The international break could hardly have been better timed for Newcastle with the rigours of competing on multiple fronts having taken a devastating toll on their playing resources. On Saturday, the Magpies arrived at Bournemouth without 11 senior players as a result of injury and suspension. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the issues facing a club which has enjoyed a swift rise under its new owners amid stiff opposition on and off the pitch. How extensive are Newcastle’s selection problems? Very. Head coach Eddie Howe was unable to call upon Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Matt Targett, Javier Manquillo, Elliot Anderson, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson through injury, as well as suspended duo Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, at the Vitality Stadium. The Magpies then saw Miguel Almiron added to the list when he limped off after just 31 minutes. Burn, Barnes and Anderson are facing months on the sidelines, while £55million summer signing Tonali will not be able to play again until August next year after admitting breaches of betting regulations. How much toll have the injuries taken on the pitch? Until last week, very little, but chickens have started to come home to roost. Howe, who favours a high-pressing game, gambled on leaving Almiron and the in-form Anthony Gordon out of his starting line-up for Tuesday night’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund in the hope they would be able to come off the bench and affect the game late on. In the event, he was forced to introduce them at half-time with Dortmund already leading, and his side was unable to stave off a 2-0 defeat. So depleted were Newcastle’s resources on the south coast four days later that 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley was handed a first Premier League start, while 18-year-old striker Ben Parkinson was used as a substitute and Alex Murphy, 19, and Amadou Diallo, 20, were also named on the bench. However, tired legs and minds contributed to a second successive 2-0 loss. What lies ahead? If the opening three months of the season have been gruelling, the final two months of 2023 promise to be no less taxing. The Magpies head for Paris St Germain on November 28 and entertain AC Milan on December 13 knowing they may have to win both games to keep alive their first Champions League campaign for 20 years, and having accounted for both Manchester clubs in the Carabao Cup, now travel to Chelsea in the quarter-finals next month. In addition, they face league clashes with improving Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham before they head for Liverpool on New Year’s Day as they attempt to fight their way to another top-four finish. Will they attempt to address the situation in January? They were always likely to bolster their squad during the winter transfer window, but Tonali’s unexpected absence has made that imperative. However, they also remain short in central defence and attacking roles and all three areas are likely to be focuses. How might their options be limited? The club was close to its Financial Fair Play limit at the end of its summer spending spree and sporting director Dan Ashworth has indicated a “creative” approach may be needed, and that could mean loan deals with options to buy. In addition, Premier League shareholders will later this month vote on a proposal to ban loan deals between ‘associated clubs’ – those whose owners hold stakes in other clubs – on an interim basis. Newcastle are 80 per cent-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which also has controlling interests in Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. Agreement would prevent the Magpies from pursuing a long-held interest in Al-Hilal’s former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, with whom they have been linked repeatedly in recent weeks. Is there a need for perspective? There is. The club sat just one place off the foot of the table when Howe replaced Steve Bruce at the helm in November 2021. They finished fourth last season to secure a place at European football’s top table for the first time in two decades and also reached the Carabao Cup final. They currently lie fourth in Champions League Group F, but have a mathematical chance of making the knockout stage, and are seventh in the Premier League table with another domestic cup run well under way. Read More Ben Davies keen to prove doubters wrong as Wales target another major tournament Britain’s Katie Boulter eager to build on her successful season in 2024 On this day in 2006: Gold Cup winning Desert Orchid dies at the age of 27 The sporting weekend in pictures Football to bid farewell to Sir Bobby Charlton on Monday San Francisco 49ers return to winning ways against Jacksonville Jaguars

