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Steven Gerrard has rubbished speculation he will allow Mason Greenwood to rebuild his career at Al-Ettifaq as reports suggest Saudi Arabian clubs are set to swerve a move for the forward. The 21-year-old England international is searching for a new team after it was mutually agreed he would leave Manchester United on Monday following a six-month internal investigation into his conduct. But reacting to a headline which claimed Gerrard was considering a move for Greenwood, the former England midfielder and now manager at Al-Ettifaq said simply on his Instagram story: “Fake news.” Both the BBC and Telegraph cite senior sources at the Saudi Pro League who indicate the serious nature of the allegations involving Greenwood are likely to preclude one of their clubs from signing him. Greenwood was suspended by United in January 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. Charges including attempted rape and assault were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service in February this year but reports he was set to be retained by United were met with a public outcry. United’s handling of the case was described as “pretty horrible” by their former captain Gary Neville, who accused his former employers of lacking leadership and dragging out the inquiry. Greenwood said in a statement on Monday he “did not do the things I was accused of” but added he had “made mistakes in my relationship, and I take my share of responsibility for the situations which led to the social media post”. United said in their statement: “All those involved, including Mason, recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.” The PA news agency understands the club are working with Greenwood’s family to find the right environment for him to continue his career, with discussions under way to find the correct solution. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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Chelsea and Jose Mourinho reached a settlement with former team doctor Eva Carneiro over her claims that she was constructively dismissed by the club, and victimised by its former manager, on this day in 2016. Carneiro had brought the claim at an employment tribunal, accusing Mourinho of victimisation and discrimination. She was due to begin giving evidence but after last-minute talks between the parties, a settlement was agreed. Mourinho made a surprise appearance at the hearing at the London South Employment Tribunal centre in Croydon. Addressing the tribunal, Daniel Stilitz QC, for Chelsea and Mourinho, said: “We are pleased to be able to tell the tribunal that the parties agreed a settlement on confidential terms.” The case was expected to last seven to 10 days and could have led to potentially embarrassing witness statements and documents – including texts and emails – being made public. It was revealed that Carneiro had refused £1.2 million to settle her claims with Mourinho and Chelsea. Details of the final deal between the parties were not released. Carneiro had alleged she was sexually discriminated against after she went on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during the opening day of the Premier League season on August 8, 2015. She claimed that, as she ran on to the pitch during the game with Swansea, Mourinho shouted “filha da puta” at her. In a statement to the tribunal, Mourinho conceded that he used the term “filho da puta”, meaning “son of a whore”, but insisted he had been using it throughout the match. Carneiro was removed from first-team duties at Chelsea shortly after the Swansea game and then parted company with the club the following month. Chelsea said in a statement: “The club regrets the circumstances which led to Dr Carneiro leaving the club and apologises unreservedly to her and her family for the distress caused. “We wish to place on record that in running onto the pitch Dr Carneiro was following both the rules of the game and fulfilling her responsibility to the players as a doctor, putting their safety first. “Dr Carneiro has always put the interests of the club’s players first. Dr Carneiro is a highly competent and professional sports doctor. She was a valued member of the club’s medical team and we wish her every success in her future career.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rory McIlroy due to face media over PGA’s agreement with LIV Golf David Moyes will not compare himself to Ron Greenwood and John Lyall PGA Tour ‘should be ashamed’ over LIV deal, says 9/11 families group

