Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea must adapt their current squad rather than continue to seek solutions in the transfer market after failing in their bid to sign Michael Olise.
The Crystal Palace winger turned down a move on Thursday in order to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park, despite Chelsea having activated a £35million release clause.
It leaves Pochettino’s squad still seemingly lacking in attacking options, a problem made more acute by the knee injury sustained by summer signing Christopher Nkunku in pre-season that is likely to rule him out until December.
The club are waiting for striker Armando Broja to make a long-awaited return from the ACL injury that has kept him out since the end of last year, and Pochettino said he would be reluctant to go into the market for a player that might limit first-team chances for the Albania international.
Academy graduate Broja played 18 times for the club last season before getting injured, scoring once in a 3-0 against Wolves in October, following a successful loan spell at Southampton the previous campaign where he netted nine times in 38 appearances.
Nicolas Jackson is currently the only fit striker available to Pochettino, with out-of-favour Romelu Lukaku having not been given a squad number and eager to leave before the September 1 deadline.
But after a transfer spree that has seen the club spend in excess of £350m during the current window – including the £53m capture of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia on Friday – the manager said that the current squad must sooner or later be made to show its flexibility.
“We’re working of course, seeing all the options that we can manage in the market,” said Pochettino. “All clubs are doing the same as us.
“I think at the same time we are keeping one or two eyes on Armando Broja because I think we can’t forget him. We cannot stop him, and to bring some profile of player than can stop his evolution.
“We really believe in him. We know him very well. He can be a really important striker for Chelsea. We need to be careful.
“We’re disappointed with the situation of Christopher because he should be a very important player for us, helping Nico Jackson to score goals. But that is football and we need to accept that situation.
“At the same time, we cannot go for some player that is going to stop a player that we have, maybe we need to be patient and try to adapt our squad to try to get results, waiting for Armando to be fully fit.”
There are currently 28 first-team players that have been assigned squad numbers this season, though a deal for defender Lewis Hall to join Newcastle is understood to be imminent.
Defender Wesley Fofana is likely to miss much of the season after undergoing surgery on a cruciate ligament injury, but it still leaves Pochettino with more available players than he would like, indicating more departures are planned.
“This number – 22, 23 players – is perfect,” he said. “This season we are not going to be in European competition, so I think (the number) is good.
“But maybe even if next season we are in Europe, I think it’s good also, to have the possibility to bring young guys through the academy to be involved and to show they can play for the first team.”
Pochettino was asked for his response to the suggestion that some of his squad see him as more of friend than a manager.
“I am not happy with this,” he said. “Tell me the names of the players, because there’s something wrong if I am more friend than coach.
“No, I understand the situation. To be strong like a coach, in the same time you can be friendly. You can be honest and be tough, and in the way that we can approach today, all the young guys can be my kids.
“I think it’s important to understand the psychology today of the players. In the past it was different, but now we need to learn, we need to see society how they are and to apply the ideas and the way to approach them in the way that you can get the best from them.
“I prefer to be a better coach than a better friend.”
Gustaf Lagerbielke could be in line for a swift Celtic debut after Stephen Welsh suffered a knock hours after his new four-year contract was announced.
The Swedish central defender signed on Wednesday and could face Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup on Sunday after Cameron Carter-Vickers was ruled out with a hamstring issue.
Midfielder Reo Hatate will also be missing in Ayrshire after picking up a calf problem.
Welsh made his first appearance in 10 months when he replaced Carter-Vickers at Pittodrie but his chances of getting an extended run have been placed in doubt.
“He picked up a little bit of a knock today which is a shame for him considering he has just signed his deal,” boss Brendan Rodgers said.
“But I am really pleased for him. He is a guy that loves Celtic, loves playing here. He has been a great player within the squad over the last number of years. Maybe not played as much as he would have liked but his heart is very much here and I am delighted for him that he has committed to signing.”
Rodgers did not know how bad the knock was and did not give many details on Carter-Vickers and Hatate other than ruling them out of Sunday’s game. Celtic host St Johnstone in their next league match before travelling to Ibrox on September 3.
Rodgers said: “We just have to assess them and see how they are over the coming weeks.”
