Michel says Girona are in better physical shape ahead of their home clash against Espanyol after being handed numerous injury boosts.

Last season's surprise package, Girona, have had a mixed start to the campaign and sit 10th in the table but registered back-to-back league wins before the international break.

They have struggled with injuries to key players this season, but Viktor Tsygankov, Jhon Solis, Arnaut Danjuma, Yaser Asprilla, Ladislav Krejci, Ivan Martin, and Alejandro Frances are all available for the game.

Michel hopes that having a wider group of players available will help them to extend their winning run.

"We are better physically. Only Yangel Herrera, [Gabriel] Misehouy, Portu and Abel Ruiz are out, and the rest are in the squad" Michel told reporters. 

"Each case will be different in terms of giving us minutes, but they are ready to help us.

"Now we have replacements in each position, and it gives me peace of mind. We need everyone ready and in the next two to three weeks, we will be ready to play at 100%."

Michel said Herrera, who has scored twice and registered one assist in LaLiga this term, was not expected to return until the new year.

"He is a player who makes the difference in terms of duels, arrivals into the opponent's area and possession. He is vital, but we will not have him until 2025," he added.

Girona have 18 points after 13 games and will face an Espanyol side sitting in the relegation zone. The visitors are yet to win away this season, losing five of six games on the road, but Michel has won just one of his four LaLiga matches against Espanyol (D2 L1).

The Girona head coach said Manolo Gonzalez's team cannot be taken lightly despite their underwhelming performances in away games.

Espanyol are yet to win away this season, losing five of six games on the road.

"We faced each other in pre-season and we drew. It will be difficult since they are a very good team in transition with players like [Javi] Puado or Jofre [Carreras] with speed and depth," Michel said.

"It's always a different game. It's a derby, and it's good to play them. There is a rivalry that must be sporting and, for our people and the players, it is a different game."

Pep Guardiola insisted he would stay with Manchester City even if the club is relegated as punishment for their alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.

Guardiola, who joined City in 2016, signed a new two-year contract extension on Friday, ending speculation over his current deal that was due to expire at the end of the season.

The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.

During his time in charge, the Spaniard has won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and their maiden Champions League crown last year. 

He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.

However, a hearing into Man City's 115 charges for allegedly breaking the Premier League's rules is also under way, but Guardiola said he will stay regardless of the outcome. 

"I said that six months ago. If we get relegated, I will be here and next year we're going to come up to the Premier League. I knew it then, I feel it now," Guardiola said. 

He also revealed that he agreed to fresh terms at the Etihad in less than two hours. 

"I felt I should stay here. Of course, because they want me. For obvious reasons, for the results and because we've known each other for a long time," he added. 

"All my decisions have been like that, what I feel in the moment. I don't pre-convince, I wait. I decided to stay here and in just two hours we did it [agreed the contract]."

City welcome Tottenham to the Etihad this weekend on the back of four consecutive defeats - Guardiola's longest losing run in his entire managerial career. 

The Citizens last lost more consecutively between March and April 2006 under Stuart Pearce (six – the fifth game of which was also against Tottenham).

They have also won just three of their last 10 top-flight games against Tottenham (D2 L5) and are looking to win consecutive meetings with them for the first time since April 2019.

Despite their run of form, Guardiola was quick to point out his side's recent success, most notably becoming the first team to win four consecutive Premier League titles. 

"When you are here for nine years, with a long time at one club, you live all the scenarios, all the situations," Guardiola said.

"You're able to lose four games in a row, but at the same time, you're able to win four Premier Leagues in a row.

"The difference is that most of the teams are able to lose four games in a row in different competitions, but just one team won four Premier Leagues in a row. So it happened.

"Did it happen in one season? No. When you've been somewhere eight or nine years, yeah, both sides of the run can happen."

Diego Simeone says he is grateful to be managing his 700th game at Atletico Madrid, even as rumours swirl about his future. 

The Argentine will hit the landmark on Saturday when Atletico host Alaves in LaLiga.

