"Super proud" David de Gea says it is "crazy" to be preparing to make his 500th Manchester United appearance.

The goalkeeper will reach the milestone should he be named in the starting line-up when Erik ten Hag's side welcome Newcastle United to Old Trafford on Sunday.

De Gea will be presented with an engraved plate this weekend to commemorate the landmark, while he will also wear a pair of specially designed gloves for the Magpies showdown. 

The Spain international, who joined United from Atletico Madrid in June 2011, will become the 11th player to appear 500 or more times for the Red Devils after Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Paul Scholes, Bill Foulkes, Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Alex Stepney, Tony Dunne, Denis Irwin and Joe Spence - and only the second goalkeeper after Stepney.

De Gea expressed his great pride at hitting the 500 mark for the Red Devils, but the 31-year-old believes the achievement will only properly sink in after he hangs up his boots.

"I think it's something crazy. To play 500 games for this club is very special for me, of course," he told the official club website.

"But probably, I will realise more when I stop playing football, when I retire and then look back and say 'okay, I played more than 500 games for a massive club like United.' I'm super proud, and it's amazing, to be honest.

"Just to be part of this club is massive and it's so difficult to get here, so it's a dream to be here and already play as much as I've played. It's unbelievable."

With the Washington Commanders beating the Chicago Bears on Thursday, the NFC East improved to a league-leading 15-6 on the year.

The 2-4 Commanders are joined by three of the NFL's six teams with four wins or more, including the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles – the only remaining unbeaten outfit.

Pre-season excitement centred on the AFC West and its potential to dominate the NFL, but the NFC East has instead surprisingly come to the fore, tallying five more wins through five weeks.

Of the six defeats for its four teams, three have been against division rivals.

There is therefore great anticipation for the fourth such matchup of the season on Sunday, when the Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.

With the Kansas City Chiefs also facing the Buffalo Bills, there is a compelling case to be made for fans this week getting to watch games between the best two teams in the NFC and the best two teams in the AFC.

Of course, the neutral may prefer to focus on the AFC tussle, where two of the leading quarterbacks in the sport will renew a rivalry last seen in their playoff epic.

But the supporting casts of the Eagles and the Cowboys might make them equally credible candidates as the league's best team come Monday.

It is certainly difficult to argue against the Eagles' start.

Their 5-0 record is their best since kicking off 7-0 in 2004; in fact, that was the last time any NFC East team won more than five games straight at the start of the year. The Eagles have already matched the 2009 New York Giants – the previous most recent example of a 5-0 start.

Outside the NFC East, such streaks have been far more commonplace. There has been at least one 5-0 team in every season since 2015, when there were six, including Super Bowl 50 champions the Denver Broncos.

That the 2015 Broncos were the last team to start 5-0 and then win the title suggests these stretches do not always mean a great deal in the long term, however.

Perhaps then the Eagles would be better served getting the first defeat out the way now, although that would mean losing control of this suddenly fiercely competitive division.

Either way, the Cowboys represent a far more serious threat than their opponents through Week 5.

The Eagles so far rank second in total offense – their 419.8 net yards per game topping the 2021 Cowboys' league-leading 407.0 – but have played defenses ranking 31st, 24th, 19th, ninth and 18th. The Dallas defense ranks seventh, and they have held each of their first five opponents to under 20 points for the first time since 1972.

As Stats Perform's efficiency versus expected model (EVE) ranks the Eagles' offense fourth and the Cowboys' defense fourth, it is clear where this game will be won and lost.

Previously, the Cowboys have had the tools to outgun their NFC East rivals. They have won their last three games against the Eagles by 20, 20 and 25 points – only once before (also versus the Eagles in the 1960s) winning four in a row by 20-plus points against any one team.

This time, with quarterback Dak Prescott still out, the Cowboys will instead focus on capitalising on the Eagles' own injury issues on their offensive line, where there are concerns around center Jason Kelce, tackle Jordan Mailata and guards Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo.