Lagerbielke played his final game for Elfsborg last Sunday, leaving them in pole position in the Swedish top flight after 19 matches after Celtic targeted him as a replacement for another Swede, Carl Starfelt.
“He has been playing so fitness-wise he is fine,” said Rodgers, who declined to comment on reports linking Celtic with moves for Wolves winger Daniel Podence and Newcastle’s Ryan Fraser.
“He is a highly-rated young player and I am looking forward to seeing him play.
“The club have a great pipeline of players in place. There is always a plan if someone is to move on so he is one who has been looked at for a long time.”
Speaking before his injury, Welsh declared he was looking to “kick on” under Rodgers.
The 23-year-old’s previous contract was due to expire at the end of this season and it looked like his time with his boyhood club might be nearing an end when he struggled for game time under previous boss Ange Postecoglou.
The Celtic academy graduate has been linked with moves away from Parkhead in recent transfer windows but Rodgers spoke highly of him after Sunday’s 3-1 win at Pittodrie.
“Signing a new contract for the club that I’ve been brought up on and have supported my whole life was, for me, an easy decision,” Welsh told Celtic TV.
“It’s time for me to kick on now and hopefully I can have a few good seasons. I want to keep improving and continue to play as many games as I can, especially with the manager in now. He’s been massive for me since he’s come in.
“He’s one of the main reasons that I want to be at the club and I’m just looking forward to starting the season properly and going for it.”
Welsh has made 53 appearances for Celtic since his debut in February 2020 and will compete for a centre-back berth with recent signing Maik Nawrocki as well as Carter-Vickers and Lagerbielke.
“At a club of this stature, competition for places is going to be everywhere, all over the pitch,” he said. “So for me it’s natural to keep working hard, keep improving and show that the manager can trust me to go in and play.
“Thankfully he’s done that so far and now we’ll look ahead to the season and hopefully more opportunities to come. To be at Celtic is all I can ask for and I will give 100 per cent to the club and hopefully do everyone proud.”
Jurgen Klopp branded Wataru Endo a “real monster” on the pitch and backed the Japanese midfielder to make as much of a splash at Liverpool as James Milner did.
The 30-year-old’s arrival from Stuttgart for roughly 19million euros (£16.2m) may come as underwhelming after Liverpool missed out on big-money signings Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea this week.
Liverpool have seen a number of midfielders depart the club this summer including Milner, who joined on a free transfer aged 29 but went on to become a regular and is viewed by Klopp as a major reason for their success, including Premier League and Champions League glory, in the last few years.
Endo has put pen to paper on a four-year contract and although he is touch-and-go to make his debut against Bournemouth on Saturday, Klopp is delighted with his latest acquisition.
Klopp said: “He is a late bloomer in his career and he was definitely underestimated for a long time. It is clear he has improved every year since he was on the proper football screen.
“There’s no chance that anybody could (think he is 30), when you see him, you think ‘is he allowed to drive a car?’. On the pitch, he turns into a real monster.
“One of the biggest LFC legends of my time was James Milner, he arrived here when he was 29. I can tell you without James Milner, we wouldn’t have enjoyed success in recent years.
“Wataru can have a similar impact. The last week was obviously a tricky one. But when you have a problem you can stick to the problem or find a solution, I’m more than happy to have the solution.”
Liverpool had bids, significantly more than what they paid for Endo, accepted for Ecuador’s Caicedo and Belgium’s Lavia but the pair each opted to move to Stamford Bridge.
Klopp had “absolutely nothing to say about that” but was adamant bringing players to Liverpool has not become a trickier task in recent months.
As a whole, however, he emphasised how much more difficult recruitment has become because of the rise of Saudi Arabia and the eye-watering sums they are willing to pay for players.
Klopp said: “I’m not sure it’s something to do with Liverpool. Everything is more difficult. There are lot of things that are different, some clubs have just a different way to do it and somehow it works.
“As a normal club, it’s really difficult to catch up with them. That’s not my problem, it’s just how it is. Saudi Arabia, on top of that, hasn’t made things easier. The endless money causes a problem.
“It would be cool if someone could find a solution. It became more difficult, but not to convince players to come to Liverpool. You just have to make sure you go for the right ones.
“I sit here and I’m really happy with our transfer window in this moment. We will keep looking, we will try to make the best decisions for this club and we will not use money or anything else as an excuse.”
