Oleksandr Zinchenko expects "true warrior" Gabriel Jesus to return "much strong than before" after his injury but has backed Eddie Nketiah to step up for Arsenal in the meantime.

Mikel Arteta's side will resume their Premier League campaign five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table after impressing before the World Cup break.

Arsenal host West Ham on Monday, but they will do so without Jesus after the Brazil forward underwent knee surgery following an injury in Qatar.

Zinchenko, who joined Arsenal with Jesus from Manchester City in the last transfer window, vowed his team-mate will return stronger as he encouraged the Gunners to step up in his absence.

"He's one of the leaders in our team. He's a true warrior," the Ukraine international told the club's official website. 

"I have no doubts he'll be back much stronger than before, knowing him personally and knowing his character. As a team, we need to stick together."

Nketiah is likely to lead the line in Jesus' absence after largely playing a back-up role within Arteta's squad.

The 23-year-old scored five goals in the final seven league games of last season, though, and Zinchenko believes he will prove a capable replacement.

"I have no doubts that Nketiah is going to do his job amazingly, and everyone trusts him," the defender added. "We have such a great group of people. We have this feeling of togetherness."

Zinchenko is no stranger to pressure after winning four Premier League titles with City, and he insists Arsenal will not run out of steam this season.

"I'm just trying to do my job as well as I can. On the pitch, I am giving my 100 per cent," he continued.

"The fans have welcomed me so warmly at this club. I can't be grateful enough for everything they have done and the support I've received from them.

"What I've seen in the past [is] if you have the right attitude and the right behaviour on and off the pitch, you can't be tired physically. You can be only tired in the head – everything is coming from your head.

"If you do all the things right in your routine – your sleep, your food, look after yourself well – and you do everything to prepare your body fresh, if you do everything right, you can't be tired physically."

Novak Djokovic wants to play for as long as his body is able as he aims to emulate Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer after coming through a challenging 2022 campaign.

Djokovic began last season in somewhat controversial circumstances after he was barred from the Australian Open for his stance on vaccination for the global coronavirus pandemic.

The 21-time grand slam champion lost his world number one spot after failing to defend his French Open crown but roared back to glory at Wimbledon.

A record-matching fifth ATP Finals title took him level with the recently retired Federer and 35-year-old Djokovic has no intentions of slowing down in the new year.

"I would like to play as long as I possibly can," he stated in Dubai on Friday. "I don't have really any number in my head.

"Things are progressing so far pretty well for me. I can't complain. So as long as I play at this level, as long as I have the fire, I'll keep going."

Djokovic may have been unceremoniously deported from Australia earlier this year amid the fallout over his vaccination status but he has enjoyed playing at the first grand slam of the year in recent seasons.

At no other grand slam event has the Serbian been more prolific, with nine titles to date, and he is relishing the chance to start his season in Melbourne once more.

"I'm just glad to have a chance to start there," he added. "My record has been pretty decent over the years in Australia. So I look forward to going there.

"I always ask for the best for myself. Over the years, I've been really fortunate to start very strong in Australia and love playing there.

"After obviously what happened earlier this year, hopefully, I can have a decent reception there, and that can help me play some good tennis."

We are firmly in the business end of the 2022 NFL season.

Seven teams have already clinched their place in the postseason and a further seven will join them in the final three weeks of the campaign.

This is the time of year when room for error is diminished in games that have a huge bearing on how the final playoff field shakes out.

As such, festive feeling will be thin on the ground for those teams playing in such encounters during this weekend's Christmas schedule who come up short.

So often, though, these contests are decided by the game within the game, and here Stats Perform looks at three of the most important Week 16 clashes and the personnel matchups that could decide them.

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals

Win Probability: Patriots 52.0 per cent

Key Matchup: Matthew Judon and Josh Uche vs. Bengals offensive line

The Patriots' hopes of claiming a Wild Card berth took a massive blow in bizarre circumstances last week as Jakobi Meyers' inexplicable last-second lateral landed in the grateful arms of Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Chandler Jones, who stiff-armed Mac Jones into the turf and raced into the endzone to deny New England a chance of an overtime win.

