Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino wants his side to convert this season’s lack of continental competition into a successful set of domestic cup runs.

The Blues moved one step closer to securing a first Carabao Cup since 2015 with a 2-0 last-16 victory over Blackburn on Wednesday night, and will host Newcastle in their December 19 quarter-final.

Should Chelsea go all the way, Pochettino would become just the third Blues manager in club history, after Gianluca Vialli and Jose Mourinho, to lead the five-time winners to a League Cup in his first season with the club.

He said: “We need to think that this is an important competition for us because we are not in Europe, and that should be the priority for us, like the Premier League, and when in January we start the FA Cup.

“Of course, we need to think that we can win this competition.”

Chelsea, 11th in the Premier League with just 12 points from their first 10 top-flight matches, sit 10 points behind Aston Villa, currently occupying fifth and the Europa League group stage position, and may need to defy recent odds to lift the League Cup.

Every winner since the 2017/18 season has also finished top four in the Premier League, though Chelsea have reached two finals in the last five seasons.

Pochettino’s ranks got a boost on Wednesday night, welcoming captain Reece James back to the starting line-up for the first time since August and Benoit Badiashile marking his first appearance since May with the opener at Stamford Bridge, where Raheem Sterling fired in the Blues’ second.

Still, the Argentinian knows there is work to be done and a morale boost necessary to improve on their 2-0 defeat to Brentford last Saturday and just one Premier League win at home, August’s 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Luton, particularly with Premier League leaders Tottenham followed by title holders Manchester City up next.

He said: “After Saturday it was important for us to win the (Blackburn) game, to go through in the competition, of course too many (missed) chances, we need to be more clinical, but that you cannot change from Saturday to (Wednesday), and now we try building the confidence.

“Now we’re looking forward to the next round but now to prepare for the next two games that are so important and into the international break.”

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson was impressed by his side’s fight against their Premier League challengers, with the average age of his starters just 22.6 years old.

Blackburn particularly impressed in the first half, defending well inside their 18-yard box to deny Chelsea early chances, while Rovers were left to rue a potential Conor Gallagher handball shout that could have been a game-changer for the Championship side.

He said: “It’s true, we always need a bit of luck when you’re playing against a team who is on another level, because Chelsea is of course an excellent team, but still we need to be honest.

“They were better than we were. Nothing wrong with that. They should be better than we were.”

AC Milan defender Pierre Kalulu has had surgery and is expected to be out of action for around four months.

The 23-year-old centre-half ruptured a thigh muscle in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Serie A rivals Napoli and had an operation to repair the damage on Thursday.

Milan said on their official website: “AC Milan can confirm that Pierre Kalulu underwent surgery today to repair a complete rupture of his left rectus femoris tendon.

“The operation, which was carried out in Finland by Professor Lasse Lempainen in the presence of AC Milan’s head of medical team, Stefano Mazzoni, was a complete success.

“His expected recovery time is estimated to be around four months.”

Kalulu is in his fourth season with Milan after joining from Lyon in 2020.

He made his first start in Serie A this season at Napoli on Sunday after three substitute appearances, but sustained the injury in the 19th minute.

Joe Root is feeling bullish ahead of England’s weekend clash with Australia, claiming he would “have this team every day” over their rivals despite wildly differing fortunes at the World Cup.

The Ashes adversaries meet on Saturday at Ahmedabad’s 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium, which will also host the tournament final on November 19.

Only one of the two teams has any prospect of making it that far, with England propping up the table in 10th place after one win in six while Australia appear set fair for the knockouts after four victories.

But Root refuses to believe a side who came in as defending champions and well fancied to defend their crown have slipped as far as the standings suggest.

“Man for man, I’d have this team every day over the Australians,” he said, with an air of confidence that has largely eluded England since they touched down in India.

“We might not have played as well as we can do but we know when we play our best stuff the best teams struggle to compete with us.

“I look at this team and it’s more than capable of achieving way more than it has done throughout this tournament. With the quality of players we have, we should be sat right at the top of this (table). We all know that and we’re all very frustrated that isn’t the case.

“We’ve just got to look at Saturday as our World Cup final and play in the manner that’s expected of us and we expect of ourselves. We have massively underachieved to date and have three opportunities to show the world what we are capable of doing and what I know we are capable of doing.”