Another big game from six-sack, second-year sensation Micah Parsons could be pivotal.

If the Eagles can negotiate that threat, though, a two-game lead even in this division might be enough to start planning for the playoffs now, given their schedule.

After the Cowboys, the Eagles have a bye week before playing teams ranking 32nd, 30th, 27th, 11th, 16th, 31st, 19th and 24th by overall EVE ahead of facing Dallas again in Week 16.

The NFC East's record winning start belongs to the 1991 Washington team, and the Eagles for now remain a way off the 11-0 sequence that preceded a Super Bowl triumph in a period of domination for this division.

But victory against the Cowboys would at least mean clearing the most significant hurdle in this young team's path.

Real Madrid will be without Thibaut Courtois for a Clasico clash that Carlo Ancelotti says is not "life or death".

Courtois has been sidelined with sciatica, but Ancelotti this week stated he hoped his goalkeeper would return against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Los Blancos head coach Ancelotti on Saturday revealed the Belgium international will not feature in a mouthwatering battle between the top two in LaLiga.

"Courtois is quite well, he feels fine. [But] he has trained very little and is not comfortable," said the Italian. "He is out for tomorrow.

"He will train more continuously next week. W''ll see for next Wednesday or Sunday, he just needs training."

Andriy Lunin is set to deputise for the former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea keeper once again.

Meanwhile, centre-back Antonio Rudiger will face Barca wearing a mask after he required stitches due to the clash of heads he suffered while scoring a late equaliser in the midweek Champions League draw against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Madrid and fierce rivals Barca are level on points with seven wins from eight LaLiga matches, with Xavi's side top on goal difference.

The champions have won five of the past six Clasico showdowns, but the Catalan giants hammered them 4-0 in their last meeting in the capital in March.

Despite the fine margins in the league table, Ancelotti says it is not essential to come out on top when they lock horns for the first time this season.

He said: "I haven't shown the players any videos to motivate them. They know their opponents well and last year's game won't affect it. This is another competition and another year.

"We hope to play a game that the whole world is going to see, and we want to show a good image and try to win it for our fans.

"It's a special game, but not life or death. The season is very long. Although it's clear that we would like to win."

Bayern Munich will once again be without goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for Sunday's Bundesliga encounter with Freiburg.

Neuer missed the midweek Champions League victory over Viktoria Plzen due to a shoulder injury, with Sven Ulreich playing in the 4-2 win.

The Germany international will also be absent as Bayern aim to end Freiburg's 11-match unbeaten streak across all competitions and close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin, who are four points clear of the reigning champions after nine games.

But Nagelsmann hopes he can return for Tuesday's DFB-Pokal showdown with Augsburg.

"Manuel won't play, he is still in pain. I hope he can be back next week, but Freiburg will be too early for him," the head coach said in his pre-match press conference.

"Without painkillers, he can't move his shoulder in a way that allows for a game. It makes little sense to pump him full so that he can always play.

"I hope he can play again next week in Augsburg. That's annoying, but that's just the way it is."

Nagelsmann, who confirmed that Alphonso Davies, Matthijs de Ligt and Serge Gnabry will be available for the showdown at Allianz Arena, also confirmed Jamal Musiala will return on the bench after recently testing positive for COVID-19.

"After a five-day break, he will probably have to come off the bench first," the head coach continued. "He had no symptoms and the tests were all good, so he will probably be there tomorrow."

Nagelsmann also offered encouragement to Sadio Mane, saying he is "not surprised that a world-class player is insecure."

The former Liverpool forward has come under scrutiny since his move to Munich, despite scoring eight goals in 15 appearances across all competitions.

"I'm not surprised that a world-class player is insecure, because he also has a brain and a heart," the head coach said.

"It's on your mind, that's not surprising. We have to make sure that the players have confidence."