At 7-7, they are still just a game behind the Miami Dolphins and must climb off the mat, though they are this week tasked with doing so against one of the hottest teams in football.

The 10-4 Bengals have a one-game edge over the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North division title, yet there is a matchup the Patriots can look to exploit in this one.

While Cincinnati's offensive line has improved in terms of preventing pressure on Joe Burrow, it remains in the bottom half of the NFL in pass block win rate, in which the Bengals rank 24th.

In Judon and Uche, the Patriots possess a pair of pass rushers who can cause the Cincinnati O-Line huge problems. Judon is second in the NFL in sacks (14.5), behind only Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers, while Uche has 10.5, all of which have come across his last seven games.

Both Judon (40.08 per cent) and Uche (42.38 per cent) possess pass rush win rates way above the average for edge players of 28.74 per cent, and if they are at their best, they could help eradicate the advantage the Bengals have at quarterback and tilt the game in New England's favour.

Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs

Win Probability: Chiefs 80.4 per cent

Key Matchup: Seattle defensive backs vs. Chiefs receivers

Like the Patriots, the Seahawks' prospects of reaching the postseason are in significant jeopardy.

Their hopes of winning the NFC West are gone after the 49ers clinched the division title in Seattle by completing their first sweep of the Seahawks since 2011 in Week 15.

That leaves Seattle fighting for a Wild Card, and the odds are very much against them in this one against a Chiefs team who are in a battle for the AFC's one seed with the Buffalo Bills.

Part of the reason why the Seahawks are still in the mix is the play of their young but talented secondary, which ranks 13th in the NFL in pass coverage win rate according to Stats Perform's matchup data.

Rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen has enjoyed an outstanding first season for Seattle, with his combined open percentage allowed across man and zone coverage of 22.75 the seventh-best among corners with at least 100 total matchups.

The Chiefs' pass-catchers are 13th in terms of winning their coverage matchups in 2022, a year in which the loss of Tyreek Hill has undoubtedly had an impact.

Yet with 82.1 per cent of Patrick Mahomes' throws this season going to an open target, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid continues to excel at scheming receivers into space.

For the Seahawks to have any hope of pulling off a sizeable upset, their secondary must limit the chances for the Chiefs' receivers to enjoy such freedom.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

Win Probability: Cowboys 59 per cent

Key Matchup: Eagles offensive line vs. Cowboys pass rush

This NFC East matchup may have lost some of its lustre with the Eagles needing a meltdown to surrender the division title to the Cowboys and Jalen Hurts out because of a shoulder injury.

But that should not take away from the true heavyweight fight this game provides in the trenches.

Micah Parsons may be losing ground in the Defensive Player of the Year race, but he remains the headline act for a defense that is first in the NFL in pass rush win rate.

That would normally give the Cowboys a clear edge in a matchup with every offensive line, but not with this one.

Philadelphia's O-line leads the league in pass block win rate, with the Eagles allowing a pressure rate of 32.9 per cent that is the fourth-best in the NFL.

The Eagles maintaining their strength up front against Parsons and Co. will obviously be critical to Philadelphia as they seek to overcome the absence of Hurts.

There is no substitute for the value Hurts brings in the run game, but the Cowboys' defense has shown enough vulnerability to suggest backup quarterback Gardner Minshew can have success against Dallas, provided the offensive line wins the battle up front and allows the Eagles to stay on schedule.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will remain on the sidelines indefinitely after testing revealed a stress injury in his right foot.

The team announced the news on Friday on Twitter to update the status of their star big man, who has been out since landing awkwardly during a game against the Denver Nuggets on December 16. The Lakers had previously listed Davis on the injury report with right foot soreness.

A stress injury is part of a spectrum of ailments, the most severe of which is considered a stress fracture.

The club did not comment on the severity of Davis' condition or give a timetable for his return, saying only that further updates "will be provided when appropriate."

The news is devastating for a 13-18 Lakers team that faces an uphill battle just qualify for the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

After a 2-10 start to the season, the Lakers followed with a 10-6 surge, thanks largely to MVP-quality production from Davis. The eight-time All-Star averaged 30.8 points and 13.3 rebounds over that stretch while shooting 63.9 per cent from the floor.