Simeone is nearing 13 years in charge of Atletico having taken the job in December 2011, and the 54-year-old has since transformed the side from perennial underdogs to dangerous rivals to Spain's big two - Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The club has won two league titles, one Copa del Rey and two Europa League trophies, while they also reached the Champions League final twice - losing to city rivals Madrid on both occasions.

However, they remain a force to be reckoned with and Simeone's record of 326 clean sheets is a testament to his side's defensive prowess.

"First of all, I'd like to thank all the people who worked with me on the coaching staff and who are not with us today, all the players who made it possible for me to be at the club for so long," Simeone told reporters.

"Miguel Angel (CEO) and Enrique Cerezo (president) for supporting me on the path and trying to follow it together, and our fans for the respect they have always shown me.

"I am absolutely grateful to Atletico, I am very happy to have been able to enjoy these 700 games."

However, Atletico's start to the season has led to questions being raised in the media about his future.

Atletico are third in LaLiga, seven points behind leaders Barcelona after five draws, while they are a lowly 23rd in the Champions League halfway through the new group stage.

But Simeone has a contract until June 2027 and is not bothered by speculation, saying: "I think about Alaves, I don't focus on anything else... I think about how to resolve an important match."

Atletico went into the international break with four straight wins in all competitions, and if they win on Saturday, it will be Simeone's 300th in LaLiga. He believes the next eight games will be crucial.

"Alaves is coming, we know them. They play direct, with speed... and a lot of guys we know because they have been here [at Atletico]," Simeone said.

"We need to take the game to where we think we can hurt them. It will be important to play at a high pace and that's what we'll be looking for."

Reigning champions Spain have been drawn against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the Nations League.  

Spain won five of their six games in Group A4, and will face the Dutch for the first time in a competitive match since their 5-1 defeat at the World Cup in 2014. 

France, who emerged victorious in the 2020-21 edition of the Nations League, will take on Croatia in a repeat of their World Cup final meeting six years ago. 

Germany will face Italy while Portugal, who were the inaugural winners of the tournament, were drawn against Denmark, with the two-legged fixtures taking place in March. 

The semi-finals are single legs which will get underway in June, with the third-place play-off and final to be played three days later.

European champions Spain, Portugal and Germany topped their groups without losing a game to go into the seeded teams' pot along with France.

The winner of Spain's enticing tie with the Netherlands will play either France or Croatia, while Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to inspire Portugal to a second title. 

Only Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres (nine), Norway's Erling Haaland (seven) and Romania's Razvan Marin (six) have scored more goals in this year's edition than Ronaldo (five). 

Scotland, who finished third in Group A1 behind Portugal and Croatia, will face Greece in a Nations League play-off to remain in the top tier of the competition.

The other play-off games will see Turkey face Hungary, Ukraine take on Belgium, and Austria square off against Serbia in March. 

Arne Slot believes it is "good news" for the Premier League that Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension with Manchester City.

The Spaniard signed a two-year extension with the reigning champions and will remain in the dugout at the Etihad until 2027.

He has won 18 major trophies in his time at City, including six Premier League titles, and twice beat Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to the top-flight crown by a single point.

Guardiola averages 2.35 points per game in the Premier League, the highest rate of any manager (20+ matches). Indeed, he is so far ahead of the next highest (Alex Ferguson's 2.16), he could lose his next 26 league games in a row and would still be top.

Slot is yet to face City since taking over from Klopp at the start of the season, with the rivals' first meeting of the season set for December 1.

"It's good news for City and for the league because everyone wants the best managers and the best players over here," Slot said when asked about Guardiola's new contract.

"He is definitely one of the best managers, maybe the best manager of the league.

"He's won four titles in a row, so it's fair to say he's maybe the best manager in the league.

"On the other hand, they have so many quality players that, if he would have made the choice to leave, I wouldn't have expected them to end up bottom of the league next season."

Other Premier League managers echoed Slot's sentiment, with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, who inflicted a fourth consecutive defeat on City before the international break, saying it is the "best thing that can happen to the Premier League".

"He is one of the best coaches in the world," Hurzeler said. "With his ideas, he always brings something new to the football stage, and it is always a challenge to compete against him.

"He always adapts quickly, always has new ideas and he can always win the game. I'm very happy because we can learn from him and to compete with him is a big, big experience."

