LeBron James shared on Monday that he is disappointed the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to secure his former team-mate Kyrie Irving in a trade.
The duo of James and Irving famously became the only team to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, conquering the record-setting 73-9 Golden State Warriors for the 2016 championship.
Their history and chemistry meant that when Irving demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, James believed it was exactly the opportunity his team had been waiting for, but they were beaten to the punch by the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Shams Charania from The Athletic, the Lakers proposed a deal sending Russell Westbrook and their two remaining first-round picks – in 2027 and 2029 – to the Nets, but with championship aspirations of their own, the Nets would not budge unless promising youngsters Max Christie and Austin Reaves were both also included.
It is believed that is where the Lakers drew the line, although further reporting from Marc Stein claims Nets owner Joe Tsai was never going to send Irving to Los Angeles, because he believed that is where he was trying to force his way to.
Speaking to ESPN's Michael Wilbon, James laid out why he felt Irving was a good fit on this Lakers team, but said he has already moved on.
"I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent," he said. "Someone that I had great chemistry with, and know I got great chemistry with on the floor, that can help you win championships, in my mind, in my eyes.
"But my focus is shifted now. My focus is shifted back to where it should be and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room. It's a quick pivot. It don't take me long. I don't get too excited about the possibilities of things that can be.
"I kind of envision myself on what it can, but I don't invest it all the way into it until I know it's happening, and when it does not happen, I'm back locked in on the job at hand.
"So we had an opportunity, our names were out there, the Lakers name was out there. We had an opportunity, it didn't happen.
"We move on and we finish this season strong, try to get a bid into the postseason, where I feel if we go in healthy, we can compete with anybody."
James acknowledged that the Lakers' struggles – currently sitting 13th out of 15 Western Conference teams – have had an effect on him, but he is determined to right the ship.
"Well, I mean for me it is challenging, but I'm 10 toes down," he said. "I understand that once I show up to work, or once I show up to the job description – and that's being a leader of the ballclub every single day – there's no [question for] me on what my mindset is.
"My mindset is how we can be great today and how we can maximise today for either the next game, for the next road trip, for next film session, for the next practice, for the next bus ride, plane ride.
"I have that mentality of if we can maximise today, then it makes the next challenge that much more easy for us."
It is no secret for Westbrook that he is at the centre of these trade rumours for the Lakers as they try to ship him elsewhere, but head coach Darvin Ham said he has been nothing but professional.
"He's showing up, doing his job, being a professional – and that's all you can do for any of us," he said.
"This is an unforgiving business... dealing with rumours, different things happening. All you can do is put your head down and do your work and try to remain as professional as possible, and he's done that."
Irving – who will make his debut for the Mavericks on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers – also received a $2million bonus due to the trade kicker clause in his contract.
Teenage wildcard Arthur Fils claimed his first ATP Tour victory to knock three-time champion Richard Gasquet out of the Open Sud de France.
The 18-year-old Fils, half the age of his opponent, won the first-round match against his fellow Frenchman 7-5 7-5 in Montpellier.
Fils will face another battle between youth and experience when he takes on Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in round two.
The 163-ranked Fils served eight aces and broke Gasquet four times to move into the next round
Nikoloz Basilashvili will face either defending champion Alexander Bublik or Gregoire Barrere in the last 16 after beating Constant Lestienne 6-3 (7-3) 7-5 6-2 in Monday's other match.
Henry Slade and Henry Arundell have recovered from injury to be named as part of England's 36-player squad for Sunday's Six Nations showdown with Italy at Twickenham.
Exeter centre Slade was ruled out of England's 29-23 defeat to Scotland in the opening game of the Steve Borthwick era with a hip injury sustained on club duty.
However, the 29-year-old is now available for selection against Italy – who lost 29-24 to France in their opener – while London Irish wing Arundell is back from a foot problem.
England confirmed the news on Monday, while also announcing vice-captain Courtney Lawes is back at their Pennyhill Park base continuing his recovery from a calf issue.
Borthwick will trim his squad down to 23 players later in the week ahead of facing Italy as both sides look for their first victory of the campaign.
England squad:
Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Ben Curry, Alex Dombrandt, Tom Dunn, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Jonny Hill, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Lewis Ludlam, David Ribbans, Bevan Rodd, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Mako Vunipola, Jack Walker, Jack Willis.