Klopp will once more be without Spanish duo Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara but added they are “really close” to a first-team return after the pair missed last week’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
While Klopp was heartened by the displays of summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, he admitted Liverpool were slow out of the traps in their first match of the season.
He added: “We were not settled enough in the way we want to play. What we lacked in the game was rhythm, especially in possession.
“We had 35 per cent possession which is an absolute joke, it should not happen – it can happen against Manchester City on a special day for them and if it’s an idea of ours to sit a little bit deeper.
“It was not our idea but it happened. We have solutions for our situation, they’re just not available at the moment.”
Royal Ascot winner Snellen puts her unbeaten record on the line when she steps up in grade for the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Gavin Cromwell’s daughter of Expert Eye made a winning bow at Limerick in June and was immediately sent to Royal Ascot where she quickly added to her tally in the Chesham Stakes.
Having given a glimpse of her potential in those two early outings, the classy youngster now moves in to Group Two company following a break, with a big autumn lying ahead of her.
“We gave her a short break after Ascot and she’s done well since and we’re looking forward to Saturday,” said Cromwell.
“She’s going to have to come forward, but we’re hopeful she has done. Everything has been straightforward with her since Ascot.
“We gave her a break after Ascot to plan an autumn campaign and hopefully this is just the start of it.”
Pearls And Rubies was sent off the 7-4 favourite when beaten a head by Snellen in the Chesham and Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of No Nay Never is likely to be a warm order once again following a further silver medal in the Anglesey Stakes.
That most recent outing came over six and a half furlongs, but she returns to slightly further now on the advice of her big-race pilot Ryan Moore in a race the stable have a fine record in.
“She’s in good form and she won’t mind an ease in the ground either,” said the master of Ballydoyle.
“We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but Ryan (Moore) said to maybe go a bit further, he said she was coming home well but the line just came too quick for her.”
She is the sole Ballydoyle representative, while Willie McCreery’s Vespertilio and Donnacha O’Brien’s Mysteries finished second and third behind Ylang Ylang in the Silver Flash Stakes last month and will be hoping to take advantage of the 1000 Guineas favourite’s absence here.
Mysteries’ handler felt his filly paid the price for trying to take on Ylang Ylang at Leopardstown and different tactics will be employed on this occasion.
O’Brien said: “We will probably ride her a bit more patiently this time and we probably rode her to try to beat Ylang Ylang at Leopardstown and maybe paid for it.
“She’s in good form and we have always thought she is a nice filly, so hopefully she will run well.”
Ange Postecoglou has no issue with Tottenham fans staging a protest ahead of Saturday’s fixture with Manchester United, but is sure they will be united behind the team once the match gets started.
An hour-long demonstration by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has been arranged for 3.45pm over the club’s decision to raise the price of matchday tickets for the 2023-24 campaign.
While Spurs announced in April that season-ticket prices would be frozen, THST expressed its frustration last month over the matchday ticket price increase and the lack of consultation.
It has resulted in a ‘Call to Action’ from THST, who wants a full reversal of an increase they insist will price out loyal fans, but they made a conscious effort to ensure the protest occurred outside the stadium and before the 5.30pm kick-off.
Postecoglou said: “To be fair it’s not an unusual space for me. I know people talk about the treble I won at Celtic but the beginnings at Celtic were very similar.
“There was a lot going on off the pitch at the time and it’s only natural when football clubs have a disappointing period that there is going to be that environment with people unhappy, but my role within that is to hopefully get people to focus on what we’re all here for and that is the football club, the players, the team and having success.
“There is no doubt that we will get there quick if we’re united on and off the field absolutely, but I have never and never will tell people how they should feel, how they should behave or the context of how to express their emotions.
“I think that is their right and they have earnt their right to do that. My role within that is to try produce a team that gets us united to what’s most important.
“What I do know is that if we are united as a football club, supporters, everyone involved in and out of the club, during those 90 minutes, it gives us our best chance of success and ultimately that’s why we all do it.
“In every family you can have disagreements but hopefully you all come together at the dinner table and embrace the fact that we are a family and we’re going to need our supporters tomorrow and our role in that is to try to give them something to get excited about.”