Brentford have condemned "despicable" racist abuse of Ivan Toney and called for support from the police and Instagram after their star striker revealed a private message he was sent on Friday.

Toney scored twice in Brentford's 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion, taking the England World Cup hopeful's tally to an impressive eight goals for the season.

But Toney posted on Twitter on Saturday to report an abusive message he had received on Instagram in the closing stages of the game.

The former Newcastle United forward uploaded images of both the message and the account from which it was sent.

"I wasn't even going to post this, but I woke up angry," Toney said.

A statement followed from Brentford, which read: "We condemn this discriminatory behaviour in the strongest possible terms. An attack on one of our players is an attack on all of us.

"Ivan will receive the full backing from the club and from the Brentford fans who we have already seen condemning the abuse.

"We expect strong support from the police, legal authorities and from Instagram's parent company, Meta, to ensure that the individual involved faces the full force of the law for this despicable hate crime."

Elina Svitolina gave birth to her and husband Gael Monfils' first child on Saturday.

The couple, who married in July 2021, have announced the arrival of daughter Skai Monfils.

Former world number three Svitolina and two-time grand slam semi-finalist Monfils announced last May they were expecting a baby girl.

Svitolina posted on Instagram on Saturday: "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Skai Monfils.

"Can't thank enough my husband to live [through] this unforgettable moment with me."

Monfils wrote on social media: "I had the most amazing night of my life, which ended with the most beautiful gift around 6.00am.

"Elina was strong and brave. I can't [thank] enough my wife and God for this special moment. Welcome to the world my little princess Skai."

It feels like a golden era for great players spread across the NBA.

So much talent, so many game winners, and an almost endless amount of possibilities as the stars prepare to get the new season under way.

Despite this, the MVP award has been sealed off by Nikola Jokic for the past two seasons, so the rest will have to step up and take it from the Serbian this time around.

We all have our favourites, and anything can happen in the NBA, but ahead of the new campaign, three members of the Stats Perform team have made their picks for who they think can challenge Jokic in 2022-23.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers - Liam Phillips

After finishing second in MVP voting two years in a row, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is in prime position to get over the hump this time around.

Embiid, 28, has been denied the past two awards due to historic seasons frotem Denver Nuggets talisman Jokic, where he established himself as arguably the greatest playmaking center in the history of the league.

Winning the MVP in back-to-back years is not as uncommon as one would think, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James (twice), Steve Nash and Tim Duncan all achieving the feat this century.

However, Larry Bird is the only man to three in a row, from 1984 to 1986, since Wilt Chamberlain's three-peat between 1966-68.

Take into account that Jokic now has his two top team-mates returning to the line-up after Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr were sidelined for the entire season, and his numbers will almost have to take a dip to accommodate them.

With Jokic facing a big ask to land the gong again this upcoming season for those reasons, Embiid should be the favourite, as he just needs to emulate his performance from the past two seasons and voters will be clamouring to reward the seven-foot-two superstar.

His biggest opposition will likely come from the Mavericks' Luka Doncic, who finished sixth in 2021 and fifth in 2022, and is still only 23 years old.

A slightly better Mavericks team this season, combined with a small step forward in Doncic's shooting percentages, will have him right near the top of the voting by default.

But the difference is the 76ers could finish as the top team in the Eastern Conference, and the Mavericks have almost no chance of claiming the Western Conference one seed – and voters are suckers for a great record.

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks - Ben Spratt

If voters rewarded Jokic for carrying the Nuggets, would they not do the same for Doncic? Already clearly the main man in Dallas, Jalen Brunson's departure will only give the Slovenian further opportunity to impress.

Doncic (28.4 points per game) was the Mavericks' leading scorer last season. With Brunson (16.3) following Kristaps Porzingis (19.2 before a trade to the Washington Wizards) through the exit door, they have lost numbers two and three on that list.

Rather than source a like-for-like replacement for Brunson, the Mavs will presumably just ask Doncic to do more. His usage rate was already the highest in the NBA.