The statistical head-to-head makes for grim reading, with Australia boasting five centuries to England’s one, 61 sixes to England’s 27 and 47 wickets taken to England’s 36.

Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa has taken 16 scalps, exactly twice as many as opposite number Adil Rashid.

But Root is relying on the competitive juices that come with every meeting between these two teams to drag his side out of their torpor.

England were 2-0 behind after the first two Tests of this year’s Ashes series but rallied to dominate the next three games and would surely have improved on a 2-2 draw had rain not intervened at Old Trafford.

“One thing that the Ashes does is, we’ve played a lot of cricket against a number of their players. If we can use that in a positive way then we have to take it into the game,” he said.

“You can always recall little things that can work in your favour. If it helps you feel good about yourself and you can be ready to use to your advantage, then absolutely.”

Relations between the teams were strained at times during the Test summer, not least over Jonny Bairstow’s controversial run out at Lord’s, and the battle lines remain drawn.

A press conference clip of Australia captain Pat Cummins smirking and suppressing giggles as he contemplated England’s World Cup struggles has been duly noted but has not raised Root’s hackles.

“Let’s face it, if it was the other way around would we be doing the same? Probably,” he said.

“If it motivates us a little bit more, great. It hurts, but it always hurts to be in this position, sat at the bottom of the table. There is no better motivator for any group of English players than to play against the Aussies.

“From my point of view, I throw everything into giving my absolute 100 per cent for England and can look people in the eye and shake them by the hand and move onto the next game. I’ve got no animosity with any of their team.”

England trained under lights on Thursday and will go through another workout on the eve of the game as they piece together their XI. The temptation to recall Harry Brook, who performed impressively against a similar bowling attack in the Ashes, must be strong and there is a decision to make over David Willey.

He was the best bowler against India last time out but has since announced him imminent international retirement. England could decide to look long-term and switch him out for Sam Curran, but Root is clear that the awkward timing of the news is not being held against Willey.

“They are decisions to be made by the coach and the captain. Only Dave will be able to tell you how he’s come to that decision and why he’s made it now,” he said.

“But the thing you can never look past is his professionalism. He likes those big-stage games and by announcing his retirement it’s made these three games as big as they can be for him.”

Aidan O’Brien holds a strong hand as he searches for back-to-back victories in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.

The one-mile contest brings the opening night of Breeders’ Cup action to a close, with the Ballydoyle handler winning the race for a record-extending fifth time with Victoria Road at Keeneland 12 months ago.

This time he has assembled a three-strong hand in quest for victory number six, as River Tiber, Unquestionable and Mountain Bear all face the starter in California.

Coolmore number one Ryan Moore has elected for River Tiber, who brings solid Group One credentials to the table having placed in both the Prix Morny and Middle Park since winning at Royal Ascot.

“We always thought River Tiber was a really good horse,” said O’Brien.

“His last two runs have been a little bit below par. In France he had a break before and we perhaps didn’t quite have him at his best and the last day we felt we didn’t have him at his best either.

“We think he has come right since Newmarket and I think he is rated 3lb below the other horse (Unquestionable) but he has always been a very classy horse and we think he is better now than he was for his last two runs. All the ducks weren’t in a row the last time.”

It will be the first time River Tiber has raced beyond six furlongs, but O’Brien is keen to test the colt’s credentials over a mile at a track which should play to his strengths.

Speaking during Breakfast at the Breeders’ Cup on Thursday, he added: “We always thought he would love stepping up to seven, so if we thought he would get seven at home, he should get a mile around here. He has a nice draw and a flat track and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does.”

Unquestionable has yet to get his head in front in Group company and was last seen finishing an honourable second to Rosallion in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp.

Frankie Dettori comes in for the spare ride aboard the classy son of Wootton Bassett who has been knocking on the door all summer.

“Ryan was delighted with him in France and said the split just came a little bit too early for him and he had to go early,” continued O’Brien.

“Obviously when the split came he had to go and he would have just preferred to wait a little bit longer. He ran a very good race.

“We always felt a mile would be well within his compass and he’s in very good form and has a nice draw as well.”

The O’Brien trio are the sole European representation in a race the raiders have dominated since its inception, but there is a strong cast of American challengers lining up to take their chance.