Amid that stretch, Davis scored 55 points in a win over the Washington Wizards, his most since joining the Lakers in 2019 and the second most of his career.

Already with a top-heavy roster, Los Angeles will now rely even more on 37-year-old LeBron James and 34-year-old Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Fridat and will be part of the NBA's annual Christmas Day lineup when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald will likely miss the rest of the season due to injury, coach Sean McVay revealed on Friday.

The star defensive tackle has been absent for the Rams' last two NFL games after sustaining an ankle injury in the 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on November 27.

McVay's men are already out of postseason contention at 4-10 following injury problems surrounding Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and a host of other players.

Donald will remain sidelined along with that pair for Sunday's clash with the visiting Denver Broncos and McVay does not expect the 31-year-old to feature again this season for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

"Probably not," McVay responded when asked if Donald would feature again with three games left of the Rams' campaign.

"I just think, 'Will he be fully cleared to be Aaron Donald?'. And if he is, talk to him and see. But if not, we'll err on the side of being smart with him.

"But obviously, he's a guy that has certainly earned the right where you talk to him. But he's not cleared yet and I don't know that I see that changing in the next couple of weeks."

If Donald does not return, he will end 2022 with 49 tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for loss and one forced fumble from his 11 games.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was named to a ninth straight Pro Bowl on Monday.

Richarlison will spend three to four weeks on the sidelines as a result of the hamstring injury he sustained at the World Cup, Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has confirmed.

The Brazil forward scored three goals during an impressive campaign in Qatar, including a brilliant acrobatic volley in the Selecao's 2-0 group-stage win over Serbia.

However, Richarlison's World Cup ended in disappointing fashion as he was forced off early in Brazil's quarter-final defeat by Croatia on penalties.

The former Everton man underwent an MRI scan earlier this week, with Conte subsequently confirming he will sit out the festive period.

"I spoke with the medical department, they told me we need three to four weeks," the Tottenham boss said. "His injury was a serious injury.

"I followed all my players at the World Cup with my fingers crossed, because you know very well you can lose important players. It happened with Richarlison, who had a problem, [Rodrigo] Bentancur and Ben Davies."

Absent from their Boxing Day trip to Brentford, Richarlison is now a doubt for Spurs' Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester City.

Conte's side face their north London rivals on January 15, before taking on the reigning champions four days later.

Antonio Conte revealed Hugo Lloris will start Tottenham's Boxing Day fixture at Brentford on the bench after losing the World Cup final, while the Spurs coach backed Harry Kane to respond to his spot-kick woe.

Despite enjoying a strong campaign in Qatar, Lloris was unable to help Les Bleus to a successful defence of the trophy as they lost a dramatic final against Argentina after a penalty shoot-out.

The goalkeeper was one of three Tottenham players whose countries went the distance at the tournament, along with Argentina's Cristian Romero and Croatia's bronze medallist Ivan Perisic. 

While Perisic will be available to make an immediate return to Premier League action on Monday, Conte is aware of the need to hand the others a period of rest.

"About the players that played the final and third-fourth-place game, Perisic, Hugo and Cuti [Romero]... only Ivan, who came back today and had a training session with us, is available for the game against Brentford," Conte said on Friday.

"About Lloris, we want him to stay with us, and we also want him to stay on the bench against Brentford.

"As you know, it is important after the World Cup to give a bit of rest to these players. About Cuti, he will be available for the next game against Aston Villa [on January 1], I hope."

Lloris was not the only Tottenham player to see his World Cup campaign end with penalty heartache, with England striker Kane firing a spot-kick over the crossbar as the Three Lions were beaten by France in the last eight. Lloris was again the man in goal for France.

However, Conte has no concerns over how Kane will react to that disappointment, backing the striker to move on swiftly,

"We're talking about a world-class striker, and you know football is like this," Conte said. "When I was a player, I never missed a penalty because I didn't kick. Never! I was a real disaster at it. 

"But with a penalty I lost a World Cup final against Brazil [in 1994], and I think you live these moments, and you are really disappointed.