Doncic is one of the few players in the league with the ability to beat teams on his own – Jokic obviously being one of the others.

In the absence of his injured team-mates, Jokic improved on an MVP season in terms of points and rebounds, even allowing for a small dip in assists without Murray to give the ball to, and was not punished by voters for a decrease in win percentage.

If Doncic takes the same path, he is looking at averaging a 30-point double-double for the season. That will be very difficult to ignore.

Not that Doncic is readily ignored. He heads into the season as the MVP favourite yet again, having seen previous campaigns derailed by early-season struggles.

After playing in the Olympics last year, Doncic acknowledged he "relaxed a little bit", "maybe too much", and needed "to do better", drawing criticism from Reggie Miller for "plodding up and down the court".

Now, though, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd says Doncic is "taking his body serious", returning in top physical condition for – surely – a genuine MVP charge.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks - David Segar

The man who was denied the chance to win three on the bounce by Jokic in 2020-21 has a big job on his talented hands to lead the Bucks this year.

The 2021 champions are among the favourites to mount a strong challenge for the title, but have had a fruitless preseason, losing all five warm-up games in the past few weeks.

However, in Antetokounmpo, they have a man who is capable of dragging any team to success, and despite no longer being considered the league's leading player as he was in 2018-19 and 2019-20, the Greek's output has not really subsided.

In the first season he was awarded MVP, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points per game in the regular season, with 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, before recording 29.5 points per game, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists the following year.

Despite ultimately winning a championship, he was behind Jokic in the voting in 2020-21, though averaged 28.1 points per game, 11.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

Last season was the best of his career for average points from the 27-year-old, with his 29.9 per game only bettered by Embiid (30.6) and James (30.3), while he also averaged 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

It would be easy to argue that Antetokounmpo is a better player now than he was when he won his previous two MVPs, and like on those occasions, maybe he does not need to go all the way with the Bucks to reclaim his crown.

Though Greece were eliminated from EuroBasket by Germany at the quarter-final stage, Antetokounmpo still made the team of the tournament, and looks to be in good form heading into the season, even if his team-mates might need a little longer to get going.

It is a long campaign, though, which will give Antetokounmpo ample time to show that he has what it takes to become just the ninth player in history to win three MVP awards.

Former Milan and Italy head coach Arrigo Sacchi believes Napoli are capable of reaching the Champions League semi-finals following their blistering start to the season.

Luciano Spalletti's side have raced to the Serie A summit with 23 points from their opening nine matches, scoring a league-high 22 goals along the way.

The Partenopei have also netted 17 times on the way to qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages with two games to spare for the first time in their history.

Napoli lifted the UEFA Cup in the 1988-89 season and reached the 2014-15 Europa League semi-finals, but are yet to progress beyond the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition.

However, Sacchi, who won successive European Cups with Milan in 1989 and 1990, is confident Spalletti's men can advance into unchartered territory this term should their campaign continue in the same fashion.

"Beautiful team; they play modern football, they attack as 11 and defend as 11. Sometimes, it seems like they can be on the pitch with their eyes closed," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"They come together with incredible ease and this is the result of the generosity, cooperation and synergy that exists in the squad. Bravo to Spalletti, because here you can see, and a lot, the hand of the coach.

"If they don't fall into the success trap - and I really hope not - if everyone remains humble and doesn't stop running, I think they can go a long way [in the Champions League]. 

"Who knows, maybe even in the semi-finals if the draws are not too bad? In any case, so far the work of Spalletti's guys is a 10 out of 10.”

Napoli welcome Bologna to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Serie A on Sunday, when they will be aiming to stretch their winning streak across all competitions to 10 matches.

Rickie Fowler heads into the final round of the Zozo Championship with a one-stroke lead as he seeks to end his long wait for a 10th professional title.

Fowler has not tasted victory since his win at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix in 2019.