Todd Pletcher struck in 2010 and will saddle the hat-trick-seeking Agate Road, while Michael McCarthy’s Endlessly is unbeaten in three and has track-and-trip form to his name.

Christophe Clement’s Carson’s Run accounted for My Boy Prince in the Grade One Summer Stakes at Woodbine, while the latter is joined by Can Group from Hall Of Fame handler Mark Casse’s well-respected stable.

Lewis Hamilton said he does not plan on coming away empty handed from the Brazilian Grand Prix – in what could be his best chance of ending a two-year winless streak.

On Sunday, it will mark 700 days since Hamilton last won following Mercedes’ failure to provide the seven-time world champion with a machine to match Max Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull.

However, Mercedes claimed their sole victory of last season in Interlagos, with George Russell leading Hamilton home in a surprise one-two finish.

Hamilton also claimed one of the finest victories of his career here two years ago, and took his maiden world title on Brazilian soil back in 2008.

And speaking in Sao Paulo, with only rounds to follow in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, Hamilton said: “I anticipate Red Bull will blitz it because their car is great.

“But if that is not the case, I will be ready to take the fight to them, and if it can be anything like Austin (where Hamilton finished second before he was disqualified) and we can get our strategy better, than that would be incredible.

“I came away empty handed last season. I don’t plan on that this year.”

Hamilton finished runner-up to Verstappen in Mexico last weekend – 13.8 seconds behind the Dutchman – with Mercedes 22 points clear of Ferrari in the race for second place in the constructors’ championship.

Hamilton is only 20 points behind second-placed Sergio Perez in the drivers’ standings.

But Hamilton added: “After the last couple of races I have been getting messages from people saying, ‘it is looking good.’ But I said to them ‘well, it was looking good at the end of last year, too, but we started this season 1.5 seconds behind’.

“I am not dazzled by where we are currently. But I am thinking long-term at the moment, and in the short term, trying to solidify second in the constructors.”

Hamilton was handed a boost in his bid to take second spot in the individual standings after Verstappen hinted he will not help team-mate Perez.

Verstappen, who wrapped up his third world championship in Qatar last month, and claimed a record 16th win of the season five days ago in Mexico City, said: “At the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter on me to get the points (for Perez).

“I am confident in Sergio that he can stay ahead. On average, we have had the fastest car this season. Let’s hope we don’t need to get into that situation.”

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt is set for a spell on the sidelines with a knee problem suffered in the DFB-Pokal defeat by Saarbrucken.

The Dutch centre-back was forced off midway through the first half of Wednesday night’s second round cup tie against the third-tier outfit.

Following scans, Bayern announced De Ligt had suffered a partial ligament tear in his right knee, which could see him face a lengthy rehabilitation.

The Bundesliga champions said in a statement on the club’s official website: “Matthijs de Ligt sustained a partial tear of the ligament in his right knee joint in FC Bayern’s 2-1 DFB Cup defeat at FC Saarbrucken.

“That is the outcome of a scan carried out by the club’s medical department on Thursday. Centre-back de Ligt will therefore miss FC Bayern’s upcoming games.”

Thomas Tuchel’s men return to league action on Saturday when they head to rivals Borussia Dortmund for a first Der Klassiker meeting of the season.

Big Evs will carry British hopes on his broad shoulders when he attempts to blast his way to a famous victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

Mick Appleby’s youngster has been one of the season’s star juveniles and will attempt to bring his stellar season to a fitting end in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains on Friday.

The Royal Ascot scorer will be his trainer’s first runner at the showpiece event and after his one disappointment this season in the Nunthorpe, the son of Blue Point was back to his brilliant best when blazing a trail in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster.

The Rutland-based handler is thrilled to be in California with his star performer, who he believes has proven he is more than capable of handling top talent.

“I’ve never really had the right ammo in the two-year-old division, but I think with this horse I’ve proved I can do it,” said Appleby.

“After Goodwood we thought about coming here and as to his blip in the Nunthorpe it came just two weeks after a hard race in soft ground and we put a line through it. In hindsight we shouldn’t have run at York, it was way too soon.

“Doncaster was a most impressive win and if he reproduces it he will take a lot of beating.”