"For sure, for the first period you are sad, but then you know that you have to move on. Football gives you the opportunity to have other chances to enjoy.

"Football gives us the possibility to play the sport we have a lot of passion for. Honestly, I am not worried about him. I saw him very well in these two days with us."

Unai Emery will address Emiliano Martinez's controversial celebrations following Argentina's World Cup victory when the goalkeeper returns to Aston Villa.

Martinez was the penalty shoot-out hero for La Albiceleste at Qatar 2022, helping them to victory over France in the final.

But it has been suggested the keeper's subsequent celebrations have crossed the line. Martinez, whose gamesmanship in the shoot-out had already drawn criticism, has appeared to repeatedly taunt beaten France hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappe.

Martinez called for a "moment of silence" for Mbappe in the dressing room after Argentina's win and was seen holding a bizarre puppet with the France forward's face on during homecoming celebrations.

French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet revealed this week he had written to his Argentina counterparts to complain about abuse aimed at Mbappe.

Asked about the subject ahead of Villa's return to Premier League action against Liverpool on Boxing Day, Emery stopped short of criticising his player but acknowledged there would be discussions about his conduct.

"When you have big emotions, sometimes it's difficult to control [them]," he stated. "I will speak with him next week about some celebrations.

"But for now, I respect that he is with his national team. When he is going to be with us and under our responsibility, we can speak about it then."

Martinez is to miss the match against Liverpool as he remains in Argentina.

Former France international and World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi has announced his retirement at the age of 35.

The midfielder, who has not played this year after he was omitted from Inter Miami's 2022 roster, has officially called time on his career.

An 84-cap veteran for Les Bleus, Matuidi was a member of Didier Deschamps' Russia 2018-winning squad, starting four of their matches including the 4-2 final success against Croatia.

In a statement to social media, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus man spoke of realising his ambitions, and thanked fans for their support over the years.

"Football, I loved you so much," he wrote. "Football, you gave me so much, but the time has come to say stop.

"I accomplished my dreams as a child, my dreams as a man. It is with a tight throat but with pride that I turn this page today."

Matuidi, who made his senior debut with Troyes in 2004, spent over the first decade of his career in his home country, moving to Saint-Etienne, and then PSG in 2011.

There, he was one of several players who formed the bedrock of their emergence as the dominant force in French domestic football.

A switch to Juventus in 2017 brought three Serie A titles with the Bianconeri, before he joined Miami in 2020.

With seven domestic top-flight titles across his career, Matuidi was also a member of the France squad that came second at Euro 2016, and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour for his international success.

The Indian Premier League auction for the 2023 season is done and dusted, with some of the world's biggest players front and centre on Friday.

England's Sam Curran, the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, fetched a new record price when he was bought by Punjab Kings for 18.5 crore (£1.85million).

International team-mate Ben Stokes also brought in an impressive fee of 16.25 crore (£1.65m) from Chennai Super Kings, while Mumbai Indians landed Australia's Cameron Green for 17.5 crore (£1.75m).

Stats Perform runs through the standout deals of the day...

Sam Curran (Punjab Kings)

Having started his IPL career with Punjab in 2019, Curran is headed back after a stint with Chennai Super Kings and returns on the back of the best year of his career.

With 13 wickets at the T20 World Cup and huge batting potential, Curran is one of the most exciting purchases ahead of next year's tournament – as the price suggests.

Ben Stokes (Chennai Super Kings)

England's Test captain once again dug into his bag of tricks with a superb batting performance at the T20 World Cup to help his team beat Pakistan in the final.

Stokes heads to Chennai for a fee that matches the previous record set by Australia's Chris Morris last year, while his career IPL strike rate of 134.50 is indicative of a batsman who always goes big.

Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)

The second-most expensive buy in the auction, it is little surprise Green commanded such an impressive figure given his huge 173.75 strike rate across eight T20I matches.

The Australia all-rounder was expected to figure near the top of the bidding, and he will hope to live up to his billing with Mumbai next year.

Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans)

Williamson was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, allowing him to enter the auction and be picked up at his base price of 2 crore.

Despite playing a role in Sunrisers' title success in 2016, that fee illustrates Williamson's diminishing returns since then, although Gujarat will hope this is a bargain deal.