But he is tantalisingly close to experiencing the winning feeling once more after carding a four-under 66 in Chiba.

That took him to 14 under, with Keegan Bradley his closest challenger at 13 under and Andrew Putnam one stroke further back.

Viktor Hovland carded a 64 to move to 11 under, his six-under effort matched by Maverick McNealy, Cameron Champ and Hayden Buckley, who are all 10 under.

Sahith Theegala enjoyed the best round of the day, producing a 63 to move into contention at nine under.

"It’s been a while since I’ve been in this situation,” said Fowler.

"There hasn’t been much the last few years. Obviously remember being in the situations before. It’ll be tough tomorrow but also fun, I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m going to have to play well and continue doing what I’ve been doing the last three days.

"There’s plenty of guys within a few shots, I’m out front, in control, but that can change if I don’t execute like I have been."

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts knows their remarkable regular season counts for nothing as they face elimination in the National League Division Series with the San Diego Padres.

The Padres took a 2-1 lead in the five-game series on Friday with a 2-1 win at Petco Park.

San Diego can clinch a place in the National League Championship Series with victory at the same venue on Saturday.

While the Padres had to come through a Wild Card series with the New York Mets, the Dodgers won the NL West and led the majors with 111 wins.

Asked about the contrast from dominating in the regular season to facing elimination, Roberts said: "It's where we're at. It was a very good regular season, but as we said before, none of that matters.

"We're in a five-game series against a very good ballclub that we're familiar with, and the team that plays the best baseball is going to win the series. And up to this point, they've played better than we have.

"I don't think the mentality changes [on Saturday]. It's certainly a game we have to win, win or go home. We're going to do everything we can to try to win a baseball game.

"So all hands on deck. And the core of this group has been in this position before, and we're going to approach it like it's the way it is.

"It's win or go home. We've got to play better baseball. When we do have opportunities to cash in, we've got to take advantage of them."

Padres manager Bob Melvin, meanwhile, is understandably desperate for his team to finish the job on Saturday and avoid having to play a series decider in Los Angeles.

"Pretty badly," Melvin said when asked how much he wanted to end the series in four games.

"I mean, you saw it out there. It was a pretty good atmosphere to play in. They had a big say in what went on today, too. It felt like the last couple innings there was so much momentum in the place that it was hard not to get it done.

"Obviously pitching was unbelievable tonight, but pretty much inspired the whole game. A lot of fun tonight. Be pretty similar probably tomorrow night, as well."

Trent Grisham's home run at the bottom of the fourth inning proved the decisive blow, the outfielder hitting his third homer of the postseason.

"I feel like hitting him in fourth, but he's doing well where he is, bottom of our order, is having a lot of production. We want to try to keep some consistency throughout. But he has the ability to do these things," Melvin said of Grisham.

"I think the thing that really is incredible is where he's gone to at the end of the season to where he is right now in the postseason.

"This is kind of who he is as a player, but it was a tough road getting there."

Rhys Hoskins admits emotion took over when he spiked his bat after his drought-ending three-run home run in Friday's 9-1 win for the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS.

Hoskins was none-for-17 in the postseason until that point, while the Braves had elected to walk Kyle Schwarber to first base before him.

But the long-time Phillies first baseman blasted a 93mph Spencer Strider fastball over the fence at left field to put his side up 4-0, before iconically spiking his bat amid the wild celebrations at Citizens Bank Park.

"I didn't know what I did until a couple innings later, really," Hoskins told reporters about the bat flip. "It's just something that came out, just raw. But God, it was fun."

Hoskins' blast was part of a six-run third inning that blew the game open for the Phillies, who claimed a 2-1 NLDS lead ahead of another home game on Saturday.

"We knew the crowd was going to be a factor, a huge factor," Hoskins said. "We heard about it. And like Bryce [Harper] said, it blew expectations.