Tom Marquand was in the saddle when registering a breathtaking all-the-way success on Town Moor in September and will once again be aboard the speedy youngster whose blistering starts have been a hallmark of his campaign.

“He absolutely flew out of the gate this morning and should be as good at it as any of the Americans,” said Appleby.

“My main concern is going round a bend, but Tom breezed him yesterday and said he coped with it really well. The ground will ride on the quick side which is fine for us.”

American trainer George Weaver saddles a three-strong hand in opposition, with Royal Ascot heroine Crimson Advocate the headline attraction alongside stablemates No Nay Mets and Amidst Waves.

The Queen Mary winner will be a first runner at the Breeders’ Cup for Qatar-based Wathnan Racing and she will appear for the first time in their increasingly-familiar silks when stepping out in the hands of John Velazquez.

“We’re excited and it will be an exciting day,” said Case Clay, Wathnan’s racing adviser in the USA.

“This is the Breeders’ Cup so it will be very tough competition. We’re just hoping for a nice clean break and the nice thing about the turf sprint is it is just get out and go – once the gates open it is going to be just that.

“We’re really happy to have John Velazquez on board, especially with his great experience at Ascot, and that is reassuring. We are just very excited.

“Olly Tait (senior Wathnan representative) has given me instruction to look for quality and she is the first purchase and hopefully there will be some more.”

Others from the home team to watch for include John Saddler’s Slider who claimed the Speakeasy Stakes over track and trip last month and Steven Asmussen’s Committee Of One, who accounted for Weaver’s Amidst Waves in the Indian Summer Stakes.

Asmussen said: “It was a breakthrough race last time. Obviously, at five-eighths on the turf (in stall 12), you need to get lucky with the trip. He’s a horse that likes to come from a little off of it, so hopefully a good trip will open up.”

There is a strong Irish challenge which features shock Royal Ascot winner Valiant Force, a first runner for Adrian Murray at the end-of-season spectacular, while the hat-trick-seeking Tiger Belle is just a second runner at the meeting for Adrian McGuinness.

Jessica Harrington’s Middle Park fourth Givemethebeatboys and Aidan O’Brien’s Cherry Blossom are the others making the trip from Ireland, while Frankie Dettori will get the leg-up aboard Ralph Beckett’s Starlust.

Frankie Dettori is savouring a “Ryder Cup atmosphere” as he prepares to take up several high-profile rides at this year’s Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita.

The high-profile fixture looked as though it could be one of the Italian’s last after he announced his retirement late last year, but his recent U-turn means racing fans in California can expect to see plenty more of him over the Christmas period and next year as he prepares to move Stateside full time.

The 52-year-old has a handful of quality rides over the course of the weekend, including Aidan O’Brien’s Unquestionable in Friday’s Juvenile Turf with Inspiral in the Filly & Mare Turf and King Of Steel in the Turf among his big guns on Saturday.

Dettori is also booked to partner Zandon for American trainer Chad Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but nevertheless sees himself as competing for the away team.

“The Breeders’ Cup has a Ryder Cup atmosphere and I’m proud to be representing Europe,” he said trackside on Thursday morning.

“I’m looking forward to riding back here for the first day of the meet on Boxing Day.”

Of Zandon, Dettori added: “He is a solid, staying horse who finished third in the Kentucky Derby (last year).

“I’ve ridden for Chad a few times, but I won’t ride the colt before Saturday.

“I thought he looked good when he won the Woodward last time.”

Gilles Simon has warned that Carlos Alcaraz dominating men's tennis is no certainty.

Alcaraz has enjoyed a stunning rise to the top of the rankings over the past two seasons, with the 20-year-old winning two grand slam titles and 12 trophies overall.

The Spaniard has not won a title since triumphing at Wimbledon in July, however, and has reached only one final since then, losing to Novak Djokovic at the Western & Southern Open in August.

A shock defeat to Roman Safiullin at the Paris Masters this week has damaged Alcaraz's chances of pipping Djokovic to the year-end world number one, and Simon does not feel he is a shoo-in to be the standout player of the next generation.

"There are a lot of people who say: 'He's going to win 20 Grand Slams'," Simon told Stats Perform.

"It's long a career. People say he has got the freeway ahead of him. Yes, but we do not know what's behind him? 