England coach Sarina Wiegman says the Lionesses are under no illusions about what is expected of them these days, insisting England are ready to keep producing victories game after game. A stellar run over the past few years has seen the women’s national team win the European Championship and reach the Women’s World Cup final, where they lost to Spain. Now they are targeting success in the Uefa Nations League – and a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics too for Team GB – and face Belgium in their fourth Group A1 game. Wiegman says the squad are comfortable with the pressures on them, and believes they can improve on the 1-0 victory over the same opposition last week. “The expectations are very clear. Everyone expects us to win,” said Wiegman ahead of the game in Leuven. “We expect ourselves to win but we want to improve on our game. That makes the chances of winning higher. “I was happy with how we played Friday. We could have made it a little bit easier for ourselves, but how we were on the pitch, how we wanted to play out of possession and in possession, we did really well. “What we want to do in possession is be a little better in the final third. We create chances but the final pass, the final position and the execution, we want to do better. “What I really liked on Friday, there was so much energy in the team. You saw real intention. If we lost the ball, we really wanted to win it back. We had only one stage in the game [where] we dropped a little bit, then picked it up again. I want to see the same energy, intention of the whole team and the togetherness.” England are two points ahead of Belgium heading into the match and level with Netherlands, with Scotland bottom. Meanwhile, midfielder Georgia Stanway suggested the Ballon d’Or ceremony must be better planned in future to allow the top women to attend, given many are preparing for an international match on Monday night when the awards are dealt out. Regarding the upcoming match, she noted that England’s progression play was impressive, but more could be done in the final third to improve further. “The Belgium game we played the other day was a real show of who we are,” said Stanway. “We dominated possession and created a lot. But we didn’t get it over the line as many times as we wanted to. “After losing a [World Cup] final, it’s sometimes not motivating to turn up to training every day, but I think we hit the ground running. “Everybody has been firing in training. We have Fran Kirby back, which is also a real highlight. I love playing with her, so it’s important to have numbers all over the pitch.” Read More Fran Kirby felt like she’d never been away on return to England side England come out on top but it’s far from a complete performance against Belgium Mary Earps reveals difficulties with fan relationship with rise of women’s football England vs Belgium LIVE: Women’s Nations League latest updates Beth Mead ‘not close’ to England recall, Sarina Wiegman admits Fran Kirby returns to Lionesses squad as Sarina Wiegman reveals Beth Mead decision

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On 27 September 2014, Conor McGregor dismantled Dustin Poirier. In the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, McGregor – then the ninth-ranked featherweight in the UFC – required just over 90 seconds to drop Poirier, the No 5 featherweight in the world, and pummel his head against the canvas, forcing a stoppage. For many followers of the sport, that bout at UFC 178 represented the Irishman’s first genuine match-up against a top-level opponent, the moment McGregor’s bravado could fall in on itself. Instead, ‘Notorious’ took a giant stride closer to Jose Aldo, the UFC featherweight title and MMA history, and he did so with an ease that startled swathes of fans of the sport. In January 2021, Poirier exacted his revenge. In a lightweight rematch in Abu Dhabi, the “Diamond” knocked out McGregor in the second round after dismantling his opponent’s base by brutalising his calves with low kicks. In the main event of UFC 264, six months later, the rivalry concluded as the pair squared off one more time at lightweight, with McGregor suffering a broken leg at the end of a chaotic first round – losing the bout via TKO in the process. Ahead of that fight, The Independent spoke to four key figures about the Irish icon’s knockout victory over Poirier in 2014, as well as what preceded and followed the night that ‘Mystic Mac’ was born. The build-up In July 2014, McGregor knocks out Diego Brandao in the first round of the pair’s main-event clash in Dublin. Before the night is up, the seeds are already planted for McGregor’s next fight. Ariel Helwani (Canadian MMA journalist): “I remember at the press conference in Dublin, everybody was like ‘Poirier, Poirier, Poirier – it has to be Poirier next,’ because Poirier had been talking a little bit about Conor and they were kind of on a collision course. It seemed like: ‘Okay, the wheels are kind of in motion here.’” The bout is set for September 2014, marking a quick turnaround for McGregor, who is intent on continuing his climb up the rankings at 145lbs. His eyes are already set on