Jonny Evans is back in the Northern Ireland squad for next week’s Euro 2024 qualifiers but Michael O’Neill will once again be relying on youth with a long list of senior players still injured.

Evans – out of contract at relegated Leicester this summer – was unable to add to his 100 caps in March when he was forced to pull out of O’Neill’s first games back in charge of the national team due to a hamstring injury, but is in a 28-man squad to play Denmark away and Kazakhstan at home.

But with Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Liam Boyce, Josh Magennis, Conor Washington and Shane Ferguson all still sidelined, O’Neill has included five uncapped players, with 15 of the 28 having fewer than 10 caps.

Nottingham Forest defender Aaron Donnelly, West Ham teenager Callum Marshall and Larne forward Lee Bonis have all received their first call-ups, with the uncapped Sean Goss and Eoin Toal again included after not featuring in March’s fixtures.

Blackpool striker Shayne Lavery returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of the last squad, although there will be a question over his fitness levels as he has managed only one appearance, as a substitute away to Norwich on the final day, since being sidelined in February.

There is also a return for Ethan Galbraith, who earned the last of his two international caps back in 2020.

The 22-year-old is a free agent this summer after leaving Manchester United, having spent last season on loan at Salford.

O’Neill has been working with several players from both the senior ranks and the under-21s at a series of training camps in recent weeks, aiming to keep his players sharp following the end of their domestic campaigns.

Northern Ireland travel to Copenhagen to face Denmark on Friday June 16 before taking on Kazakhstan at Windsor Park the following Monday.

Steve Smith invited England to try and make ‘Bazball’ pay off in the Ashes after Australia bowlers took control of the World Test Championship final against India, declaring: “they haven’t come up against us yet”.

England have spent the last year establishing themselves as the most daring red-ball team around, scoring at a frantic rate against New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan and notching 11 wins from 13 games under Ben Stokes’ captaincy.

One by one they have lined up to take aim at England’s ultra-attacking approach, but Stokes and company have yet to take their foot off the throttle.

Australia clearly fancy their chances of breaking the streak and Smith saw no reason to doubt his side’s attack after they put the squeeze on India on day two at the Oval.

Seamers Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green each took a wicket, as did spinner Nathan Lyon, with India closing day two on 151 for five – 318 adrift.

Asked if England’s preferred style would be a success against that bowling pack, Smith said: “I think I said it initially when ‘Bazball’ started that I’m intrigued to see how it goes against our bowlers. I’ve said that all along.

“I think it’d be difficult on this kind of wicket – up and down and seaming around – it’s not easy to defend, let alone come out and swing.

“They’ve obviously done well against some other attacks, but they haven’t come up against us yet. So, we’ll see.

“It’s obviously been exciting to watch. I must say I’ve enjoyed watching the way they’ve played and the way that I guess they’ve turned things around in the last 12 months or so, but it’s yeah we’ll wait and see how it comes off against us.”

Smith played a significant role of his own in putting Australia firmly in charge in London, taking his tally of Test centuries to 31. He spent just over five-and-a-half hours compiling 121, sharing a stand of 285 with the more expansive Travis Head (163).

Smith has now scored seven hundreds in English conditions, amassing 774 runs in the 2019 Ashes at a staggering average of 110.57.

“It was nice to spend a lot of time out there against some good bowlers on a challenging wicket after getting sent in. I’ll take a lot of confidence out of that and hopefully can keep building and have a successful summer here,” he said.

“I think in terms of English wickets it’s probably as close to Australia as you get. I’ve enjoyed playing here and it was nice to score a few out here again.”

Erling Haaland is well aware he was brought to Manchester City to help them win the Champions League.

City are just one victory away from claiming the prize they covet most but has eluded them time after time with several near misses in recent years.

Haaland has been key to their latest charge to the final, where they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday, after a prolific first season at the Etihad Stadium.

The Norwegian has plundered 52 goals in all competitions since City identified him as the potential final piece in their jigsaw last year and paid £51million to recruit him from Borussia Dortmund.

“The Premier League, they won it two times in a row before I came here,” said Haaland. “So they know how to win the Premier League.

“The only thing they miss now is the Champions League. You can think and read between the words and the lines – I have been coming here for a reason.”

Haaland scored a record 36 Premier League goals as he helped City make it three titles in a row. They followed up that success by winning the FA Cup last weekend.

Now City are bidding to join rivals Manchester United in the history books by becoming only the second side to win the treble.

Doing so would see Haaland fulfil a long-held dream of winning the Champions League.

“I have been dreaming and thinking of it my whole life,” said the 22-year-old. “It has been my dream as long as I can remember, so a long time.

“Of course I have been thinking of this. There is one game left we have to perform at our best in. We have been doing it now for so many games in a row. It’s about keeping going.”