The Spurs fanbase has endured a difficult 2023, watching last season’s hopes of silverware evaporate during a disastrous March, which saw painful FA Cup and Champions League exits followed by Antonio Conte’s departure.
A period of discontent has occurred since and Harry Kane’s exit on the eve of the season has turned up the heat on the club’s board, but there is overwhelming support for new boss Postecoglou.
The Australian was serenaded for a number of minutes by the away fans at Brentford last weekend and a tifo display is planned for his first competitive home match in charge on Saturday.
But Postecoglou admitted: “It means a lot but I’m not comfortable with it. You love what it means because for the most part it’s blind faith.
“I haven’t yet delivered anything. Hopefully when the day comes that we deliver as a team it will mean something different then.
“I don’t dismiss it either, that’s people taking a huge leap of faith on me as an individual and I appreciate that. It’s a really good reminder of the responsibility that I have.
“I have to repay that faith and supporting at the moment is on the back of very little. We need to start producing something that’s substantial so we can take that credit when it’s deserved.”
Meanwhile, Spurs will be boosted by Cristian Romero’s availability on Saturday after he passed concussion protocols this week following his clash of heads with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo
“Cristian is good to go,” Postecoglou revealed. “He’s ticked all the boxes.”
Pep Guardiola insists he has no doubts over the quality of Cole Palmer as he looks for ways to cover for the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, who could be out for up to five months with a hamstring injury.
De Bruyne is due to go under the knife in his native Belgium after pulling up early in City’s Premier League opener at Burnley last Friday, and City had to do without their talisman in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla, prevailing in a penalty shootout.
Palmer started on the right wing in Athens and scored City’s equaliser just after the hour mark, following up his fine strike against Arsenal in the Community Shield, but that has not stopped speculation linking the 21-year-old academy product with a move away.
As Guardiola revealed fears that De Bruyne may not return to full fitness until February, he said Palmer and others will need to provide the answers.
“It’s not necessary to ask how good he is,” Guardiola said of Palmer. “You don’t need two goals in two finals to define how good he is.
“Cole in the previous season arrived in an extraordinary moment, he defined the game in the FA Cup and then had injuries. He couldn’t be there.
“Playing at City is not easy with Riyad (Mahrez, now departed), Bernardo (Silva) and a lot of players.
“Last season our players in midfield were KDB, who will be four or five months out, (Ilkay Gundogan) who isn’t here, we have to adjust a few things. We’re not at our best, or our top, it’s normal and we adjust a few things but the spirit is there.”
John Stones has been added to the injury list for Saturday’s match at home to Newcastle after sustaining a muscular injury in training, while Bernardo remains out through illness, but Guardiola expressed optimism that Ruben Dias could return after missing the Super Cup final.
Following a late night in Athens on Wednesday and the journey home, Guardiola said his players would not train on Friday but instead focus on recovery with massage and sessions in the pool.
“Of course we are ready,” Guardiola said. “We need these types of challenges. Everyone wants to beat us and we have difficulties for many reasons, many important injuries, the calendar.
“It’s a challenge again, to see if we can make a step forward. If you want to win you need that.
“In football there are always problems, it’s how you overcome that defines if you’re a good team or not…
“We went to bed at 4am, arrived here late, today we cannot train – everyone in the pool, massage – we don’t have time.
“We’d love one more day. We accept that this is the challenge. It’s why we won: we overcome these kind of positions. We always had less time to recover.”
Guardiola has his eyes on winning the Club World Cup in December to “take all the titles” after last season’s treble and the Super Cup win, and said recent successes can inspire his players as they deal with the challenges in front of them.
“The spirit is there,” he said. “I know how happy they are. Every day we arrive and see the four trophies in front of us. Wow, how nice is that? How difficult is that? We love it.”
West Ham boss David Moyes has given Jesse Lingard another week to earn a short-term contract.
Lingard, who enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Hammers in 2021, is training with the club following his release by Nottingham Forest.
The 30-year-old snubbed a return to West Ham last summer in favour of Forest after leaving Manchester United, but he could yet be back in claret and blue as Moyes attempts to beef up his squad.
“We’ve not even considered a deal at the moment,” said Moyes. “He’s in training to see if we can get him back fit and get him in decent condition.
“He’ll be back here next week as well. There’s no news on that as far as short-term deals or anything else.