Aldo, the UFC’s first – and only ever, at this point – featherweight champion, who has not lost since 2005. Megan Olivi (broadcaster – UFC): “I think that fight with Dustin was one of the first times when people were counting Conor out, like: ‘Oh, well now he’s facing Dustin Poirier and this probably won’t go well.’” AH: “I thought the narrative that Conor was fighting lesser competition and wasn't really that good was hogwash. If you watched him in Cage Warriors or his early UFC fights, it was very clear this was a supremely talented fighter. But still, there were questions to be answered against Poirier, a big step up in competition on a very big stage.” Poirier, typically a calm character, is visibly irked when in the presence of McGregor, who antagonises his opponent at every opportunity. Bruce Buffer (ring announcer – UFC): “Some time before that fight, on the way back from another fight of Dustin’s, I was at the airport and sat down at Dustin’s table and broke bread with his family. I realised what a lovely family they are and what a fine human being Dustin is, and how he stands up for everything he believes in. He’s just a really good guy.” MO: “I’d known Dustin for a very long time and remember seeing a marked difference in his demeanour. I remember being sad that Dustin’s wife [Jolie] was going to be so stressed out by the situation, even though Conor didn’t involve her in any way. Dustin was a bit more emotional than we’d seen him before. “[At the pre-fight press conference] there was a lot of animosity on stage, but Conor seemed to thrive in that, whereas with Dustin you could tell... it was taking everything in him to restrain himself. Being up there, I was worried: ‘Are they gonna get out of their chairs and get physical?’ I was a bit nervous, because the hostility was so real, and thought: ‘Let’s just get out of here with no chairs or hands thrown.’” AH: “Poirier wanted to be the guy to shut Conor up. He was very angry, like he had this chip on his shoulder. Conor, meanwhile... They did the media day in August with the infamous Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones scuffle at the MGM Grand, and in the midst of all that, Conor was taking selfies with fans. This guy was living in his own world, he didn’t care about a brawl between two of the best fighters in the world. All of these journalists were sitting around interviewing him and I thought: ‘He’s not going to be doing this for much longer – he’ll have his own press conferences.’ “I remember vividly the aura he had around him, like when he did the ‘bunny ears’ while I interviewed him. You definitely felt one fighter was happy and comfortable, and the other was very intense and mean-mugging. They had that run-in filmed on UFC: Embedded, and Conor was [later filmed] watching it and laughing at it.” In the original clip, Poirier can be heard saying of McGregor: “I don’t think I’ve ever disliked somebody that much that I’ve fought.” Peter Carroll (Irish MMA journalist): “At the weigh-ins, Poirier starts screaming at the crowd. He couldn’t believe people were cheering on McGregor. I remember thinking: ‘This has really gotten to him.’ And I’d seen Conor doing that for years. After the face-off he had with [Dave] Hill in Cage Warriors, there was talk of Hill being consoled afterwards, like he was completely rattled. I don’t think Poirier was ready for the mental warfare, how Conor actually meant everything he said. Some people were still saying, ‘It’s all a gimmick,’ but I think Poirier was in two minds.” The fight MO: “That was not the main event, but it felt like it was. It was a really good card – Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone was fighting Eddie Alvarez, Demetrious Johnson headlined against Chris Cariaso – but I remember everyone going: ‘Poirier vs McGregor, what is gonna happen with this fight?’” McGregor gets in Poirier’s face as the American skips around the cage before the introductions are made. He taunts Poirier as the pair face off, extending his hand into his opponent’s face. As referee Herb Dean asks the fighters if they wish to touch gloves, Poirier slaps McGregor’s hand away. BB: “Conor’s confidence is as high as anybody could ever dream of walking around with. He’s intimidating, he tries to get into Poirier mentally, but then when the bell rings, the Octagon door closes and I’m done and walk out, shark eyes come over each.” McGregor at once displays his confidence, opening with a hook kick and a spinning back kick. For the best part of 90 seconds, the Irishman pressures his fellow southpaw, finding a home for his left straight with greater success as the first round ticks on – talking to Poirier all the while. Then, suddenly, McGregor glances a left hand off the back of Poirier’s head, dropping the American. Two hammer fists and two punches follow on the downed ‘Diamond’, and Dean waves the fight off. AH: “The way in which he won... it wasn’t just a victory, it wasn’t just a decision win, he smoked Poirier in