Right, shall we all clock off and enjoy the rest of this Thursday? Which is actually looking like a complete washout to be honest.

To follow Tottenham's opening Europa League game against Qarabag, you'll need to click the link here

For Rangers' away tie at Malmo, you'll need to click this link here

Here are some of today's top stories to have a read over, and we'll see you again bright and early tomorrow for reaction from tonight's fixtures, build-up to the weekend's games and an avalanche of manager news conferences.

See you tomorrow!

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Tottenham Hotspur

As for team news, Ange Postecoglou said Tottenham are "looking good" with no new injuries from the weekend's win against Brentford. There are just the "obvious absences" of Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon, who trained yesterday but are ineligible for Spurs' Europa League opener different reasons.

As to who the Australian will choose in his starting XI against Qarabag, the likes of 18-year-old Archie Gray - who made his first appearance in the Carabao Cup victory against Coventry - could feature in the squad if the Australian is looking to rotate ahead of the weekend fixture with Manchester United. Another teenager, 17-year-old winger Mikey Moore, could also be handed his first start.

Get the latest news and analysis on our dedicated Tottenham page

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham host Qarabag of Azerbaijan tonight in the first of eight games in the league phase of the newly expanded Europa League.

The road to Bilbao is a long one - teams could have to play up to 16 matches to reach the final on 21 May 2025.

Spurs will also travel to Hungary to face Ferencvaros (3 October), then host AZ Alkmaar (24 October) and play Galatasaray away (7 November).

Tottenham are back in the Europa League competition for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Their quest for a trophy that year was ended in the last 16 by Dinamo Zagreb, who completed a remarkable second-leg turnaround after Spurs were two-nil up from the first leg.

Former Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho apologised to the fans after the defeat, saying his players had failed "at the basics of life". Ouch.

Like midfielder Jordan Henderson, Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has been having his say on the packed football schedule, highlighting the risk to players' health and a lack of a summer break.

Image source, Getty Images

The Europa League now follows the same format as the Champions League with 36 teams starting in the league phase.

Teams which fail to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League will not have access to the Europa League.

In the league phase all teams will play matches against eight different opponents.

After these eight games the top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off to secure their path to the last 16 of the competition.

Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from the Europa League.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson spoke to the media ahead of his team's opening Europa League clash with Besiktas tonight.

The Ajax midfielder was asked about player welfare, due to an increase in fixtures across the footballing calendar: "I know has been a big topic across Europe, especially for international players. Players who play Europe, the league, cups, international games. It's crazy really when you think about it,

"I think something will have to come to a head at some point because it gets too much, injuries to players, the welfare of players."

Image source, Getty Images

Rangers face "a fight with history" as they bid to overturn a poor record against Malmo in their Europa League opener, says manager Philippe Clement.

The Ibrox side are in Sweden for their first match of the revamped Europa League, having lost twice to Malmo in Champions League qualifiers in the past 13 years.

As we look ahead to tonight's Europa League showdown, let's take a loom at some of the stats between these two sides:

• Rangers have not won any of their six games against Swedish opposition in Europe (Two draws, four defeats)

• Malmo have played Rangers four times in major European competition with all four meetings coming in Champions League qualification. In that time, the Swedish side remain unbeaten (W2 D2).

• Rangers have lost four of their last seven away Europa League games (W1 D2), just one fewer than they suffered across their prior 19 such matches in the competition (five).

• Malmo have lost nine of their last 12 games in all European competitions (W2 D1), a run which has seen the Swedish side fail to score on six separate occasions.

• James Tavernier has netted 11 goals across major European competition for Rangers, with only Alfredo Morelos (15), Ralph Brand (13) and Ally McCoist (12) ever managing more for the Scottish side.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland commentator

You would not think the eclectic Swedish city of Malmo would bring Scottish football fans out in a cold sweat.

However, the cosmopolitan conurbation in the country’s southern Skane province has been a graveyard for plenty of European dreams in recent years before Rangers begin their Europa League campaign there on Thursday.

Indeed, it is perhaps the Ibrox club that has the most reason to be fearful having come a cropper there twice in the past 12 years.

But it is not just they who have suffered at Malmo’s hands. Celtic and Hibernian have also been beaten on the Swedish side of the Oresund Bridge, which links Malmo with the Danish capital Copenhagen.

They are Scotland’s ultimate European bogey team.

