise as a match-winning unit."
Kings have won one title - in 2020 - in eight seasons of the PSL. They will hope the appointment of Simmons will revive their fortunes after their failure to make the playoffs of the tournament in both 2022 and 2023.
Simmons' first task will be building Kings' squad during the player draft on Wednesday. Kings currently have eight players on their roster: Shan Masood (captain), James Vince, Hasan Ali, Shoaib Malik, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Akhlaq and Muhammad Irfan Khan.
The 2024 season of the PSL is scheduled to run from February 13 to March 18.
Gordon Elliott’s promising novice chaser Imagine could head across the Irish Sea for a Grade One start at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The five-year-old began his chasing career this season, starting out at Fairyhouse in a beginners event he won by a comfortable two and a half lengths.
He then stepped up in class at Punchestown late last month to contest the Grade Two Craddockstown Novice Chase.
Under Jack Kennedy, Imagine was required to dig deeper than on debut but he did so to come home the winner when crossing the line half a length ahead of John Ryan’s Lucid Dreams.
A step up in trip is now afoot and so too is a step up in grade, as the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day is pencilled into his diary – a Grade One event run over an extended three miles.
Alternatively, Imagine holds two entries at Leopardstown’s festive meeting, over two miles and a furlong in the Racing Post Novice Chase and over three miles and half a furlong in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase – both Grade Ones.
He is also in Limerick’s Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase over nearly two and a half miles.
Imagine is owned by Andy and Gemma Brown of Caldwell Construction, whose racing manager Joey Logan said of the gelding: “We’re very happy with him, to be honest.
“He stepped up from his beginners in Fairyhouse and won the Grade Two and we were very happy with that.
“He wants further really, two miles is a bit short and we’re hoping we might step him up at Christmas time.
“I think the further he goes, the better he’ll be. We’re looking at the Grade One on Boxing Day at Kempton, that’s a possibility.
“He’ll have an entry and we’ll sit down with Gordon to discuss. If not, it’ll be Leopardstown but that’s what we’re thinking of at the moment.”
Jessica Harrington’s Jetara successfully stepped up to Listed class with a tenacious display in the William Hill Epic Value Mares Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
The daughter of Walk In The Park is bred to be smart, being from the family of several high-class performers, including Jetson, Jered, Jett and Champion Hurdle hero Jezki.
Jetara was a Listed winner in the bumper sphere last season and went on to be placed in Grade Three company over hurdles in the new year.
She failed to fire on her first start of the current campaign at Down Royal but made the most of having her sights lowered when belatedly opening her account over timber at Fairyhouse last month and she was a 2-1 joint-favourite stepping back up in grade under Sean O’Keeffe.
The five-year-old mastered Banntown Girl halfway up the home straight and passed the post with six lengths in hand over the staying-on A Penny A Hundred.
Harrington said: “She was good. She’s got the experience from last year and is a second season novice basically.
“She goes on that heavy ground, unlike the rest of the family. She’s hardy now and she won going away, she quickened up great.”
Jetara will now bid to pick up more valuable black type in Graded company.
“I don’t know where we’ll go, she might get an entry in the mares’ race at Christmas (Grade Three Kerrymount Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown) and then there is one at the end of January (Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse),” Harrington added.
“We’ll look at anything over two and a half miles or two-five. I might even try and find a three-mile race in England.
“The mares’ novice at Cheltenham is only two miles. I’d rather wait and go to Fairyhouse for the Grade One, that would be her aim in the spring.”
Deborah Cole is yet to decide the next destination for Long Distance Hurdle third Flight Deck, admitting she is still very much on a high from the bargain buy’s surprise heroics this autumn.
The nine-year-old won five times in 15 starts when previously trained by Jonjo O’Neill, but was picked up for just £5,000 at the sales in the summer and has since really enjoyed himself in his new surroundings at Cole’s Solihull base.
His first start for new connections was at Cheltenham in October when belying odds of 66-1 to grab the bronze medal in a Pertemps qualifier and he then excelled himself in even deeper waters when a close-up third behind staying stalwarts Dashel Drasher and Paisley Park at Newbury.
Those two performances have seen Flight Deck – who runs for The Steve, Joe And Steve Syndicate – more than cover his purchasing costs, with the past few months very much a blur for the trainer, who is still trying to let Flight Deck’s underdog achievements sink in.
For now though, she is content to continue letting the dust settle while the horse recharges his batteries ahead of a return to the track in the new year.
“We haven’t really made a detailed plan yet, we’re just seeing how he is and it’s been a bit of a fairy story with him really,” said Cole.
“He’s fine, he’s really well. Next on the agenda will probably be a little break and I think he is a horse you have to keep sweet and happy.
“It’s all a bit surreal and when he ran so well at Cheltenham we were a bit surprised, and then when he backed it up at Newbury, only beaten by two exceptionally good horses, and not beaten that far really, it was just amazing.