Backs: Henry Arundell, Owen Farrell, Tommy Freeman, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Alex Mitchell, Henry Slade, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jack van Poortvliet, Anthony Watson, Ben Youngs.
Tom Brady will wait until the 2024 NFL season to launch his new career in broadcasting with Fox Sports.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion retired last week after a 23-year career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady signed a 10-year deal to become Fox Sports' lead analyst last May once his playing days had come to an end, reported to be worth $375million.
However, the 45-year-old will not be involved in any capacity in next season's coverage as he intends to take his first year out from the sport since 1999.
"I want to be great at what I do," Brady told Fox Sports 1's The Herd.
"I was talking even last week with the people at Fox Sports, and the leadership there allowing me to start my opportunity in the fall of 2024 is something that's great for me.
"I'll take some time to really learn, become great at what I want to do, become great at thinking about the opportunity and make sure I don't rush into anything."
Brady announced his retirement in a short video posted on his social media channels last Wednesday.
He had called time on his illustrious career a year ago, on February 1 2022, only to announce 40 days later that he was making a comeback.
And the legendary quarterback says he wanted to make the latest retirement announcement a low-key affair.
"For me, I know in my heart how I feel," he said. "I put it out on the field for 23 years and I'm super proud of what's been accomplished.
"I just wanted to keep last week really short and sweet. I felt like I've given a lot, I've gained a lot, I've learned a lot, and life is about exciting things ahead, too.
"I've loved my time in football. It's absolutely an incredible love in my life. It's hard to make decisions like that, but it's certainly the right time."
On his next chapter away from the field, Brady added: "I want to be great at what I do, and that always takes some time, strategising, learning, growing and evolving.
"I have so many people to rely on and support me in that world, too.
"It's going to be a great opportunity for me to take some time to prepare for my broadcasting job, but also catching up on other parts of my life that need some time and energy."
Outside of the World Cup and the Olympic Games, no sporting event commands attention quite like the Super Bowl.
The build-up to an opening kick-off witnessed by a cavalcade of television and smartphone cameras is a week-long celebration of North America's dominant professional sport, a seven-day period in which talking heads agonise over every storyline in the only game of the year that doubles as a de-facto national holiday in the United States.
On occasion, such storylines may be contrived in a bid to create excitement for a matchup that does not instantly capture the imagination. Yet the modern NFL is one spoilt by the number of captivating contenders that reside in the league, and commissioner Roger Goodell could not have asked for a more enticing Super Bowl clash than the one that will take place in Arizona on Sunday.
Indeed, the meeting between AFC Champions the Kansas City Chiefs and NFC Champions the Philadelphia Eagles is one positively teeming with storylines that make Super Bowl LVII a game worthy of the ceaseless hype it will receive before Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Co. settle matters on the field in their fight to secure the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Mahomes and Hurts are poised to make history with their duel at State Farm Stadium. Their matchup is the first in the Super Bowl between two black starting quarterbacks and, by the time the Chiefs and Eagles have taken the field, one of them will likely have been crowned as MVP — both are finalists for the league’s most prestigious individual honour, which will be announced at a ceremony in Phoenix on Thursday.
Theirs is a battle between a signal-caller who is by this point established as the gold standard of his generation, with a prospective second MVP for Mahomes just reward for a campaign in which he threw for 50 passing touchdowns and over 5,000 yards in the same season for the second time in his career, and a quarterback who seems to be in the midst of an unexpected rise to the elite after startling growth in his second full season as a starter.
Yet both head into the game with plenty to prove. Mahomes will consider it past time to end his wait for a second Super Bowl title after breaking the hearts of the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, while there will be many still questioning whether Hurts can excel against this calibre of opposition. The Eagles went 14-1 with him as the starter in the regular season but faced only six teams who finished the year with a winning record. So far in the postseason, they have blown out an overachieving New York Giants team and seen a mouth-watering NFC Championship Game with the 49ers reduced to a no-contest after injuries left San Francisco with no healthy quarterbacks.