“Jesse’s a good player, probably needing to get himself in the correct condition. We’re working on him, all players tend to need four or five weeks pre-season and Jesse’s no different from anybody else.”
Moyes is set to hand James Ward-Prowse an immediate debut against Chelsea on Sunday following his £30million switch from Southampton.
But Edson Alvarez, the £35million signing from Ajax, will probably only make the bench having missed out on pre-season.
“Alvarez is only just back,” added Moyes. “We got him in the middle of last week when he started training. He had no training for three weeks.
“It wasn’t as if he was back at Ajax, whereas James Ward-Prowse has been back training all the way through with Southampton and played games already. He is much more ready.”
Owner Gareth Cheshire has only the Sky Bet Ebor on his mind for Golden Rules, despite having his doubts that his star stayer will make the cut for the prestigious York handicap.
Trained by Deborah Faulkner, the former John and Thady Gosden runner made a winning start for his new connections following a long lay-off at Kempton in March and then went close to justifying the team’s supreme confidence ahead of the Northumberland Plate when a silver medallist in the Gosforth Park marathon.
A crack at the Ebor has been the ambition ever since for the 97-rated gelding, but although being as short as 12-1 for the one-mile-six-furlong showpiece on August 26, the fragile six-year-old is not guaranteed a place in the £500,000 contest which has a maximum field of 22.
“He’s the love of my life and the stuff of dreams,” said Cheshire.
“He’s been fine since Newcastle and he’s been tipping away. I leave everything to Deborah and Tom (Faulkner) and our vet and as I’ve said before, you just have to mind him. We take each day as it comes and we are doing what we normally do. We take it day by day with him and he is a superb horse.
“I don’t think we’ll get in the Ebor. We will make any further plans after the Ebor is out of the way because he is qualified for the all-weather final at Kempton, but I don’t really know. We’ll get the Ebor out of the way, whether he’s in or out, and go from there.
“I didn’t sleep before the Northumberland Plate as I was in Ibiza. It took some negotiating to get home early and it cost me a handbag, but now I don’t like think to about him. I’ll leave that to everyone else and if he gets in he gets in, that’s great, but if he doesn’t and he gets balloted out, then he was clearly a certainty!”
Cheshire made headlines in the days leading up to the Northumberland Plate with his bullish prediction about his horse’s claims and Golden Rules came within half a length of proving his owner right having suffered a luckless run up the Newcastle home straight behind winner Calling The Wind.
However, he explains he had plenty of reason for the confidence and said: “I don’t spend as much time at the yard as I would like to, but I was convinced he would be in the first three.
“Having lived on and off with him for two years and the way he won at Kempton and the feedback from Oisin Murphy had me really confident.
“Oisin Murphy, one of the leading riders in the world, was really happy to come and sit on him at home which tells you something and the last piece of work he did, Oisin said to us ‘just get him to the Plate, that will do’.”
The enthusiastic owner rates Golden Rules as the best horse he has ever been involved with and having been bought for 6,000 guineas in the autumn of 2021, he showed real patience and perseverance to get his charge to the racecourse following 638 days on the sidelines.
Cheshire is full of credit for both his fledgling training team based in South Wales and his vet, who has helped nurse Golden Rules back to peak condition.
He added: “The reason I got him for 6,000 was because he had a problem and my vet and the training team have done amazingly. He’s done more miles in the pool than Mark Spitz and they have done a magnificent job. Every day with the horse is a bonus.
“He’s like one of these superstars who will sign autographs and have selfies done, Golden Rules is a complete gentleman. They say never meet your heroes, but he is like meeting your hero and they turn out to be a nice bloke as well.
“I’m very lucky to have him and every time I see him, I tell him he’s Grandad’s favourite and feed him his apples. I’ve had racehorses since I was five years old and you wait a lifetime for a horse like him. I don’t think I will find another one.”
Former referee Nigel Owens insists rugby is in “big trouble” if Owen Farrell’s dangerous tackle against Wales is not viewed as a sending off offence.
Farrell faces an independent disciplinary panel early next week after World Rugby appealed against the decision to downgrade his red card for a high shoulder-led challenge on Taine Basham to yellow.