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe added: "He's contributed so much to English football. He's revolutionised how a lot of teams play.

"I think he's incredibly talented, and it's good for the English game that he's still here.

"He will continue to develop and evolve his style, and people will potentially continue to follow that. From the competition side, I think it keeps the Premier League as the best in the world."

Jofra Archer will be in the IPL auction after all, having been left off the shortlist initially.

The fast bowler was an entry on the longlist but did not appear among the names after it had been whittled down to 574 last week.

There had been no word from Archer as to why he had pulled out of the auction and re-entered, although the prospect of playing in the IPL in future could have been key.

According to new rules in the competition, a player will be ineligible to play in the IPL for two years if they do not enter the auction.

Archer has struggled with injury since 2020 and has carefully worked his way back from an elbow problem he suffered last year. Having been part of England's white-ball set-up since May, he has a desire to get back into Test cricket.

The 29-year-old has not played the longest form of the game in nearly four years and, if picked for the IPL, could find it harder to get back into it.

With the early rounds of the County Championship season clashing with the IPL, it could harm Archer's ability to prove his fitness and reduce his chances of playing in a home Test in 2025. Additionally, he could also find it difficult to force his way in for the Ashes in Australia next winter.

Dusan Vlahovic will miss Juventus' trip to AC Milan in Serie A this weekend and is also a doubt for the Champions League game at Aston Villa, head coach Thiago Motta has confirmed.

Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.

"I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.

"Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."

Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.

Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.

"I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.

"This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."

Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A, but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.

"It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.

"We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."

Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.

JJ Redick accepts the "small things" cost the Los Angeles Lakers as their unbeaten home run was ended by the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

Franz Wagner scored a 3-pointer inside the final two-and-a-half seconds to earn the Magic a 119-118 win at the Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers had been on course for an eighth home win in a row when taking a 118-114 lead with 27 seconds of the contest to go.

Anthony Davis missed two free throws after the Magic had cut the deficit to two points, which Wagner took advantage of in a dramatic finale.

Reflecting on the defeat for his side, which leaves the Lakers 10-5 for the season, Redick said: "I'd have to go back and re-watch every possession there in the last couple of minutes.

"I didn't love the thought process and the mindset when Wagner hit the three. Overall, I felt comfortable with our execution up until the missed free throws and the Wagner three."

On the game-winning moment from Wagner, Redick added: "We talk all the time about our isos. We don't want to allow threes in isos, especially late in the game. It could have been a little bit better. Small things."

The Magic improved to 10-7 to stay fourth in the Eastern Conference, with this a seventh win in eight games. 

"It was big-time," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of his side's most impressive win of the season thus far. "They missed the free throw, which makes it a two-point game. 

"[Wagner] comes down, doesn't have to rush it, lines it up. That's the thing, we work on those spacing situations, those shots. He works on those shots. He's not afraid of big moments, and that's what we've asked him to do."

Wagner scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and added 11 assists for the Magic, while Jalen Suggs added 23 points and Moritz Wagner had a season-high 19.

"I was a little mad I missed the first [three-point attempt], so I was glad I got another shot," Wagner said post-game.

"They were set up pretty well, so I didn't really see any driving lane. The one before felt really good. In those moments, you don't really think too much, but I guess I made a good call.

"Down two, you never just want to settle for a shot, but the way they were playing me... I do work on my off-the-dribble three a lot, and you work on it for those moments. I stepped into it with confidence and I felt really good."

India wrestled control back from Australia to leave them 67-7 at the close of play, despite having been bowled out for just 150 earlier on a remarkable first day in Perth.

The tourists chose to bat first, having made six changes from their Test defeat to New Zealand earlier this month, but things did not go well for them as they were reduced to 32-3 and 73-6.

Virat Kohli struggled again and went for just five after being caught by Usman Khawaja. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and number three Devdutt Padikkal were both playing in Australia for the first time and were dismissed for ducks.

Rishabh Pant (37) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) dragged India to a level of respectability before their bowlers tore through the Australian batting lineup.