But questions about the opposition Hurts has faced do nothing to detract from the quality of his overall play. He has performed extremely impressively as a deep-ball thrower, with his passer rating of 112.1 on passes of 21 air yards or more the fourth-best among quarterbacks with at least 25 such attempts. The Eagles have utilised Hurts’ running ability to devastating effect as he has rushed for 13 touchdowns, while the Philadelphia quarterback ranks fourth in yards over expected in true passing situations (among quarterbacks with at least 100 such throws).
Mahomes is second by the same measure, illustrating this game’s status as a legitimate matchup between two of the very best at the game’s most important position.
Both Mahomes and Hurts will depend heavily on a man named Kelce as they look to guide their team to glory, with Travis and Jason becoming the first brothers to play against each other in the Super Bowl. Tight end Travis Kelce became the undisputed top option in the Kansas City offense in the wake of the Tyreek Hill trade and added another hugely impressive season to a Hall of Fame resume.
His campaign featured 1,338 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns with his 19 receptions of at least 20 yards the most of any tight end and the seventh-most in the NFL. The impact of an offensive lineman can sometimes be less tangible, but no center in the league makes their presence as obvious as Jason Kelce, the engine to an Eagles line that ranks first in pass block win rate and second in run block win rate, according to Stats Perform data.
Both Kelce brothers were drafted by Andy Reid, Jason picked in 2011 when the 64-year-old was Eagles head coach, with Travis then selected in his first year in Kansas City in 2013, a tenure in Philadelphia defined by frustrating near-misses coming to an end in 2012.
Reid lost three successive NFC Championship Games with the Eagles between the 2001 and 2003 seasons before finally getting them to the Super Bowl in the 2004 campaign, with his time management skills vehemently criticised in a loss to the New England Patriots.
He got back to the NFC Championship Game one more time with Philadelphia in the 2008 season, but never did so again following a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Though his triumph with the Chiefs four years ago will obviously have softened the pain of seeing the Eagles get over the hump without him in the 2017 campaign, a contest between a man who could never quite get job done in Philadelphia and a coach in Nick Sirianni who is a game away from winning the Super Bowl in his second season is a fascinating plot point in a heavyweight encounter.
Such will be the attention on messrs Mahomes, Hurts, Reid and the brothers Kelce that some of the critical battles on which the destination of the Lombardi could hinge may well fly under the radar.
Chief among them will be the fight in the trenches. Defensive Player of the Year contender Chris Jones has led the way for a Kansas City defensive line that has tallied 18 quarterback hits in the postseason, tied for the most among 2022 playoff teams. However, he and his team-mates up front will be tested not only in defeating the blocks of the Philadelphia offensive line but in tempering the aggressiveness by which Steve Spagnuolo's defense has come to be defined against a diverse Philadelphia ground game that is well-equipped to use it against Kansas City.
In comparison to Jones, Kansas City’s young secondary is an underrated aspect of the Chiefs’ roster. The Chiefs' defense ranks 11th in open percentage allowed, though the prospective return of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed from a head injury will be key to their hopes of limiting the impact of the Eagles' star receiver duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who rank 11th and 13th respectively in combined open percentage across man and zone coverage.
Sneed has lost just 22 of his 76-man coverage matchups. Only four players to have faced 75 such matchups have allowed a receiver to get open less often.
Stopping the Eagles is of course only half the battle for Kansas City and, for as frequently as 'Mahomes magic' has rescued the Chiefs, he cannot do it alone.
Encouragingly, the Chiefs rank ninth in rushing offense in Stats Perform's Efficiency Versus Expected metric and are going against an Eagles defense 21st by the same metric against the run.
The Eagles largely shut down the 49er run game in the NFC Championship Game, but that was primarily due to the fact the Philadelphia defense could focus solely on stopping the ground attack with the threat of the passing game removed.
With Philadelphia having played an offense that was reduced solely to running the ball, the Chiefs will have received an in-depth look at how the Eagles fit their defense to stop the rush, potentially improving their odds of finding weaknesses in that area and taking advantage of them.
Mahomes remains the primary weapon and most will expect and want to see a bewitching duel between and the top two MVP candidates. Yet the Super Bowl can throw up unexpected heroes and, though there are bonafide stars and storylines aplenty, the post-game tales could well be of the job the Eagles did on Jones, how rookie Isiah Pacheco gashed Philadelphia’s run defense or how Sneed and Jaylen Watson kept Brown and Smith at bay. There's plenty of intrigue beneath the surface in a potential all-time classic.