England’s captain has received impassioned support from his head coach Steve Borthwick and Ireland boss Andy Farrell, his father, amid an outcry over the original hearing’s failure to issue a ban.
Owens, who oversaw 100 Tests from 2003 to 2020, believes Farrell should be punished for the tackle while warning the game of the repercussions if he is cleared once again.
“Owen Farrell is a great player who I have a huge amount of respect for,” the Welshman told Wales Online.
“But he has a history of making this kind of tackle, he’s been punished before and perhaps got away with a couple too.
“The referee and everybody at home watching the game would have been looking at that incident and going through their checklist.
“Do we have foul play? Yes, we do. Do we have contact with the head? Yes, we do. Do we have a high degree of danger? Yes, we certainly do. Do we have mitigation? In my view, no we don’t.
“I don’t think there was any late change from Basham which Farrell could not adjust to, he was the only player contributing to the action of the tackle.
“The key thing about mitigation here is that Farrell’s actions were always illegal. No matter what happened, he was always leading with the shoulder and not making an attempt to wrap for a legal tackle – so mitigation does not and should not play a part in the decision.
“For me, it’s a red card and whatever the judicial outcome may be, it still has to be a red card.
“We must stay strong and deal with acts of foul play. This is foul play, it’s an illegal charge, it’s not an accident. He’s always leading with the shoulder, he’s made contact with the head and, sorry, he’s got to take the consequences.
“The important message here to everybody involved in the game is, despite whatever reasons that the judicial officers had for their decision, this was a red card and should continue to be a red card for the good of player safety and the future of the game as well.
“Quite simply, if we don’t deal with actions like this as a red card offence, then the game is going to be in big trouble moving forward.”
Rabbi Matondo is determined to make his mark at Rangers, despite an unconvincing first season at Ibrox.
The 22-year-old Wales winger joined the Light Blues on a four-year deal from German side Schalke last summer following loan spells at Stoke and Cercle Brugge.
However, hindered at times by injury, he failed to nail down a regular first-team spot, making most of his 28 appearances as a substitute, and boss Michael Beale did not name him in the recent European squad for the Champions League qualifier against Servette.
However, Beale praised Matondo’s efforts off the bench in the 4-0 cinch Premiership win over Livingston at Ibrox last weekend – his first minutes of the season – and the attacker is looking for more game time in the ViaPlay Cup last-16 tie against Championship side Morton at Ibrox on Saturday – and beyond.
“The manager has brought a lot of talent in and that’s what happens at clubs like Rangers,” said Matondo.
“No footballer will tell you that they don’t want to play football, they all want to play football.
“Sometimes you have to wait for your opportunity and be patient and keep grafting away. It’s all I can do.
“I wouldn’t say it is an easy thing, but a club like Rangers, we need to win every game, that’s what we demand from each other and what the fans demand.
“Of course it is down to me as well to be fit to do everything in my power to convince the manager that I should be playing. Obviously the manager has to go with what he feels is the best team at that moment in time so I need to keep grafting hard.
“I know the qualities I can bring, the qualities I can show, but is down to me to stay fit and humble enough to take my opportunity when it does come.
“The manager has been honest and open with me. We have a good relationship.
“Ultimately it is down to me when I get my opportunities to take them. I have not come here to not try to play and try to show what I am about.
“I know I haven’t reached the levels I would have wanted to reach and what people would probably have expected. But that’s football, it happens.
“I am not stressed. I am not panicking. I know what I can do. I know how good I can be so, as I said, it is about taking opportunities.
“I did all right last week so it is about building on that.”
Rangers’ 3-2 aggregate win over Servette set up a Champions League play-off tie against PSV Eindhoven, with the first leg at Ibrox on Tuesday night, but assistant coach Neil Banfield insists the focus is on Morton.
“The manager will pick the team that he feels will win the game,” said Banfield, who confirmed one injury but would not reveal the player’s identity.
“It is a big cup game, the club has a great history in it, so we will use it to get into the next round and then look to PSV next week.
“But this game is firmly in our focus. We have got to win the game.”
Ireland wing Mack Hansen has marked the occasion of Keith Earls’ 100th Test cap by having his team-mate’s initials shaved into an eye-catching green haircut.
The Connacht player sported ‘KE’ on his left temple in training ahead of Saturday’s World Cup warm-up clash with England.