Jasprit Bumrah (4-17) was India's saviour, producing a spell to leave the hosts 19-3. Nathan McSweeney (10) went on lbw after a review, Khawaja (8) was caught in the slips and Steve Smith was out on his first ball after another lbw.

Both Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh went for a combined total of 17 runs, with Marnus Labuschagne next to go for two off 52 balls. Pat Cummins was the final wicket of the day, meaning Australia finished on 67-7 with Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc at the crease.

Data debrief: Australia and India go wicket crazy

It was undoubtedly a day for the bowlers on the first day in Perth, with 17 wickets being the most to have fallen on the opening day of a Test in Australia since 1952.

While all 10 of Australia's wickets were caught, India managed four dismissals through either bowling their opponent or lbw.

Following his unplayable performance in Perth, Bumrah now has 177 Test wickets for his country and can count himself unlucky not to have had more.

Pep Guardiola suggested Manchester City's run of four successive defeats was part of the reason for his contract extension.

The 53-year-old recently signed a two-year deal, which will run out in 2027, ending months of speculation about his future after his contract had been due to run out at the end of the campaign.

Following a 2-1 defeat to Brighton before the international break, Guardiola's side have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career.

"I felt I could not leave now. Maybe the four defeats was why," he told the club's website.

"I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, to bounce back and try to turn the situation. I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it's the truth."

Guardiola has led Manchester City to 18 major trophies during his nine-year stint at the club and posted a 72% win ratio.

He added that he was determined to help the club get back to a state where they are "more stable and more consistent".

"We have to recover that because right now we don't have it and that's the target we have to do," he said.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep's journey with Manchester City will continue, allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game.

"His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large."

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri is targeting victory in Las Vegas on Sunday following the implosion of team-mate Lando Norris' Championship bid.

While it is still mathematically possible that Norris could catch Max Verstappen – who will secure a fourth successive title by bettering the Brit this weekend – his chances are slim.

As a result of Norris' title bid, Piastri had been under orders to prioritise his team-mate above himself. But with McLaren leading Ferrari in the constructors' championship by 36 points, it is likely focus will shift there.

"There's still some, let's say, very specific scenarios where I might be needed to help out. But for the very large majority of situations, it's back to how it was," Piastri told reporters in Las Vegas.

"The drivers' championship picture is very slim, and the constructors' championship is certainly not over for us.

"So, it's a very specific few scenarios that maybe I'll still help out if that's what I'm asked to do, but I'm going into the weekend trying to win."

Ahead of his potential coronation, Verstappen struggled on the first day of practice in Las Vegas, finishing in 17th.

Norris, meanwhile, was second-fastest behind Lewis Hamilton. Piastri finished in eighth, although bizarrely reported that his car would not turn off after reaching the pit lane, although the issue was eventually resolved.

Separately from Piastri, Norris had told reporters that – despite previous orders for Piastri to let him pass in races – the team had always come first and that would not change.

"Everything we've done, we've just swapped a position," he said.

"It benefited me because I was in the fight for the championship and that's the game we also have to play, just as I've helped Oscar in a few occasions and helped him win in Baku, you know. I did my job there.

"I think Andrea [Stella] made it very clear from the beginning that we would never do something that would make the team result worse. So no, nothing is going to change."

Leicester City manager Steve Cooper confirmed Abdul Fatawu will miss the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) while playing for Ghana against Angola during the international break.

Fatawu has featured in all 11 of Leicester's Premier League matches so far this season and has registered two assists.

No Leicester player has attempted (61) or completed (29) more dribbles than him, while his 30 crosses is also a team-high in the top-flight this season.

"It's not good, it's a serious injury," said Cooper ahead of their match against Chelsea on Saturday.

"It's a real blow, first and foremost for him, being a young player and having an injury as serious as what an ACL is.

"Albeit, it can be quite common in sport, and in particular football, but it's still a serious injury.

"For it to happen at a young age is a blow for him and a blow for us as well.

"He's obviously a big talent and a young player, as exciting as he can be at his age, with lots to learn.

"It's only a pause, and we will make sure, as difficult as it is at the moment for him, that he comes back being a stronger player and person, which, with the mentality and character that he has, I think will be the case."