"It was a huge part, I think, of the victory because as stuff starts to snowball and they get louder, then more good things happen and they get louder. We'll see if we can continue that tomorrow."

Strider was making his return from injury for the Braves, having not pitched since September 18. After two solid innings, he began to tire in the third which proved costly for the 2021 world champions.

"We wanted him to go four, originally," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "And then I thought if he could get out of that third then that's going to be it. But it didn't happen."

With the Braves facing elimination, Snitker added: "We've got to go out and win one in a row. That's what we have to do."

Two-time All-Star Charlie Morton looms large as the Braves likely starting pitcher for Saturday's game.

Russell Westbrook was forced out of the Los Angeles Lakers final preseason early due to a hamstring injury which head coach Darvin Ham says will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

Westbrook exited with 2:34 remaining in the first quarter of the 133-86 loss to the Sacramento Kings with a left hamstring concern.

The 2017 NBA MVP had started from the bench in the game as part of a potential new role, but he did not last beyond the opening period, playing five minutes with no points and one assist.

"He told me he thought he'd be fine," Ham told reporters after the game. "But we'll be re-evaluating him in the morning."

Ham had insisted pre-game Westbrook's role off the bench was "not a demotion", rather a "realignment" following the Lakers' poor 2021-22 season where they missed the playoffs.

The Lakers will open their 2022-23 NBA season against reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors, on Tuesday.

Anthony Davis was absent for Friday's preseason finale for precautionary reasons due to lower back tightness.

The record-setting Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of elimination from the MLB postseason after going down 2-1 to the San Diego Padres in Game 3 of the NLDS on Friday.

Jake Cronenworth's first-inning RBI and Trent Grisham's fourth-inning blast, his third of the playoffs, guided the Padres to a 2-1 series lead.

Josh Hader closed it out in the first postseason game with fans at Petco Park since 2006, striking out Chris Taylor and Trayce Thompson in the ninth inning to get the win.

The Dodgers finished the regular season with a franchise-best 111 wins, which was also the fourth-most wins in MLB history and the most by a National League (NL) team since 1906.

But Dave Roberts' side will need to stave off elimination in two games to progress to the NLCS, starting on Saturday at a likely rocking Petco Park.

The Padres went ahead early with Cronenworth's center-field base hit driving in Juan Soto, before some Manny Machado brilliance at third base closed out the third inning.

Grisham, who is hitting at .389 in the playoffs, blasted a solo shot over right field at the bottom of the fourth inning from Andrew Heaney to double the lead.

Thompson halved the deficit from Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, but the Padres bullpen got the job done again, with 39 outs for the series.

Hoskins and Harper blasts lead Phillies rout

The Philadelphia Phillies moved within one win of the NLCS after crushing world champions, the Atlanta Braves 9-1, fueled by third-inning blasts from Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper in their first home playoff game in 11 years.

The Phillies piled on six runs in the third inning, headlined by Hoskins ending his rut with a shot over left field, before Harper added two more with a homer over right-center field.

Harper, who is six-for-11 in this series, added an RBI double in the seventh inning before Nick Castellanos stayed hot at the next at-bat, driving in two more.

In-form Aaron Nola was exceptional on the mound for the Phillies, striking out six while giving up five hits and two walks in six-plus innings.

Bloops help Guardians down Yankees

The Cleveland Guardians squared up the ALDS with a 4-2 win in the 10th inning against the New York Yankees after back-to-back bloop hits.

Giancarlo Stanton had blasted a first-inning two-run homer but the Guardians rallied back with Amed Rosario's fifth-inning solo shot tying the game.

In the 10th inning, Jose Ramirez showed hustle to get to third base on a bloop into left-field, before getting home from Oscar Gonzalez's go-ahead single bloop to right-field. Josh Naylor's RBI double padded the lead.

The Guardians blunted Aaron Judge, who went none-for-five and was booed by the ruthless Yankees crowd, with starting pitcher Shane Bieber having seven K's across five-and-two-third innings.