Earls is poised to become only the ninth Irishman to reach a century of international appearances, having been included among Andy Farrell’s replacements for the game.
Players and members of Ireland’s coaching staff have paid tribute to the popular 35-year-old all week.
Yet the eccentric Australia-born Hansen, who had long flowing locks during the Guinness Six Nations, has taken things a step further.
Earls led out Ireland’s players for Friday’s captain’s run at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and is in contention to travel to the fourth World Cup of a distinguished international career which began in 2008.
Speaking of the Munster wing, team-mate Conor Murray, who reached 100 caps in the autumn, told the IRFU: “What a man!
“Going into school, looking up to him, he was a superstar of schools’ rugby and I’m blessed to be able to call him a really good friend and share part of his journey with him.
“Rooming with him for the last 10 odd years, I’ve seen the crazy sides to Keith Earls.
“This is a really popular landmark and everyone in the squad is absolutely delighted for him.”
Earls is set to move alongside Ireland greats Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes in reaching three figures, in addition to current team-mates Cian Healy, Johnny Sexton and Murray.
Sacred will head to York for the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes having not been declared to run in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.
Trained by William Haggas, the five-year-old has won five of her 15 starts and having made a successful return at Lingfield earlier in the campaign, came close to scooping Royal Ascot glory when beaten a neck by Khaadem in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
She was due to seek Group One compensation in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, but wet weather both home and abroad meant the versatile operator missed out on a trip to Deauville earlier this month.
Rain is also set to hit Newbury this weekend and the decision to reroute to the Knavesmire could prove a shrewd choice by connections if conditions in Berkshire subsequently turn testing.
However, the Somerville Lodge handler is keen to point out the difference in prize-money between the two contests and having won the Hungerford in 2021, he is now keen to seek a portion of the £500,000 prize fund on offer at York.
“She’s fine and we’re going for the money,” said Haggas.
“We’ve won the Hungerford before and we’re going to go for the City of York.
“The Hungerford is £62,000 to the winner and the York race is £283,000 to the winner, so I think they deserve our support. We can’t continually bleat about prize-money then not support the tracks that put it on.
“I think York looks set fair, whereas Newbury at the weekend could be quite wet.”
Haggas also revealed he is doing everything in his power to get Sense Of Duty to the start line for Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup on September 9.
The four-year-old daughter of Showcasing was ready for the step up to the next level having racked up a four-race winning sequence, but injury hit after her impressive display in Newcastle’s Chipchase Stakes last June and she has been on the sidelines ever since.
“She’s on her way and we’re trying really hard to get her to Haydock,” explained Haggas.
“She was improving and she was very impressive in the Chipchase I thought. We’ll see what this year involves, but she has been off the track for a very long time.”
Manchester United remain in talks to sign defender Jonny Evans on a permanent basis despite the collapse of Harry Maguire’s proposed move to West Ham.
Evans, 35, joined on a short-term deal to cover United’s pre-season fixtures in July, but that contract has now expired.
Erik ten Hag has revealed talks are ongoing with the United academy product, who watched Monday’s 1-0 win over Wolves from the director’s box at Old Trafford.
“In this moment, he is not (under contract) but we are talking,” Ten Hag said. “We will see. We are in talks and when we have news we will bring it.”
United’s pursuit of the Northern Ireland international, who left Old Trafford for West Brom in 2015 and became a free agent this summer when his contract with relegated Leicester expired, has continued even though Maguire now appears set to stay at the club.
United accepted a £30million offer from West Ham for their former captain last week, but that move stalled with Maguire wanting to stay and fight for his place.
Ten Hag offered the 30-year-old some encouragement when asked what he needed to do to get back into the side.
“I am happy he is here, we need a good squad,” the Dutchman said.
“We have four good centre halves and including Luke Shaw we have five, and we need it because we are going to play 50-60 games this season. All the players are internationals so we have a lot of load to cover.
“I am happy Harry Maguire is here. He is going to have to fight for his position as does everyone in the squad.
“He knows what I expect from him, what I expect from a centre-half. He can do it, he has the abilities to do it so now he has to show it. It is about character, to be convinced to play that role, he has all the abilities to do it.”
