Keely Hodgkinson believes athletics stars never get the credit they deserve.

The 21-year-old is in Budapest ahead of her assault on the 800 metres title at the World Championships.

Emma Raducanu’s US Open win in 2021 catapulted her to stardom while Hodgkinson is still a relative unknown outside of athletics in the UK.

That is despite her Olympic and world silver medals along with three European golds.

She said: “I do think us athletes work a lot harder than some other sports and we don’t get the recognition we deserve. I don’t know how but hopefully we will get there.

“I think because an athlete is individual, obviously you have your team around you which is great but you have a lot of individualisation time. I think it’s just hard.

“If it’s a team and you lose, the whole team is supporting you. If it’s you, everything is on you and you’re the one that controls what happens when you set off.

“That’s just a different kind of pressure. Training for these events, it’s tough. Footballers think they’re fit, they’re just not. Because if you brought them down to the track they wouldn’t keep up.

“Everyone works hard. Tennis players work really hard, everything is just different. But in all the different aspects you have in athletics, I don’t think people realise the behind the scenes of what goes into it.”

Hodgkinson has also limited the brands she works with – just Nike, Omega and Maurten – to ensure she remains focused on training, but was still called ‘athletics’ new It girl’ in an interview with Vogue this month.

“When you work with brands they also want something back,” she adds. “Days here, days in London, media days. If you’ve got six, seven, eight different brands your time is going to be taken up quite a bit – and my main priority is training.

“I just want to make sure they understand and they don’t want too much from me that it takes away or stresses me out, or anything like that. I’m protecting who I work with just to see what comes along.”

Her quest for 800m gold starts in the heats on Wednesday but world champion, the USA’s Athing Mu, has been keeping Hodgkinson guessing over whether she will compete in Hungary or focus on next year’s Paris Olympics.

Hodgkinson finished second behind Mu in Eugene last year and at the Tokyo Olympics, with their battle still poised to be one of the races of the Championships.

“When you’re missing a big name, when people come they want to watch that,” she said. “It would definitely be a shame if she’s missing. But we don’t know what’s going on on her side of the world and what her story is.

“We’ve not heard anything so I guess we just have to wait and see, but I try not to think about who’s going to turn up and who’s not.

“You kind of go in with the mentality that everyone’s going to be there and if they’re not, they’re not.

“That (gold) is a personal goal of mine anyway. So it would just be quite fulfilling if I did that.”

Meanwhile, skipper Laura Muir starts her 1500m campaign at the National Athletics Centre on Saturday, along with GB team-mates Katie Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant, aiming to challenge Kenya’s world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon.

“Obviously, you always want to come away with a medal but it’s about the stuff you can control,” said Muir. “That’s what I talked about in the captaincy speech.

“The two key messages were: no limitations on yourself, because you don’t know what you’re capable of, you can go out there and run way faster than you thought, and then no expectations of others.

“You have no idea what other people are capable of either and what shape they’re in.”

England’s countdown towards the World Cup final against Spain continues with expectations rising at home as well as for Lionesses fans Down Under.

Elsewhere, Sweden and co-hosts Australia are getting set to battle it out for a third-place finish.

Here, the PA news agency looks at all the latest news heading into the final weekend of the showpiece tournament.

Russo at the ready

Alessia Russo cannot wait to kick off England’s World Cup final – after years spent rehearsing the winning strike in her childhood garden.

On Sunday night in Sydney, the Lionesses could become the first England team to bring football ‘home’ since Sir Alf Ramsey and his men lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966.

“Obviously this is the biggest game, the one you dream about and means the most,” said Arsenal forward Russo, who scored England’s third goal to seal a 3-1 semi-final win over Australia on Wednesday.

“I think it will hit when we’re in the tunnel and ready to walk out.

“It’s an incredible occasion, it’s been an unbelievable tournament and this is it. This is the moment we want to be in. We can’t wait.”

Sarina staying put

Sarina Wiegman intends to stay put as England boss amidst rumours the Dutch coach could be tempted into the recently vacated United States manager’s chair.

On Thursday, US Soccer announced Vlatko Andonovski would step down by mutual agreement following a disappointing World Cup campaign that saw the double-defending champions knocked out by Sweden for a worst-ever last-16 finish.

Along with Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, Wiegman finds herself already among the names tipped to fill the vacancy.

The 53-year-old Dutchwoman, though, issued a reassuring update as she prepared to lead the Lionesses into their first World Cup final.

“I’m staying out of that. I’ve heard it (rumours). I’m with England, I’m really happy with England and I have a contract until 2025,” Wiegman said.

“I’m really enjoying my job and I have the impression that people still like me doing that job. I have no plans to leave.”