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Russian forces have fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and shelled the eastern Donetsk region killing at least six people and damaging dozens of homes Moscow has recently stepped up aerial strikes in their nearly 16-month war. Kyiv’s armed forces, meanwhile, have reported limited gains in the early stages of a counteroffensive to take back the nearly one-fifth of Ukraine's territory that is under Russian control. The grinding Ukrainian advance is pressing slowly ahead, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said. Western analysts and military officials say the effort to dislodge entrenched, powerfully armed and large numbers of Russian troops could take years. Ukrainian troops have advanced 200m to 500m (650ft to 1,600ft) at various sections of the front line around the Donetsk city of Bakhmut and 300m to 350m (980ft to 1,150ft) in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Ms Maliar claimed. Ukrainian forces have managed to make gains despite the Russian edge in artillery and air power, she said. Ukrainian forces can expect to make slow progress in what will be a "hugely difficult" fight as the counteroffensive gains traction, according to a Western official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence. "Intense fighting is now ongoing in nearly all sectors of the front," the official said "This is much more than probing. These are full-scale movements of armor and heavy equipment into the Russian security zone." The official described the Ukrainian attacks as methodical and said that, broadly speaking, "Russian forces have put up a good defense." In Odesa, three food warehouse employees were killed in a strike that also damaged homes, shops and cafes in the city's downtown, the regional administration said on Facebook. An additional 13 people were injured. Search teams were looking for possible survivors under the rubble of the warehouse, it said. The attack on the port city, launched from the Black Sea, was the second in a week and involved four Kalibr cruise missiles, three of which were intercepted by air defenses, the administration said. In eastern Ukraine, Donetsk province governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, wrote on Telegram that at least three people died after shelling destroyed seven homes and damaged dozens more in the cities of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka. Ten towns and villages along the front line in Donetsk were struck as Kyiv's troops slowly advance, according to Ukraine's presidential office. A missile hit the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kramatorsk, where Kyiv's forces are headquartered, killing two civilians and wounding two others while damaging 29 homes, the presidential office said. Russian shelling of Kostiantynivka killed one civilian, with 57 houses damaged, it added. Andriy Kovalov, a spokesperson for the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces, said the Russian military increased missile and aerial strikes as Kyiv's forces intensify attacks along the war's 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line and claim some modest gains at the beginning of their counteroffensive. In a briefing, he said strikes on the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kirovohrad regions, in addition to the Odesa region, involved Kh-22 cruise missiles, sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles, and Iranian-made Shahed drones. Nine were intercepted. Mr Kovalov said Ukrainian forces had made advances in several sections and fighting was continuing in or near at least two Donetsk province communities. The UK's Defense MInistry, which has regularly issued updates on the conflict, wrote on Twitter that southern Ukraine "has often been more permissible for Russian air operations" compared with other parts of the front. Separately, the mayor of the central city of Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown, said the death toll from a Russian strike that hit an apartment building a day earlier had risen to 12. Ukrainian authorities continued to rescue people from the flooded areas of southern Ukraine's partially Russian-occupied Kherson region following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam last week. A total of 28 settlements on the Ukrainian-held western bank of the Dnieper River remain under water, and nearly 2,800 people have been taken to safety so far, the presidential office said, adding that the rescue effort was taking place under relentless Russian shelling. A visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Wednesday was postponed for security reasons. He met with Mr Zelensky on Tuesday to discuss the perils facing the nuclear plant, which grew more serious after the Kakhovka Dam burst last week. The plant has been in the crossfire repeatedly since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe faces "a relatively dangerous situation," the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog told journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday. The Ukrainian-controlled areas of the Kherson region came under artillery fire 57 times over the past 24 hours, the presidential office said. Rumors swirled Wednesday about a relative and close associate of the Kremlin-backed, strongman leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. The reports said that MP Adam Delimkhanov had been wounded in Ukraine. After Russian state TV reported that the lawmaker had been wounded and Ukrainian Telegram channels suggested that he had been killed, Mr Kadyrov published a photo showing Mr Delimkhanov. In a photo caption, Mr Kadyrov said that Mr Delimkhanov was "alive and well" — adding that he knew this "from the very beginning," despite earlier requesting Ukrainian intelligence to provide information on what positions were hit so that he could locate his "dear brother." Associated Press Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary FIFA official Fatma Samoura leaving after 7 years as pioneering woman in soccer In blow to Russian LGBTQ+ community, lawmakers weigh a bill banning gender transitioning procedures Recruiting criminals for Putin’s forces backed by Russian parliament – live

Erik ten Hag expects Marcus Rashford to be ready to face Chelsea on Thursday night but admitted he is not sure whether Manchester United’s top scorer is fully fit. Rashford has missed United’s last two fixtures, first with a leg injury and then through illness, but has returned to training this week. Asked if the 29-goal forward was ready to play, Ten Hag said: “It looks like (it). Yesterday, he returned to training, he looks quite fit but we have to see today what is the outcome of the training, how did we recover and then we will make our choices.” Rashford’s absence against Wolves and Bournemouth – both games United won without him – once again brought into focus United’s lack of depth in the forward positions. Anthony Martial was handed a rare start on the south coast on Sunday, but headed straight down the tunnel when he was withdrawn after an hour before later returning to the bench. Martial’s reaction led to fresh speculation over his United future. The 27-year-old, who finished last season on loan at Sevilla, has scored eight times in 27 appearances for United this season, but has struggled at times with injuries. “If you are not available, you can’t score,” Ten Hag said. “When he was available we played better, the team is winning games, he’s also scoring goals but he has to be available.” And Ten Hag also batted away a question about speculation linking United with Paris St Germain’s Brazil forward Neymar by offering his stock answer on transfer rumours, saying: “When we have news, we will tell you.” United will secure a top-four place and a return to the Champions League for next season if they take at least a point against Frank Lampard’s side. “It’s clear, we want to win every game,” the Dutchman said. “That is what we do all season so tomorrow we want to do the same, we want to win the game, play dominant football and get the job done… “First, we have to win the game tomorrow and get the job done. Then, it’s about judgement from others if it’s a good, bad or normal performance. “We are in a project, we want to go back and win trophies, we win one trophy but we want more trophies, compete with the best, we are still in a journey but we think we are in the right direction but it can always be better. Because good is not good enough.” We are still in a journey but we think we are in the right direction but it can always be better. Because good is not good enough Erik ten Hag With the League Cup trophy already in the cabinet, booking a return to Europe’s premier competition would be another significant marker for Ten Hag in his first season at Old Trafford. “If we want to compete with the best, then you have to be in the Champions League,” he said. “We want to compete with the best and be in the Champions League. In the Premier League, you have to be one of the first four, that’s not easy, many are competing for it, many think they should be in and we are one of them.”

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