Number five seed Jelena Ostapenko booked a place in the last 16 of the Abu Dhabi Open with victory over Danielle Collins in three sets on Monday.
Ostapenko, looking to add to the fifth career title she won in Dubai 12 months ago, edged an entertaining contest 7-5 1-6 7-5 in two hours and 19 minutes.
Fellow seeded player Anett Kontaveit was also victorious on the opening day of the tournament, but only after battling back to beat Zhang Shuai 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
Marta Kostyuk saw off Sorana Cirstea 6-2 1-6 6-2, meanwhile, and will now face second seed Belinda Bencic in the next round.
Elise Mertens is also through to round two, where Veronika Kudermetova awaits, after dominating Martina Trevisan 6-0 6-2.
In the first main draw match at the Linz Open, Sofia Kenin let an early lead slip to lose 2-6 6-3 6-4 to Jule Niemeier.
Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer feels it is "incomprehensible" that Manuel Neuer went public with his criticism of the Bundesliga champions for sacking Toni Tapalovic.
Neuer described the Bundesliga champions' decision to relieve goalkeeping coach Tapalovic of his duties as "the most brutal thing I've experienced in my career".
The Bayern captain added that the departure of his mentor while he is recovering from the broken leg he sustained during a ski trip in December was "a blow – when I was already down on the ground".
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic have made it clear they were not impressed with the Germany international's comments.
Hainer also criticised the long-serving Neuer on Monday.
"It is incomprehensible and disappointing for us that Manuel did not seek the way to us, but went directly to the public," he said.
"I'm even more disappointed than angry, because I would have thought that Manuel – who has been with us for so long – has so much trust and comes to us first to discuss it.
"I support one hundred per cent what Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic said."
Hainer ruled out terminating Neuer's contract, but there are doubts over whether he will retain the captaincy.
"We will now sit down with him and work through everything calmly and professionally," Hainer said.
"The most important thing now is that Manuel gets well again and can play. And then we'll see."
Wide receiver A.J. Green has decided to step away from the NFL after 12 years.
The 34-year-old took to social media to announce the decision to retire on Monday.
"Thank you to all who have supported, encouraged and inspired me throughout my career," he wrote on Twitter. "Special thank you to the University of Georgia, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals for the opportunity to pursue my dreams.
"I've stayed true to the game and it owes me nothing. Be blessed.. Love y'all! The next chapter begins."
Green was drafted fourth overall in 2011 by the Bengals and earned his first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl selections that season after leading the team with 65 receptions, 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.
His best season came in 2013, when he had career highs of 98 receptions for 1,426 yards and 11 TDs.
After 10 seasons with the Bengals, Green signed as a free agent with Arizona, where he spent the final two seasons.
He ranks second all-time in Cincinnati franchise history in career receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and ends his career with 727 receptions for 10,514 yards and 70 touchdowns in 158 games.
Justin Rose ended a four-year PGA Tour title drought with a three-shot victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Monday.
Rose led by two strokes when play was suspended due to darkness at Monterey Peninsula Country Club on Sunday.
The Englishman returned to end a run of 67 PGA Tour events without being crowned champion, carding a six-under 66 to finish on 18 under.
Rose resumed at the 10th hole, securing a par before picking up three birdies through the next four holes to keep his rival at bay.
The 2013 U.S. Open champion added another three pars to finish his round and finally get that winning feeling on the PGA Tour once again.
His previous PGA Tour triumph came at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January 2019.
Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu shared second place on 15 under after signing for final rounds of 65 and 66 respectively.
Denny McCarthy and Keith Mitchell were a further shot back on a memorable Monday for Rose.
At the end of February 2022, Leeds United bosses had seen enough.
"This has been the toughest decision I have had to make," said chairman Andrea Radrizzani at the time.
Leeds had taken just one point from six games, leaving them only two points above the relegation zone. A 4-0 home defeat by Tottenham was the final straw for Marcelo Bielsa, who was dismissed on February 27.
At the beginning of February 2023, Leeds United bosses had again seen enough as they parted company with Bielsa's successor Jesse Marsch.