There was one concern in defence on Monday night with Lisandro Martinez forced off at half-time, replaced by Victor Lindelof, but the Argentinian has trained this week and Ten Hag expects him to be available for Saturday’s trip to Tottenham.
United have spent big this summer to sign England midfielder Mason Mount, Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Ten Hag said he was happy with how his squad now looks, but did not rule out further moves in the final weeks of the transfer window.
“Our squad is covered, all the positions are covered, but of course we are Manchester United, we are always looking for improvement…” he said. “With this squad I am convinced we can go for our targets.”
This week United issued a club statement regarding the internal investigation into Mason Greenwood, who has been suspended by United since January 30, 2022, over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.
Greenwood was facing charges including attempted rape and assault until the Crown Prosecution Service announced six months ago that the case had been discontinued.
Following reports that United are preparing to bring the academy graduate back into the first-team set-up, the club statement said no decision had yet been made.
The issue has divided a number of fans, with some protests against Greenwood’s potential return seen at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Ten Hag said the issue was not affecting him or his team with the season now under way.
“We focus on the way of playing, we focus on the team performance. It is about the players who are available so we focus on Tottenham,” he said. “Every start to the season is difficult.
“We know the performance (against Wolves) was not what we hoped but we won. We showed the character and the personality.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland believes that “depth and competition” has increased in his squad as World Cup selection looms large.
Reigning world champions South Africa provide Wales’ final warm-up opposition at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
The race for World Cup places in Gatland’s 33-strong group is then due to conclude on Monday when he names those players who will head to France next month.
Only fly-half Gareth Anscombe, wing Alex Cuthbert and number eight Taulupe Faletau, who are recovering from injuries, have not featured competitively among a 48-man training squad during the August schedule.
And when punishing preparation camps in Switzerland and Turkey are added to the mix, Gatland is in a strong position to make considered choices.
“We have been so impressed with this group of players,” he said.
“And as it has turned out there was an opportunity for us to give everyone a chance to put their hand up. We feel that the time we have had together, we’ve increased the depth and competition within the squad.
“A number of teams have picked up one or two injuries, so you have got to have players who have been with you for that period, hopefully had some game time and been training with the squad.”
Gatland said a discussion would be had on how many players he takes to France who are currently nursing knocks.
Cuthbert, who was due to make his first appearance of the summer Test schedule, misses out because of calf muscle tightness, with Tom Rogers promoted from the bench to start and Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit joining the replacements.
Elsewhere, hookers Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias, lock Dafydd Jenkins and back-row forward Taine Plumtree all suffered injuries during Wales’ home and away appointments with England.
And, although British and Irish Lions Liam Williams (tight hamstring) and Dan Biggar (back) have been sidelined from facing the Springboks, their absence was described as precautionary.
Asked how many injured players could be carried in the final squad, Gatland added: “Maybe one or two. That is probably the number you talk about.
“I think the important thing is when you can get back to training.
“If you look at the (World Cup) draw, you have obviously got to go fully loaded for the first game (against Fiji), then looking at Portugal with a six-day turnaround there will be changes.
“Then you’ve got eight days to Australia where you will be a strong side again, and then a 13-day turnaround where hopefully everyone gets an opportunity to recover from any bangs and bruises before you play Georgia.
“I think there is less pressure in this tournament than there has been in the past where you’ve had four-day turnarounds when that has had quite a significant impact on the squad.
“That is a discussion we will have in terms of risk and how many (players) we can carry.
“We have in the past gone to World Cups carrying players with niggles that are going to take two or three weeks to come right. That may be the case, but it is just depending on what sort of risk do you potentially take.”
Wales have beaten South Africa four times in the last five meetings on home soil, but a powerful Springboks side featuring the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Malcolm Marx, fit-again captain Siya Kolisi and his fellow flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit will be a considerable step up from England.
There are a total of 659 caps in South Africa’s line-up, compared with Wales’ 235, and Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys is relishing the challenge, particularly up front.
“I think what we have this week is a team that wants to come and scrum. There are no games,” he said.
“They want to scrummage and that is what we’ve been after. They are coming through the front door – there are no guessing games.
“We have played them a fair few times over the last four years and we’ve always enjoyed the physical confrontation that we know is going to come. It is a great test for a pretty inexperienced team.”
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