less than two minutes. He called Dustin ‘pea-head’, said he would bounce Dustin’s head off the canvas, then literally did that.” PC: “The punch he hit Poirier with... I saw this tweet from a mainstream Irish journalist, saying it was a bull**** shot and made him think it was a choreographed fight. I remember thinking: ‘What does this kid [McGregor] have to do to get respect in Ireland?’” MO: “When you’ve known somebody for such a long time, you’re even more heartbroken for them when they lose, which is certainly how I felt for Dustin. I knew how intense the lead-up was, so to have such a ‘final’ end to that fight... your heart just breaks. It wasn’t even like it was the end of the third round, it was so quick in there.” BB: “Did I feel something in that moment, knowing what that fight meant to Dustin? Absolutely I did, when I realise that everything the man has fought for, trained for, everything he’s done for the last number of years in his life has come down to this one defining moment.” MO: “I think it was kind of like a light switch turning on for a lot of people, like: ‘Okay, Conor’s legit, because that’s Dustin Poirier.’” The aftermath As Buffer announces the result – McGregor winning by TKO“at 1:46 of the very first round” – Poirier congratulates his rival, the Irishman in kind calling his vanquished foe“a great guy”. McGregor receives his jiu-jitsu brown belt from his coaching team and sports it during his in-ring interview. “I don’t just knock them out, I pick the round,” McGregor tells commentator Joe Rogan. “You can call me ‘Mystic Mac’, because I predict these things.” Rogan informs McGregor that 10 per cent of ticket sales for the event at the 15,000-seater came from the Irish. “I wanted to come over here and show the American public the new era of the fighting Irish... If one of us goes to war, we all go to war.” PC: “After McGregor beats Poirier, the place just clears out. Four fights into his UFC career, Conor’s already a bigger commodity than Johnson, the reigning flyweight champion of the world.” AH: “The post-fight interview in the cage was legendary. Then there was the ivory suit he wore after, the sunglasses, the man-bun and shaved sides... There’s that scene of him in the hallway, doing the billionaire strut. It just felt like: ‘Okay, Conor McGregor's a superstar.’” PC: “The Notorious RTE documentary series was out and it made his dad Tony, mum Mags and sister Erin almost celebrities. They were mobbed [in Vegas]. I remember stopping to talk to Tony and people were pouring past, shouting his name. He was being bombarded.” MO: “About a month ago, Conor sent me a picture of our interview from after the fight. For Conor fights in general I was a bit nervous, because sometimes when somebody is in that very competitive mind-frame, they can’t change gears when they come to see me. But he was just himself, and I remember thinking: ‘Wow, he already knows how to turn it on and off and conserve the energies he has for when he needs them.’ He’s so tactful with how he handles the before, during and after.” PC: “He nearly became a mythological creature. The Poirier fight, to me, symbolises McGregor going from being an Irish commodity to an international commodity. To be clear: He had belonged to this generation – not the Irish in general. At this stage he hadn’t put a foot wrong, he was becoming our national ambassador. When people found out you were Irish, it used to be: ‘Oh, Guinness! Roy Keane!’ It became: ‘Oh, Conor McGregor!’ “The thing about my generation is we were kids who came out of college into a recession. Conor was this kind of shining light for us, this story of triumph amid this societal chaos in Ireland. We had so much skin in the game. People used the [Chad] Mendes fight as their summer holiday. I was walking around, seeing guys I hadn’t seen since I left school. I must’ve met 200 people I knew from home, I’m not even being overdramatic. “That’s what the Poirier fight did: It laid the foundation for what would become the Irish invasion of Vegas, it planted the seeds for Conor fights to be the big sporting events of our generation.” AH: “If Conor had lost [against Poirier], it would have been a major setback. This was a really big fight for him on a pay-per-view with a lot of big names. It felt like the true unveiling of him as this great prize-fighter and one of the faces of the UFC. If he doesn’t win, the Aldo dream fight is done; he has to claw his way back up. You can’t say he loses one fight and he’ll never amount to anything, but that would have been a serious impediment in his meteoric rise.” Read More Eddie Hearn and Conor McGregor had 'friendly row' after KO of Irish boxer Conor McGregor reveals how he scored Katie Taylor fight from ringside Conor McGregor makes guarantee for Michael Chandler fight UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary, McGregor Forever Katie Taylor chases rematch after decision loss to Chantelle Cameron

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