Leeds have taken just three points from their past seven games, leaving them level on points with Everton in the final relegation spot, albeit having played a game fewer than the three teams below them.
Unlike Bielsa, who ended the club's long wait to get back into the Premier League and then guided them to a ninth-placed finish in their first season back, Marsch never truly won over the fanbase.
Whereas Bielsa had murals dedicated to him all over west Yorkshire throughout his time in change, with his exit doing little to impact the esteem he's held in around Leeds, Marsch's year in charge will likely soon be a distant memory.
Indeed, the 95-word statement put out by the club on Monday confirming his departure – with no comment from Radrizzani or his peers – was as brutal as it was damning.
And so Leeds are now on the lookout for a new man to keep them in the division, with Carlos Corberan – who has impressed in his four months at West Brom – the early frontrunner to take charge.
Bielsa is also reportedly among the contenders to succeed the man who succeeded him, while Mauricio Pochettino, Ange Postecoglou and Ralph Hasenhuttl have been touted as other options.
New manager bounce?
Pulling the plug on Marsch's tenure was a big call by Leeds chiefs, coming in the same week they face Manchester United in back-to-back Premier League games.
It will be only the second time in the competition's history that the same two teams have met in successive games, following Arsenal's 2-0 and 4-2 wins over Bolton Wanderers in January 2010.
Leeds are in a race against time to bring a new man in before the first of those games at Old Trafford on Wednesday, although they then have a further four days ahead of welcoming their fierce rivals back to Elland Road.
As it stands, Marsch's assistant Chris Armas, who previously worked as Ralf Rangnick's right-hand man at Old Trafford last season, is expected to oversee the midweek match in Manchester.
A new manager bounce would come in handy for at least one of those games. In the view of many Leeds fans, simply having anyone other than Marsch in the dugout will boost their chances of getting a result.
Whether it be a caretaker or a permanent head coach, though, history suggests bringing in someone new ahead of playing United very rarely pays off.
Of the 16 previous occasions a manager or caretaker has taken charge of his first Premier League match against United, the Red Devils have won 12 times, drawn once and lost only three times.
However, the most recent such instance was just three months ago when Unai Emery inspired Aston Villa to a 3-1 home win against Erik ten Hag's side, ending United's nine-match winning run in such encounters.
Emery joins an elite list that also includes Alan Curbishley and a certain Jose Mourinho, who masterminded wins over United in their first Premier League games in charge of West Ham and Chelsea respectively.
Little joy for Leeds
Perhaps a more telling statistic, though, is the one that highlights just how badly Leeds have performed in this fixture down the years, regardless of who has been at the helm.
Leeds have won only one of their past 17 Premier League games against the team from across the Pennines, with that a 1-0 victory in September 2002.
That winless run goes back even further when only accounting for top-flight matches played at Old Trafford, where they were last victorious in February 1981.
Returning to the elite after 16 years away has done little to change the one-sided nature of this fixture, with Leeds losing three of their four meetings over the past two campaigns and drawing the other.
The 15 goals they have conceded against United in 6-2 5-1 and 4-2 defeats are second only to the 16 shipped against Manchester City over that same period.
Furthermore, since the start of last season, Leeds have taken just one point from their eight games against sides starting the day in the top three.
Marsch or not, this was always going to be a match in which the odds were stacked massively against Leeds, particularly with their opponents on a 13-game winning streak at Old Trafford in all competitions.
That is the Red Devils' best run since a record 20 wins in a row between December 2010 and September 2011.
Plenty to play for
Ending that barren run will go a long way to boosting Leeds' survival hopes, although ultimately whoever comes in will have 16 matches after this week's unique double-header to steer the Whites to safety.
Without a win in seven Premier League games, with that the longest ongoing run of any side, it hardly came as a big surprise to see Marsch given his marching orders on the back of 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest.
The American departs with a Premier League win percentage of 25 across his 32 matches, which is the second-lowest of any Leeds boss in the division after Eddie Gray (24 per cent).
Another new era now beckons at Elland Road, and whoever it is that replaces Marsch will have their work cut out in the short term keeping Leeds above the dotted line.
Whether that can be achieved remains to be seen. But if we have learned anything about Leeds throughout the Premier League era, it is that it will certainly make for entertaining viewing either way.
