Press conference
Manager / player media briefings.
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Makhachev dismisses Rakhmonov's title push until knee injuries clear
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has responded to Shavkat Rakhmonov's frustration at being overlooked as a contender, questioning why he should wait up to 18 months for the undefeated Kazakh to recover from two knee surgeries.
MMA -
Rice backs Kane for Ballon d'Or as Merino labelled rusty on Arsenal return
Declan Rice has declared his support for Harry Kane to win the Ballon d'Or despite being nominated himself, while Mikel Merino was criticised for a rusty display in Arsenal's 1-0 Champions League win at Napoli.
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Carrick hails 'fantastic' Mainoo as United's midfield clicks in 4-0 Champions League rout
Michael Carrick praised Kobbie Mainoo as a player having a 'massive influence' after Manchester United beat Sabah 4-0 in the Champions League, with the interim boss also explaining the tactical changes reshaping United's midfield.
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Injury-hit All Blacks hand Codie Taylor captaincy for Springboks series decider in Baltimore
New Zealand head into the fourth and final Test against South Africa at M&T Bank Stadium having lost captain Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea to injury, with hooker Codie Taylor stepping up to lead the side in a must-win decider.
Rugby -
Carrick confirms Shaw's Champions League absence was precautionary ahead of Manchester derby
Luke Shaw sat out Manchester United's 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah at Old Trafford on Thursday, but interim boss Michael Carrick confirmed the left-back's absence was a precaution following cramp against Everton, with the derby against City in mind.
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Pablo Pagis, Third Potential Surprise in Zidane's First France Squad
After Esteban Lepaul and Andy Diouf, Paris FC midfielder Pablo Pagis is reportedly also in Zinédine Zidane's expanded squad list, expected on September 18 for a four-match Nations League gathering.
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Canada frame WXV Global Series as World Cup rehearsal ahead of Scotland opener
Canada head coach Kévin Rouet has instructed his squad to treat their five-match WXV Global Series run — against Scotland, England and France — as a Women's Rugby World Cup simulation, with three debutants set to feature in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Rugby -
Carrick rules out Shaw for Champions League opener to protect him ahead of Manchester derby
Luke Shaw has been left out of Manchester United's squad entirely for their Champions League game against Sabah, with interim boss Michael Carrick citing cramp and a desire to manage the left-back's fitness ahead of the derby.
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Genge skips England camp but Lam says Bristol prop is looking fresh after Nations Championship grind
Bristol Bears head coach Pat Lam has confirmed Ellis Genge missed England's 36-man three-day camp this week, with Steve Borthwick granting the vice-captain extra recovery time after he played all 12 Tests during the Nations Championship.
Rugby -
Hamilton rules out asking Ferrari for preferential treatment despite slim 2026 title hopes
Lewis Hamilton insists he has not asked Ferrari to prioritise his championship bid over Charles Leclerc's, even as a 76-point deficit to leader Kimi Antonelli makes him the team's more realistic title contender with ten rounds remaining.
Formula 1 -
Akliouche sole blemish as PSG crushes Bratislava 6-1 in Champions League
PSG opened their Champions League campaign with a dominant 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday evening at Parc des Princes. Ferran Torres scored a historic hat-trick on his European debut for the club, while Ousmane Dembélé added two goals and two assists. Analyst Laure Boulleau singled out Maghnes Akliouche as the only disappointing performer of the night.
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Kondogbia and Nnadi absent, OM faces Classique with depleted midfield
Already two defeats in three Ligue 1 matches, OM will face PSG on September 20 without Geoffrey Kondogbia or Tochukwu Nnadi, both sidelined, according to Bruno Genesio's press conference statements.
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Jakirovic jokes Hull will 'kick them' as unbeaten Tigers face Chelsea's free-scoring attack
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic quipped that kicking Chelsea's forwards might be the simplest way to stop them, as his side travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday having yet to concede a goal since returning to the Premier League.
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Gaethje claims Tsarukyan missed title shot because he 'wasn't going to make weight'
UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has dismissed Arman Tsarukyan's back-injury withdrawal from a 2025 title fight, alleging the Armenian contender pulled out because he could not make the 155-pound limit. Tsarukyan is now set to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19.
MMA -
Vasseur dismisses Ferrari crisis talk after clearing the air with Leclerc and Hamilton
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has spoken individually with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton following their Monza flashpoint, acknowledging there were matters to resolve but firmly rejecting suggestions the team is in internal crisis.
Formula 1 -
Maresca admits City pass back to Donnarumma too often as James backs keeper to become world's best
Enzo Maresca has defended Gianluigi Donnarumma after nervy moments against Porto, saying teammates make the wrong decision by passing back to him unnecessarily. Former City goalkeeper David James believes the Italian is already the Premier League's best shot-stopper and can become the most complete keeper in the world.
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Tsunoda brushes off Verstappen's claim that 2026 F1 cars diminish driver skill
Yuki Tsunoda has dismissed Max Verstappen's suggestion that his strong recent outings for Racing Bulls prove the 2026 Formula 1 regulations have reduced the importance of driver input, saying his Zandvoort and Monza performances speak for themselves.
Formula 1 -
Thauvin returns to Champions League with Lens six years after Marseille's group-stage exit
Florian Thauvin returns to the Champions League on Thursday with RC Lens, six years after his last appearance in the competition. The 33-year-old winger is taking on a mentoring role with an inexperienced squad, drawing on 32 European matches earned at Marseille.
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Carragher stands firm on Mac Allister despite Liverpool winner against Atletico Madrid
Alexis Mac Allister scored the winner as Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid at Anfield, but Jamie Carragher maintained the Argentine was wrong to air his contract frustrations publicly at a press conference beforehand.
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Rice dismisses fitness fears after hamstring issue frustrated him at the World Cup
Declan Rice has brushed aside concerns over his workload at Arsenal, revealing a neural hamstring problem and illness hampered him during England's run to the World Cup semi-finals last summer. The midfielder says a full rest has him ready to sustain another 60-plus game season.
Football