Such is Haaland’s love of the Champions League, that he even used to play the competition’s theme music in his car during his younger days.

“Yes, there is a video of me doing that,” he said. “You can search it up. It’s true.”

Haaland feels his game has improved at City under the guidance of Pep Guardiola – someone he describes as a “detail freak” – but is convinced there is more to come.

He said: “I am really enjoying every single day with him, with the intense Pep. I like it.

“I am still young, I can improve a lot and I am at the perfect place to work with the best coach and players in the world.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Buttons just grasped a debut success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

The two-year-old is by Kingman and out of the 2011 Oaks runner-up Wonder Of Wonders, with Ryan Moore opting to ride her ahead of her equally well-bred stablemate Content.

Wayne Lordan took the ride on the latter, by Galileo out of Mecca’s Angel, and the two were engaged in a very tight finish with Ger Lyons’ Serious notions.

On the line Content was visibly beaten, but the judge had to split the other two fillies and Buttons was eventually announced the winner by a nose.

“We’re delighted with her. We rushed her a little bit to get her out because we thought she could be a Chesham filly, but Ryan just said she’s too babyish for that,” said O’Brien.

“We’ll just pull back and give her a bit of time before we go again.

“Ryan said even though she’s by Kingman she will stay and seven (furlongs) would be her minimum. She was green turning and everything. She’s a very well-bred filly.

“Wayne’s filly finished very strong and she’s a well-bred filly as well.”

O’Brien and Moore did miss out when the strong late charge of Salt Lake City proved not enough to overhaul 15-8 favourite Moon De Vega and Billy Lee in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Glencairn Stakes.

The market leader hit the front deep inside the final furlong when taking over from Vega Magnifico and ultimately had a neck to spare over the Ballydoyle runner.

The winner was making it two from two since joining Paddy Twomey, who said: “She’s a nice filly to have. She won her winners’ race and now she’s after winning her Listed race.

“I thought initially that nine furlongs might be a bit sharp for her, but she did it well in Gowran over nine and a half and Billy said there that she’s very comfortable at that distance.

“I’d say she’ll go for the Kilboy Stakes on Oaks weekend, it’s nine furlongs and a Group Three. That would be the logical next step.

“We haven’t been hard on her at home so hopefully she can keep improving.”

Andy Murray is the only British man left in singles at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy after Dan Evans suffered a shock second-round loss.

Evans was the top seed after taking a late wild card following his early French Open defeat but was toppled 7-5 6-2 by 21-year-old Canadian Gabriel Diallo, ranked more than 100 places below him.

It has been a difficult season so far for 33-year-old Evans, who will hope to fare better in Nottingham next week, where he is the defending champion.

There is a lot more home representation in the women’s draw, where Katie Boulter needs one more victory to overtake Emma Raducanu as British number one.

The eighth seed battled to a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over countrywoman Sonay Kartal to reach the quarter-finals, where she will face Swiss Viktorija Golubic.

Boulter was joined in the last eight by Isabelle Lacy, Katie Swan and Yuriko Miyazaki.

Sixteen-year-old Lacy was given a walkover by American Sachia Vickery and will play Miyazaki, who defeated compatriot Eden Silva, while Swan was 5-3 up on Oceane Dodin when the Frenchwoman retired.

Harriet Dart was close to joining them but lost a tight tussle 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-4 to top seed and last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria, who next plays Swan.

Matt Fitzpatrick was one shot off the clubhouse lead jointly held by fellow Englishman Aaron Rai midway through the first round of the Canadian Open.

A week before his US Open defence, Fitzpatrick began his bid for a third career PGA Tour title in steady fashion with a four-under-par 68 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

The 28-year-old, having started on the back nine, rolled in five birdies before a bogey on his penultimate hole of the day – the 352 par-four eighth – left him one shot behind the early leaders, which included Rai.

Rai had looked in all sorts of trouble after dropping four shots in three successive holes from the third to slump to three over, but he turned things round in remarkable fashion.

After recording birdies on the seventh and eighth to reach the turn on one over, the 28-year-old from Wolverhampton then picked up further shots on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th – where he came close to making a hole in one – 16th and 18th to move to five under.

That left him in a four-way share of first place with American pair Chesson Hadley and Justin Lower, and home hope Corey Conners.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, whose build-up to the tournament saw him fielding questions about the shock merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, was one under after an eventful opening 71 that included five birdies and four bogeys.

The world number three is seeking a hat-trick of victories at the Canadian Open following triumphs in 2019 and 2022, with the tournament having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

Josh Taylor was held back from world title challenger Teofimo Lopez by a New York policeman and several security guards during a bizarre pre-fight press conference.