Anthony Joshua's next fight has been confirmed for April 1 against Jermaine Franklin at The O2 in London.
Two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua will attempt to get his career back on track with a victory over Franklin in his homeland following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk claimed the WBA, IBF and WBO belts by beating the Briton in September 2021 and retained them with victory in the rematch in Jeddah last August.
Franklin was beaten by Dillian White in his last fight last November, that being the American's only defeat in 22 professional bouts.
Joshua is eager to impress his new head trainer Derrick James in what will be his first fight at The O2 since 2016.
"I'm looking forward to stepping back into the ring on April 1 at The O2 in London," said the 33-year-old Joshua. "Mentally and physically I feel ready.
"I want to put on a show and impress my coach as he has high standards. Franklin has a good style and a great attitude, which he has shown in recent fights."
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, last week stated that he expects the 2012 Olympic champion to make a statement when he faces Franklin but knows "we've got a major problem" if he is beaten again.
Franklin warned he will inflict more pain on Joshua in his homeland.
"I'm ready to show the world why it's time for me to take my place at the top of the heavyweight division," said Franklin.
"Joshua had his time. It's my time to shock the world. This fight isn't going to the judge's card. I will have win number 22 come April 1. That ain't no April Fool's joke."
Ireland will be without Jamison Gibson-Park, Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong for a huge Six Nations clash with France on Saturday.
Scrum-half Gibson-Park and prop Healy were late withdrawals from an opening 34-10 win over Wales at the weekend due to hamstring injuries.
The duo will not be fit in time for a showdown with defending champions France at the Aviva Stadium, while prop Furlong also misses out due to a calf issue that sidelined him for the victory at the Principality Stadium.
Conor Murray will be expected to retain the number nine shirt after coming into the side to replace Gibson-Park.
Captain Johnny Sexton, who suffered a dead leg in Cardiff, will complete the HIA process on Monday, while Ronan Kelleher is due to return to training this week.
Scrum-half Caolin Blade and loosehead prop Michael Milne have been called up to the squad, while Roman Salanoa and Tom Stewart will remain with the group after being drafted in last week.
France started the defence of their title with a 29-24 win over Italy at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
Neymar has returned to full training with Paris Saint-Germain in a big boost for the French giants ahead of three big matches across the next week.
The Brazil international has not featured in PSG's past two games – league wins over Montpellier and Toulouse – due to suffering from muscular fatigue.
However, Neymar is now in contention to return for Wednesday's Classique against Marseille at Stade Velodrome in the last 16 of the Coupe de France.
Ligue 1 leaders PSG then face fourth-placed Monaco in the league on Saturday, before hosting Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next week.
PSG posted an image of Neymar in training on Monday, while fellow recent injury absentee Sergio Ramos was also present.
Kylian Mbappe is expected to miss at least the first leg of that showdown with Bayern, however, with the prolific forward still nursing a thigh injury.
Prior to his short lay-off, Neymar – who celebrated his 31st birthday on Sunday – had scored 17 goals and assisted 14 more in 25 appearances this season.
Those 31 goal involvements put Neymar level with team-mate Mbappe and behind only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (34) among players from Europe's top five leagues.
Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets is a major doubt to face Manchester United next week after the LaLiga leaders confirmed he sprained his ankle against Sevilla.
Busquets was injured inside four minutes of Barca's 3-0 LaLiga win at Camp Nou on Sunday after being caught by Youssef En-Nesyri and was substituted off soon after.
The 34-year-old, who has played in 27 of Barcelona's 31 games this season, underwent a scan on Monday that revealed he has a lateral collateral ligament sprain in his left ankle.
While no official timeline has been given for Busquets' return, the former Spain international is reportedly facing at least two weeks on the sidelines.
That would rule Busquets out of LaLiga games against Villarreal and Cadiz, either side of the first leg of Barca's Europa League knockout play-off round with United on February 16.
Barca travel to Old Trafford the following week, before concluding this month's fixtures with a trip to Almeria in the league.
Busquets' future at Barca beyond this season remains unclear, with head coach Xavi reiterating this week the midfielder will have the final say on whether he stays or leaves.
Xavi's side are now eight points clear at the top of LaLiga, with their routine win against Sevilla coming shortly after Real Madrid's shock 1-0 loss at Real Mallorca.
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