“To have a horse of that quality and for that cheap is just amazing and we feel very lucky. People are paying hundreds of thousands of pounds for these horses and there is never any guarantee, is there. He just slipped through the net, I think.”
Flight Deck’s stellar display in esteemed company at Newbury has Cole considering continuing on a Graded level journey for his next start, with Cheltenham’s Cleeve Hurdle on January 27 a possible option.
However, the West Midlands handler concedes she has never had to consider these calibre of races previously and is very much taking it one day at a time, while also embracing the challenge of mapping out Flight Deck’s next movements.
“It’s tempting (to stay at Graded level) and he’s obviously got a lot of ability,” continued Cole.
“We may do, but it is all new and we’ve never dealt with horses who would go for Graded races up until now, so it’s a bit of a learning curve really. We’re enjoying it though, obviously!
“We’re not in any rush with him and there’s plenty of time. We’ll probably have a look in the middle to the end of January and see what there is then really.
“There is that (the Cleeve) and we have pondered on that, but I don’t know. I think we’re still trying to keep our feet grounded because he could put in a stinker, but who knows.
“He’s obviously in a very happy place now – and for all our horses, that is very important.”
Destiny Udogie has signed a new long-term contract with Tottenham, the Premier League club have announced.
The Italian left-back, who has made a huge impression in the first part of the current season, has committed himself to Spurs until 2030.
The 21-year-old joined Tottenham from Udinese in a £15million deal in 2022 but spent last season back on loan with the Serie A club.
He returned to London in the summer and has thrived under new manager Ange Postecoglou, starting 14 of the club’s 16 Premier League games this term.
He also made his Italy debut this autumn and scored his first Spurs goal in the 4-1 victory over Newcastle on Sunday.
Udogie told the club’s website: “I’m happy because I think to be here at this club is a big joy for me, so I’m really happy for this opportunity and it’s a pleasure.
“From the first day I came in, I’ve felt at home.
“There’s just been one objective – to show my best and help the team.
“I’m happy how it’s going but obviously we can do more and I will keep working to do more.”
Erling Haaland was not involved as Manchester City trained in front of media cameras prior to their Champions League trip to Red Star Belgrade.
The prolific Norway striker had already seemed likely to miss Wednesday’s final Group G game in Serbia after sitting out the Premier League win at Luton on Sunday with a foot injury.
Manager Pep Guardiola was unsure how long Haaland would be out when asked over the weekend, but expressed hope he would be fit for their opening Club World Cup match in Saudi Arabia next week.
That would also mean the 23-year-old, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, missing Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.
Winger Jeremy Doku was also absent from the part of the training session that media were allowed to film at the City Football Academy on Tuesday morning.
The Belgian has missed the last two games with a muscular problem.
Goalkeeper Ederson was also not involved, suggesting the Brazilian could be rested in Belgrade with number two Stefan Ortega given an opportunity.
There is nothing riding on the game for City, who have already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners.
Guardiola was likely to give an update on the squad at a press conference in Serbia on Tuesday evening.
Alan King has identified the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton as a possible next port of call for Edwardstone following his admirable defence of the Tingle Creek on Saturday.
The nine-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Sandown showpiece last season and returned to the Esher track to defend his crown over the weekend.
Edwardstone had plenty on his plate as he looked to turn the tables on Jonbon following their clash in last month’s Shloer Chase at Cheltenham – and while he again came off second best, he did at least close the gap on Nicky Henderson’s star chaser.
King immediately ruled out an appearance over three miles in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, but the Barbury Castle handler is keen to step his charge up in trip on his next start.
“He ran very well and has come out of it well and we’ll probably look to step him up to two-and-a-half in the new year,” he said.
“He’s definitely not going for the King George, but there is the Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton in January. We’ll have a look at that and, whether he goes there or not, I think his next run will be over two-and-a-half, as it will give us an idea what we’re doing with him.”
With the Queen Mother Champion Chase already shaping up to be a straight shootout between Jonbon and his formidable Irish rival El Fabiolo, the Ryanair Chase could end up being Edwardstone’s Cheltenham Festival target if he can prove his stamina in the meantime.
King added: “You’ve obviously got Jonbon and the horse in Ireland and you wouldn’t really look forward to taking those two on.”
Chelsea have confirmed skipper Reece James sustained a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.
The England right-back was one of three players who went off injured for the visitors during the Premier League contest at Goodison Park, along with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and left-back Marc Cucurella.
A statement on Chelsea’s official website on Tuesday said: “Captain Reece James has undergone medical assessment following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Everton.
“The defender was withdrawn during the first half at Goodison Park and scan results have confirmed a hamstring injury. Reece will now begin his rehabilitation programme at Cobham.”
Speaking after Sunday’s match – about his disappointment at losing the 24-year-old to injury – Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino emphasised James’ importance, describing him as “one of the best full-backs in the world”.
Pochettino also said Sanchez had departed due to a knee issue, and Cucurella because of a twisted ankle.
Those problems add to an already-lengthy injury list for the west London club, who are 12th in the table.
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