Promoters Top Rank dispensed with the usual face-to-face photographs following some highly charged comments between the pair in the media in the lead-up to this weekend’s fight at Madison Square Garden.

A statement before the media event read: “Instead of a traditional face-off, a layer of security will separate the combatants. Additional security has been hired due to the intense pre-fight rhetoric between the two combatants.”

After a question-and-answer session with the event host, a burly police officer entered the stage flanked by security guards either side and put his arms on Taylor several times to prevent the Scot approaching American Lopez.

The 25-year-old challenger stated last month that he liked the thought of being able to kill in the ring and get away with it, which prompted Taylor to warn “let’s see who ends up in the back of an ambulance” if he tried to do so during their WBO super-lightweight title fight.

When asked at Thursday’s media conference whether his comments relayed genuine hostility, Lopez said: “It is what it is, I speak my truth, that’s how I feel. Everything I speak out I am just trying to make into existence.”

When asked the same question, Taylor, who unified the division before vacating several titles, said: “It is a little bit genuine. I say what I mean as well. There is a bit of genuine dislike there.

“He has been disrespectful. A lot of words he has said, I am going to make him pay for on Saturday. I can’t wait to get in there and get tore in amongst him.”

Ring magazine belt-holder Taylor later branded Lopez, a former lightweight world champion, a “clown” after quoting Mike Tyson and called on him to produce his own saying.

Lopez, wearing a white suit with no shirt, responded: “Aim for death because that’s where life begins. Everyone is scared of death, I don’t know why, we all going to die, but at least if I die I will die for something that means something, that is going to last forever. It’s what greats are all about. Something that you don’t really know.”

Taylor, wearing a Scotland football top, was quickly manhandled by the police officer and joined on stage by six security guards when he moved towards his opponent to speak to him during the photoshoot.

The fight is due to start about 4am UK time in the early hours of Sunday morning.

India were scrapping to stay afloat in the World Test Championship final after a top-order collapse left Australia in the driving seat on day two of the World Test Championship final.

Australia were all out for 469 in their first innings, Steve Smith following in the footsteps of first-day centurion Travis Head to post 121, and then snapped up key wickets to establish a dominant position.

Each of their seam quartet struck as India lurched to 71 for four in the 19th over, before spinner Nathan Lyon joined the party and ended a battling fifth-wicket stand.

Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja doubled the score before the latter nicked Lyon to slip for 48. By stumps India were 318 behind on 151 for five, with plenty of work to do retain a realistic chance of succeeding New Zealand as red-ball world champions.

Australia arrived in the morning already boasting a healthy position on 327 for three. At that stage, they were surely hoping to clear 500, but India landed a few handy blows of their own as they took the last seven wickets for 108.

With 10 overs before lunch to work their magic, the Australian seamers made short work of the India openers. Captain Pat Cummins made the initial opening, thumping his opposite number Rohit Sharma halfway up the front pad with one that shaped in towards middle and off.

Scott Boland then joined the fray, seaming one in sharply and rearranging Shubman Gill’s stumps as he paid the price for a poorly-judged leave.

Boland filled his boots against England Down Under in 2021/22, taking a remarkable six for seven on debut at the MCG, and he made a compelling case for holding his spot at Edgbaston next week with 11 high-quality overs with the Dukes ball.

India survived a potential gut punch when star batter Virat Kohli came close to departing for a duck, withdrawing the bat only to see an inside edge spray off the toe and zip past his stumps, but their struggles continued after the break.

Cheteshwar Pujara belied his years of experience in English climes by repeating Gill’s error, shaping to leave all-rounder Cameron Green and paying the price with his off-stump. Kohli’s exit left India in strife but he was at least guilty only of receiving a brutish delivery from Mitchell Starc.

The left-armer was expensive, shipping 52 from nine overs, but showed off his ability to deliver big moments when he got one to explode off a length at Kohli and rap the thumb of his bottom hand as it sprayed to slip.

India’s position left a lot to be desired but, with Australians sensing blood Rahane’s perseverance and Jadeja’s counter-attacking nature served them well. They put on 71 together, parted only when Lyon offered a change of pace. He forced Jadeja into an unusually defensive stroke and clipped the outside edge to break the stand.

Smith had earlier brought up his 31st Test century, his seventh in England and his third at the Oval. Resuming on 95, he dispatched his first two balls of the morning from Mohammed Siraj to the boundary to reach three figures with minimal fuss.

India made regular inroads to keep the game moving forwards, Head departing for a classy 163 as Siraj got him brushing to the keeper with a bumper aimed at the ribs and Smith ending a five-and-a-half hour stay with an uncharacteristically loose prod that canoned into his stumps.