Harry Brook (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

This has been a breakout year for Brook, who followed T20 World Cup glory with an impressive impact on the Test stage, dominating for England against Pakistan.

Back in the white-ball arena, Brook was briefly the most expensive specialist batsman in IPL history when signed for 13.25 crore (£1.325m).

Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants)

Brook's record was short-lived as Pooran went under the hammer and sparked a bidding war.

Lucknow came out on top, paying out 16 crore (£1.6m) for his services and acquiring one of the most fearsome white-ball players around.

Josh Little (Gujarat Titans)

Ireland bowler Little saw his stock rise following a T20 World Cup where he took a hat-trick against New Zealand and helped inspire a shock triumph over England.

Little will become the first Irishman to play in the IPL after fetching 4.4 crore (£440,000).

Joe Root (Rajasthan Royals)

At last, one of the defining batsmen of his generation is headed to the IPL, with the former England Test captain finally selected to play in the world's premier T20 domestic competition after going unsold back in 2018.

Root, who did not play at the T20 World Cup, looked set for the same fate again, but a late one crore (£100,000) base price bid in an accelerated auction will take him to India next year.

The Green Bay Packers have locked up their biggest impending free agent by agreeing to a four-year, $68million extension with versatile offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, according to NFL.com.

Jenkins, a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, will receive a $24m signing bonus and can earn up to $74m over the life of the contract with incentives.

The deal makes Jenkins the NFL's second-highest-paid guard in terms of annual salary, behind only the Indianapolis Colts' Quenton Nelson. 

Jenkins, who turns 27 on Monday, had been slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and likely would have been franchise tagged by Green Bay if an extension was not reached.

A second-round pick of the 2019 draft, Jenkins has started 50 regular season games and four postseason contests over his four NFL seasons. The Mississippi State product has spent the majority of his time at left guard but has made multiple starts at both tackle spots as well as center.

Jenkins started eight games at left tackle in place of injured two-time All-Pro David Bakhtiari in 2021 before tearing his ACL that November. He returned to start 12 games this season, seven at left guard and five at right tackle.

Jurgen Klopp is adamant he can offer no insight into how much money Liverpool need to spend following claims the Reds boss will have told the club £250million of investment is required.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher made those comments while working as part of Sky Sports' punditry team for their EFL Cup last-16 defeat to Manchester City.

His words came after Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) put the club up for sale last month, with FSG saying it is also open to bringing in a strategic partner.

Liverpool resume the Premier League season against Aston Villa on December 26 following the World Cup break sitting 15 points behind leaders Arsenal and seven behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

The Gunners' renaissance and Newcastle United's emergence as Champions League contenders have complicated Liverpool's pursuit of a place in the top four and leave the Reds likely facing more competition for those positions in the coming years.

"I think there's no doubt that Jurgen Klopp has said to Liverpool's owners, 'I need £250m to spend in the summer'," Carragher said, "and that sounds like an outrageous figure, but that's what Man United and Chelsea spent last summer. 

"These are the figures that the teams Liverpool are competing with are spending, and I think only once in Jurgen Klopp's tenure Liverpool have really gone for it in the transfer market, just after the Champions League final [in 2018]. They bought a lot of players, and I think it needs that now. 

"You're talking about that kind of investment, and I don't think FSG have those funds right now, that's why they're looking for investment to come in and help them."

Liverpool have been linked with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, both of whom impressed at the World Cup for England and Argentina respectively.

"Ooooh, it's Christmas time, huh?" Klopp replied when asked about Carragher's remarks.

"I don't know about what amount of money you need exactly, but I am not against investment, to be honest. 

"We will see what the future brings. Nobody knows in the moment, but I'm convinced it will be good and the future is bright for us. At the moment, we have to sort the present, and that is what we are working on."

On Liverpool's prospects in the January transfer window, Klopp replied: "I am the wrong person to ask; I don't know. January in our situation is a window where we are always prepared, that's how it is. 

"It's clear what ideas we have and how the necessity is from our point of view. All the rest doesn't lie 100 per cent in our hands. We always work with what we have got, and that will not change."