"When [Roger Federer first arrived, we thought he was going to win a lot, and he did. Breaking [Pete] Sampras' record, we were sure of it.

"But the danger came from behind. First Rafa [Rafael Nadal] then Novak, then Andy [Murray]. And I think it will be the same for Carlos. The danger will come from behind."

Simon, who won 14 career titles and reached a high of number six in the ATP rankings, pointed to the likes of world number four Jannik Sinner and number three Daniil Medvedev, though the latter is seven years Alcaraz's senior.

"There are players aged 16, 17, who are playing extremely well and who may also have a similar career path. In the end, he still has Novak and hyper-stable, hyper-strong players like Daniil on hard court or other players on clay who can really cause him problems," Simon continued.

"Sinner and so on, but he may also have two or three guys behind him who, in two or three years' time, we don't know who they are yet, but they'll be up there like him, and we'll be saying to ourselves: 'Ah well, he never had that period when he was supposedly going to win everything with no competition in front of him'.

"There is never no competition. The other players, even if they are not the calibre of Federer or Nadal, they are very strong. Daniil is very strong, very stable on hard court, so he can beat [Alcaraz].

"Carlos seems to have the upper hand. But no, Daniil finds a solution, comes up with something else and beats him. And that is why it's never a foregone conclusion, and why it's so interesting to follow. Otherwise, we would not even be watching the match."

The Rolex Paris Masters became the first Masters 1000 to broadcast its qualifying matches on Twitch, live on Rivenzi's channel.

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou expects Mauricio Pochettino to be shown plenty of respect on Monday night but joked there will be no guard of honour for the current Chelsea boss.

Pochettino will return to Spurs for the first time since his acrimonious departure in the winter of 2019, which occurred months after he guided the north London club to the Champions League final.

There have been various points over the past four years where Tottenham supporters have longed for their old boss to return amid an identity crisis, but chairman Daniel Levy decided to go in a different direction and hired Postecoglou, while Pochettino by this point had already accepted the Chelsea job.

Eyebrows were raised when Pochettino took over at Stamford Bridge in May, given the rivalry between the London clubs during his five-year tenure at Spurs, and it could result in a mixed reaction on his return to N17 next week.

“Look, it is undoubted that he had an unbelievable impact on this football club,” Postecoglou said.

“All of us in our roles, that is our ultimate goal and ambition that whatever doors we go through, we make an impact and he has had an undeniable impact on this football club in his time here.

“He almost took the club to the ultimate summit of the Champions League, got close to the league, so his work is unquestioned.

“Everyone I speak to around here, there are still people who worked with him, they can’t speak highly enough of him as a person and as a manager.

“I doubt there will be anything but respect for Mauricio from anyone at this football club, supporters or people associated, but it doesn’t mean he will get a guard of honour on Monday night because we want to win.

“I don’t think he would expect that, but his tenure here and impact here is undeniable and will stand the test of time.

“Whenever people think of Mauricio and his time here as a Spurs manager, they will only look upon it with respect and fondness.”

Pochettino has suffered plenty of teething problems at Chelsea, but did spend more than £350million this summer and pressure is beginning to grow with the club struggling in 11th position after only three league wins all season.

It is in complete contrast to Postecoglou, who lost record goalscorer Harry Kane on the eve of the new season and yet has transformed the club with an unbeaten run to the Premier League summit.

The Australian coach added: “What I know is you don’t really know what challenges exist until you’re in it.

“Even here, people can assume what kind of challenges I had coming in but it is probably not a tenth of what we had to do or what I felt needed to change.

“Whether that’s Mauricio or any other manager I guess, you don’t really know what they are having to deal with to get to the end point.

“At the same time, while others may look at it and say ‘that’s a real difficult one’, there will be managers saying, ‘I wish I had a billion to spend and waste’ because what some people sometimes see as an advantage, others see as a disadvantage. That’s the challenge for all us managers.

“I really think we are all in our own unique space that nobody can really understand because none of us can really disclose all the information because that’s the way organisations work.

“What I have to deal with and what Mauricio has to deal with are probably very, very different, but in essence what we are trying to do is the same thing: build a team that we believe can bring success.

“You look at Mauricio’s track record and I’ve got no doubt he’ll get Chelsea on the right path, I’ve no doubt about that.”