Kerr targets bronze

Sam Kerr is determined to salvage third place for Australia to reward fans after their dream of lifting the Women’s World Cup on home turf was ended.

A superb strike from Kerr was in vain in Wednesday’s semi-final against England as Australia fell to a 3-1 defeat – leaving the vast majority of the 75,000 fans in Sydney disappointed.

“The support we’ve had has been amazing and we’ll do everything we can at the weekend to get those fans third place,” said Chelsea forward Kerr, who has been battling a calf strain throughout the tournament.

“The amount of people who’ve come out to support us, who’ve been there at our hotel, I’ll say it again: it’s been amazing. We never could have dreamed about this kind of support.

“We have to pick ourselves up and go again. And we’re going to do everything to win third.”

Open up!

Pubs across England are hoping a minister’s letter to councils across England means venues can open early for the World Cup final on Sunday.

Current regulations mean the sale of alcohol is widely prohibited before 10am on Sunday, but venues such as pubs also have specific hours they can stay open and serve alcohol depending on individual licences.

Pub bosses have warned that those licensing rules mean some venues will be unable to serve pints or open early for excited fans on the day.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has written to councils across England to do everything they can to help venues seeking to extend their hours for the game.

“The whole nation is ready to get behind the Lionesses this Sunday in what is England’s biggest game since 1966,” levelling up secretary Mr Gove said.

“I’ve asked councils to do everything they can to help pubs get open earlier on Sunday, so people can come together and enjoy a drink before kick-off for this special occasion.”

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What’s next?

Third-place play-off: Sweden v Australia (Brisbane, Saturday 0900BST)

Final: Spain v England (Sydney, Sunday 1100BST)

Arrest could set up another Classic tilt when he returns from a short break in the BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

John and Thady Gosden’s charge was sent off the 4-1 favourite to give Frankie Dettori a fairytale swansong in the Derby in June on the back of an impressive display in the Chester Vase the previous month.

However, things did not go to plan for the colt at Epsom, with the son of Frankel struggling to handle the famous undulations and he also underwhelmed when seeking compensation in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He now steps up in trip with connections keen to gauge whether he could become a Betfred St Leger contender later in the season, and while his training team will be keeping one eye on conditions to make sure the ground is suitable, heavy rain before racing on Friday will have been welcome.

“It will all depend on what the ground is like. I’m sure John and Thady will have a walk of the track,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

He went on: “He’s a horse that stays well and we’re going to try to see if he’s a St Leger horse or a mile-and-a-half horse.

“His pedigree wouldn’t scream a mile and six furlongs to you, but just with his running style and John also feels he has a fair chance of getting the trip, so we will give him a chance and see.”

William Haggas’ Klondike was the winner of a soft ground maiden on debut at the course in April before going on to perform with credit in decent company in two starts since.

He came within three lengths of toppling the Gosdens’ Royal Ascot scorer Gregory in the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood, before being slightly outpaced in a slowly-run edition of the Bahrain Trophy most recently.

“He’s a progressive horse and he was held up in a slowly-run race last time which didn’t suit him,” said the Somerville Lodge handler.

“He will be better on this track and will hopefully run a nice race.

“He won’t mind any rain. He doesn’t have to have soft ground, but he won’t mind it if it comes.

“I think he will be better as he gets older and I don’t want to over do him this year, I think a couple of more races will be fine for him.”

Kemari got the better of a prolonged tussle with Outbox to claim the Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket and looks the pick of the older horses on show.

That was the first time the five-year-old had found the scoresheet since landing the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2021 and Charlie Appleby is hoping he can build on that welcome return to his best.

“Kemari goes to Newbury fit and well, having had a little break since the Fred Archer,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told www.godolphin.com.

“I think conditions will suit, as he has a bit of form on softer ground, and a repeat of his Newmarket performance should make him a serious contender.”

Henry Longfellow will return to the Curragh attempting to follow in the footsteps of some of Ballydoyle’s best in the Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes on Sunday.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Dubawi is out of the stable’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Minding and created a taking impression when making his debut at the Kildare track, looking the consummate professional when running on powerfully to beat Mythology.

That form was given a timely boost when Mythology finished second in a Deauville Group Three recently and confidence will be high that Henry Longfellow – who is as short as 8-1 for the 2000 Guineas no bigger than 16-1 for the Derby – can add to O’Brien’s impressive record in the Group Two contest.

O’Brien has won eight of the last 10 runnings of the seven-furlong event and has won it 14 times in total with the likes of Hawk Wing, Gleneagles and Churchill just some of the leading names to taste Futurity glory and then progress to further big-race riches.

