South Africa's Malcolm Marx out of Rugby World Cup with long-term knee injury
South Africa hooker Malcolm Marx has been ruled out of the remainder of the Rugby World Cup with what the team described as a long-term knee injury
2023-09-14 16:57
Cricket Australia set to enforce neck protectors for all batters from next month
Every Australian player in international and domestic cricket will be required to wear neck protectors while batting from next month or face sanctions under new rules set to be introduced by Cricket Australia
2023-09-14 15:21
Football rumours: Donny van de Beek likely to stay at Man United until January
What the papers say Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek is likely to stay at the club until the next transfer window in January despite interest from clubs in Turkey and Qatar, the Mirror reports. The 26-year-old only played seven games last season and is yet to feature for the club so far in 2023-24. The Mirror also says Turkish club Besiktas are hoping to land 20-year-old Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri on loan before the Turkish transfer window closes. Nottingham Forest midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is close to joining Turkish club Rizespor before the deadline on Friday, according to the Telegraph. Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter turned down possible chances to manage Lyon in France and Rangers in Scotland, the Sun says. Social media round-up Players to watch Thomas Partey: Juventus have identified the Arsenal midfielder as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba, who could be forced out of the club if he is found to have breached anti-doping laws, Italian outlet La Repubblica reports. Eden Hazard: The former Chelsea man is reportedly considering retirement after his release from Real Madrid, according to CaughtOffside. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-09-14 14:45
Padres' Snell overpowers Dodgers in 6-1 victory for Friars' first series win against LA since 2021
Blake Snell scattered one hit over six scoreless innings, Juan Soto and Luis Campusano homered and the Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1
2023-09-14 14:18
Harry Maguire’s latest challenge will be to rise above the tag of being a part-time player
The hesitation was telling, the first word something of a filler. The question may well have been one Gareth Southgate also asked. Why, when there was the chance of a move to West Ham, the prospect of first-team football and the opportunity of something equating to a new start, did Harry Maguire opt to stay at Manchester United? “Erm,” he began. “Well, I think it was a bit of both. Erm… how can I put this? We just didn’t come to an agreement and they were happy for me to stay and I was happy to fight for my place. I want to do that and every time I train or play I will give everything.” Which scarcely felt the most convincing of explanations, even if it hinted at a hold-up. The bare facts are that United accepted a £30m bid from West Ham; there was agreement there. Where the three parties could not all concur, then, was on the issues of remuneration and recompense. Maguire’s wages actually went up this summer, as a result of United’s qualification for the Champions League. West Ham were unlikely to pay him at a rate commensurate with a status as the world’s most expensive centre-back. The sense is that a pay-off was required but not agreed. It is not the only factor, as Maguire suggested. Erik ten Hag has demoted the 30-year-old, first from the team, then from the club captaincy. But he has never forced him out. The United manager wants two players for every position; he sees Maguire as one of his centre-back options. Admittedly, he often seems fifth in line: Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez became established as the preferred pairing last season, with Victor Lindelof a reasonably reliable deputy. Ten Hag is reluctant to use Maguire on the left and would rather field Luke Shaw there. To the outsider, the prognosis for Maguire looks bleak. Yet he has confounded expectations before: playing in League One at 21, he was a World Cup semi-finalist four years later. Footballers require a belief in their ability; there have been times on the pitch in the last two years when Maguire has looked to be suffering from a crisis of confidence but he sounded positive. “At club football, I want to play games, I want to play football,” he said. “The first four weeks were hard because it was one game a week and the manager didn’t select me but we have lots of games coming up now and I am sure I will play lots of games.” His first appearance of the campaign came as a substitute at Arsenal; with Shaw and Varane injured, his next outings may depend on whether Martinez, who came off at the Emirates Stadium, is also sidelined. His last game brought an own