Former Rangers striker Mark Hateley believes his old club need to sign two forwards who can outscore James Tavernier or they will not stop Celtic dominating Scottish football.

Right-back Tavernier was the club’s top league goalscorer last term with 16 goals and his total in all competitions of 18 was the same as Antonio Colak.

Fashion Sakala and the now departed Alfredo Morelos both hit 12 while Celtic’s main striker Kyogo Furuhashi weighed in with 34 goals on the way to the club’s fifth treble in seven seasons.

Hateley said: “We need two strikers that can score more than a right-back to win anything. It’s as simple as that.

“We need strikers that can get more goals than the captain to have a chance of competing at the very top. And that doesn’t come cheap.

“I think you need to bring in three strikers that are all credible and can produce.”

Colak’s future looks unclear after he only scored four goals and struggled for fitness following Michael Beale’s arrival, while Sakala played in a central role at times and on the wing on other occasions.

On Sakala, Hateley said: “He’s a young lad so he will develop as time goes on but if you are working with top goalscorers, your game comes on a lot quicker. I think he would probably become more of a squad player.

“The key now is to get two strikers in the team. It’s now easier because Alfredo has left the club because it was always difficult to play another player with Alfredo. He was the lone wolf with players playing around him but Michael now has the ability to play with two strikers, different formations.”

Hateley does not necessarily believe Ange Postecoglou’s departure from Celtic Park to Tottenham is in itself an opportunity for Rangers.

“You could say so but the structure that Celtic have in place, I don’t think a lot will change,” he said.

“I don’t know if Ange can take players with him but what Ange has done has been absolutely phenomenal, and the way the board have trusted him in his methodology and his way of thinking has been commendable.

“Top coaches like a challenge and they like to challenge the best. Ange has produced that. It’s always great competition, if you have two great teams on the pitch who are competing to prove who has the edge, and it’s the same with managers. You need managers to push each other.”

Hateley was promoting the Glasgow European Capital of Sport 2023 Refugee Football Tournament, which will feature players from more than 50 nations at Toryglen Regional Football Centre on July 2.

The former England striker said: “Refugees are coming to all different parts of the world and trying to find homes and friendships and where better to come than Glasgow, Scotland? Always welcoming, hence why I am still here.

“Football is a medium where friendships are built so it’s an important factor. It’s a fantastic initiative.”

Celtic should bring Brendan Rodgers back “in a heartbeat” if their old manager is keen on a return to Glasgow, according to former Hoops full-back Mark Wilson.

Rodgers is favourite to replace Ange Postecoglou as Celtic boss following the Greek-born Australian’s departure to Tottenham.

The former Liverpool manager has previously stated he would be open to a return to Celtic Park if the timing was right, but accepted he might not be welcomed by fans who were hurt by the manner of his sudden exit to Leicester in February 2019 after winning seven domestic trophies out of seven.

There are reports that Rodgers would prefer a longer break after losing his job as Foxes manager in early April but talk of a return is lingering.

“If Celtic have got the option to bring him back, I would in a heartbeat, I really would,” Wilson said.

“Brendan Rodgers is a top-tier manager, his history shows that. You don’t get the Liverpool job if you’re not a top-tier manager, you don’t get the success in Glasgow he had if you’re not a top-class manager.

“He had a style of football here that the supporters and players bought into, possession-based. It was terrific to watch and it yielded trophies, year after year.

“Of course the baggage he has with some Celtic fans, the way he left, would be hard to dissolve. But football is a results-driven business and if he came back and started well, and there were a few good signings in the door, I think a lot of that bad feeling would quickly evaporate.”

Postecoglou’s departure days after clinching the treble has impacted some Celtic fans in similar fashion.

“It’s where are in the world of football,” Wilson said. “We are here in the Scottish Premiership, which is a fantastic league, entertaining, we all love it.

“But when you are just across the border from the richest league in the world, really anybody that is successful here is going to go to England.

“I know we hate saying it but the resources and the lure of the English Premier League is too much for our players, managers and chairmen who get offers for players. Managers are no different.

“When their stock is as high as Ange Postecoglou’s, and you get offered a job like Spurs, how can you blame anyone for going south of the border?”

Wilson was promoting the Glasgow European Capital of Sport 2023 Refugee Football Tournament, which will feature players from more than 50 nations at Toryglen Regional Football Centre on July 2.

“It’s an outstanding initiative, it gives everybody the opportunity to play, particularly in Glasgow where we are so diverse,” he said.

“And the football pitch brings everybody together, it doesn’t matter their race, religion, background, ethnicity, to have this tournament to bring all parties together, is going to be a fantastic occasion.

“I do a lot of work in Glasgow myself with charities and we have a lot of participants who are refugees, young refugees, and they can get signposted to the next level.”