“He’s good and everything seems well with him since the last day. We’re looking forward to seeing him out again,” said O’Brien.

“His work has been loved, P-C (Boudot) is riding him all the time and he’s very happy with him.”

On the potential for rain he added: “He won’t mind that, Minding handled soft ground and I don’t think that will be a problem to him.”

O’Brien will also be represented by Portland who is another son of Dubawi and opened his account at the third attempt when scoring in heavy ground during the Galway Festival.

He will be the mount of Seamie Heffernan, while prior to his Galway success he finished three lengths behind Ger Lyons’ Spanish Flame at Tipperary and the Phoenix Of Spain colt now searches for a hat-trick in his first run in Group company.

Joseph O’Brien’s track and trip scorer Islandsinthestream and Adrian Murray’s Courageous Strike complete the line-up with Henry Longfellow having just the four other rivals to try and provide a stern examination.

Courtney Lawes insists England must avoid drawing too heavily on their fury at the treatment of Owen Farrell when they face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Steve Borthwick railed against the “personal attacks” on Farrell following a disciplinary panel’s decision to downgrade his red card against Wales to a yellow, thereby sparing him a suspension.

England have nonetheless withdrawn their captain from the spotlight ahead of his appeal hearing early next week by revising their plans to pick him in midfield for the Aviva Stadium showdown.

Instead, Lawes leads the underdogs into their penultimate match before the World Cup begins mindful that, while the squad are angry at the attacks on Farrell, the main event has yet to begin.

“This is an interesting adversity because it’s an individual player and we’re not in the World Cup yet, so we can’t peak too early,” Lawes said.

“You’ve got to be careful of that – checks and balances and all that kind of stuff. But we can certainly tap into it a bit because it’s a big game and is important to us.

“We’re looking to win but the main thing for us is that we actually put our talent, effort and hard work on to the pitch.

“The last 10 weeks of pre-season have been pretty gruelling and we want to show what we’ve been working on.

“That’s been the frustrating thing for us in the last two games – we just haven’t performed as well as we know we can.

“We lost a game and went close to losing another. At some point it will click for us and that’s when people will see the amount of hard work we’ve put in.”

An area of England’s game that needs urgent addressing is the collapse in discipline that almost cost them victory against Wales last Saturday.

Henry Arundell, Freddie Steward, Ellis Genge and Farrell were sin-binned for a variety of offences, with the Saracens fly-half’s yellow card then upgraded to a red by the bunker review system.

At one point England were reduced to 12 men and, while they managed to guts out a 19-17 victory the hard way, Lawes does not want to see a repeat.

“We had a few silly cards that you really don’t want to get in Test-match rugby,” Lawes said.

“We’ve really been on the discipline from day one in camp, talking about how important it is at the World Cup.

“It was disappointing to get so many cards and give away so many penalties last week. It’s something we’re constantly working on and hammering down.

“We can’t afford those kinds of mistakes against Ireland. You’re not going to go a season without a card, but to the best of your ability you’ve got to be smart and streetwise with your actions.

“Even in those split seconds you’ve got to have a cool head and hopefully make the right decisions at the right time.”

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera announced Friday that second-year pro Sam Howell will begin the season as the team's starting quarterback.

Howell beat out veteran Jacoby Brissett to start Washington's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10.

The 2022 fifth-round pick started the Commanders' final game of last season and entered the offseason as the favorite to win the job, though the team added the more experienced Brissett in March to provide competition.

Howell won the battle with a strong performance in the Commanders' preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns last week. The 22-year-old completed nine of 12 attempts for 77 yards and threw a 26-year-old touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in Washington's 17-15 win.

"He's basically met the challenge that we've talked about, and that was seeing the growth and improvement from (offseason training activities) and minicamp," Rivera told reporters before Friday's practise. "And then (we) talked about going into training camp and continue to grow and show us what he's capable of.

"We've been very pleased with (his progression), to the point where I decided (Thursday) we were going to name him the starter going into the regular season."

After spending much of his rookie year as the Commanders' No. 3 quarterback, Howell got the nod for the team's 2022 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys and helped Washington to a 26-6 win. The North Carolina product completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while adding 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Howell will be the seventh different quarterback in the last seven seasons to start an opener for Washington, which is coming off an 8-8-1 season but finished last in the competitve NFC East division.

Brissett, who's started a total of 48 games with four teams over a seven-year career, gives Washington a capable alternative should Howell struggle in his first opportunity as a full-time starter.

The 30-year-old spent most of last season as the Browns' starting quarterback with Deshaun Watson serving an 11-game suspension. Brissett finished the campaign with 2,608 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and was intercepted just six times to go along with a 64 per cent completion percentage. 

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.”