goal, benefitting Scotland. Southgate came to the centre-back’s defence after an evening of mockery at Hampden Park when it seemed as though Scotland’s new national sport is taunting Maguire. Nevertheless, his job would be easier if Maguire had joined West Ham, just as it would be had Jordan Henderson not signed for Al-Ettifaq. Leaving Old Trafford would have been a way of protecting his international place. “Of course, my England career is a big priority,” Maguire countered. “And so is my club career. I considered everything and I know, at the moment, when I have not started a game in the first four games of the season, the story comes to me. I finished off last season with two very strong performances for England and I have played in all five matches to help put us where we are in qualifying, so I need to keep performing when I get chosen.” And yet he can feel a part-time footballer, playing for country more than club. Maguire denied rustiness was a problem against Scotland, saying Southgate was very happy with his performance against Ukraine. His night in Glasgow, however, was notable for the reaction of the Scotland supporters and the goal he dispatched past Aaron Ramsdale. “Obviously, I am disappointed with the own goal but that is football,” Maguire said. “You are a centre-back and you put yourselves in those positions. I am really pleased with how I performed in the second half and how I dealt with it. Little things can go against you and one moment went against me. That is part and parcel of a defender.” Sadly for Maguire, he was already ridiculed at Hampden even before he accidentally converted Andy Robertson’s cross. He found an advantage among the ridicule. “It pretty much takes the pressure away from my teammates and puts it all on myself,” he said. “I would not say I am a person who struggles with pressure mentally, I have been through a lot in the last couple of years.” If anything, that felt an understatement. The next year assumes an importance, too. Southgate’s faith in Maguire appears unyielding, but a season on the sidelines at United could test it anyway. By opting not to leave, Maguire risked his place at Euro 2024. “It is way too far away to consider,” he argued. “I take everything as each week goes by.” But he could do with some good weeks at the club he perhaps should have quit. Read More Harry Maguire says he can deal with pressure after ‘banter’ from Scotland fans Bale shows his golf skills and Stokes goes big – Wednesday’s sporting social Criticism has not affected Harry Maguire, says England team-mate Aaron Ramsdale ‘Top-level’ England are the benchmark for improving Scotland – Lewis Ferguson Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire criticism ‘beyond anything I’ve ever seen’ Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself
2023-09-14 14:18
Extreme weather may cost the global fashion industry $65 billion by 2030
Extreme heat and flooding are set to deal a massive blow to the global fashion industry, with four of the world's top garment producing countries at risk of missing out on $65 billion in earnings by 2030, according to a study from Cornell University and investment manager Schroders.
2023-09-14 12:48
Braxton Garrett works 6 strong innings as the Marlins beat the Brewers 2-0
Braxton Garrett pitched six innings of four-hit ball and the Miami Marlins beat the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers 2-0
2023-09-14 12:25
Libyan rivals 'co-ordinating over flood disaster'
More than 5,300 people died after dam bursts brought devastating floods to the eastern city of Derna.
2023-09-14 12:22
Dodgers' Walker Buehler says he wasn't recovering well enough after rehab start to return
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler says he shut down his comeback from Tommy John surgery this season because he wasn’t recovering well after a rehab start
2023-09-14 11:27
San Diego's Juan Soto joins elite company with 2-plus seasons of 30-plus HRs and 100-plus walks
Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres has gone deep against the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him the seventh player in major league history with two-plus seasons of 30 or more home runs and 100-plus walks before turning 25
2023-09-14 10:52
Atlanta Braves clinch 6th straight NL East title, beat Phillies 4-1 as Strider gets 17th win
The Atlanta Braves clinched their sixth straight NL East title, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 behind Spencer Strider’s major league-leading 17th win and Austin Riley’s two-run homer
2023-09-14 10:50
Noda's 1-out single in 9th ends no-hit bid, Astros win 6-2 and send Athletics to 100th loss
Hunter Brown and the Houston Astros held Oakland hitless until Ryan Noda’s one-out single in the ninth inning of a 6-2 victory on that sent the Athletics to first consecutive 100-loss seasons since the 1960s
2023-09-14 10:49