• Click here to read the rest of Liam's article ahead of tonight's match

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Malmo

Image source, Getty Images

Connor Barron insists Rangers are fully focussed on advancing to the knockout stages of the Europa League as they begin their campaign in Sweden against Malmo.

The Ibrox side face a tough challenge after being drawn with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham in what, on paper, looks a formidable task.

However, Barron says the mentality is always the same within the club and qualification remains their realistic goal.

"One hundred percent, that's what we are at Rangers," he said.

"We want to win every game we play and that doesn't change no matter what competition it is.

"We're here to win."

• Here is where you'll find the rest of Martin's chat with Connor Barron

Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva on a shift in culture and mentality: "For me it's important that the players feel that enough is not good for us. We don't like that word. Of course, Premier League is so tough, the best and most difficult in the world. And you always have to demand more from yourself. Myself as a manager, the players know, the way we work every single day, the way I push them, the way I demand from them, the same way I guide and support them.

"In football you can't just win if you're on your limit. If we have to push for the next 17, we will push. But the reality, we have to look for the next game as the most important one, It's there that we have to show our quality, not here in the press conference, we have to show it on match day. We want to do better than last season. Now is the moment for us to rebuild again."

Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva on midfielder Emile Smith Rowe: "Top, top lad, that's the first thing I want to say about him. I pushed our football board and club to sign him.

"We started in that moment to be strong and have that target and to be honest, for the position he was, the only one we wanted. Fantastic for me when I heard for the first time that he wanted to join us.

"I felt from the first moment, the desire was there to come and join the club and be part of the process. He's a really talented player, different to what he had in that position in the last few years.

"There's much more to come from him."

Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva on his side's recent performance: "Performance wise we have been growing as a team, definitely. Game by game you are seeing the team getting better. I think the time plays in our favour if I can say that when you change so many players. Some important players have left our football club. We signed some good players too and of course all the teams need time to challenge everything, to have connections between players and for the to understand our identity and philosophy as well.

"Even those who have enough experience and knowledge of the Premier League, it's always different club to club. We should have achieved better, more points in some games. That's football, that's the Premier League. It's a good start. The main thing is that our performing, getting better, the last two Premier League games were very good."

Fulham

There is one manager left standing to speak to the media today, and it's Fulham boss Marco Silva.

West Ham United

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui says he's happy with the nine signings the club made over the summer: "Yesterday, three players were in the starting line-up for the first time. I'm happy with their commitment and performance.

"Step by step they are going to increase the level and our competitiveness.

"I am happy with the new signings and they need time for adaptation. But in the mean time we have to be able to compete and be ready for the big challenge to face [Brentford]."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be on the touchline when Nottingham Forest host Fulham.

The manager was expected to be banned after he was sent off in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Brighton on Sunday.

But Forest have been given more time to submit their observations after Nuno and Morgan Gibbs-White were charged by the Football Association.

They initially had until Friday but requested an extension and now have until Wednesday, 2 October.

Nuno was dismissed and was charged by the FA with acting in an improper manner, with the Portuguese also alleged to have used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official.

It came after Gibbs-White was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a strong tackle on Joao Pedro with seven minutes left.

The Key Match Incidents Panel, which reviews the main decisions in the Premier League each week, was split 3-2 with the majority believing official Robert Jones was wrong to dismiss the midfielder.

The midfielder has been charged by the Football Association with acting in an improper manner and/or using abusive and/or insulting words towards fourth official Anthony Taylor.

Nuno already has a suspended one-game touchline ban - handed out in August - following his comments after Forest's controversial 2-0 defeat at Everton in April which saw the club question the integrity of VAR Stuart Attwell on social media.

Dan Roan
BBC sports editor

At a Premier League meeting in central London today, clubs were told that testing for semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) is continuing, and may now not be brought in until the new year.

In April, top-flight clubs approved unanimously the use of the state-of-the-art technology for the 2024-25 season.

The plan had been to introduce the system - which was first used at the 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar - after one of the international breaks in September or October.

Southampton

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Southampton

Southampton manager Russell Martin on the rivalry with neighbours Bournemouth, who Saints face on Monday: "The fans will be desperate for us to put in a performance, not just because of the locality of the team we're playing against, because we want to win and we need to win.

"I haven't been given any extra motivation by anyone here and I haven't placed any extra onus on the game because of that.

"We'll go there and treat it in the same way we would any other game."

Southampton

Southampton manager Russell Martin on teenager Tyler Dibling's first goal for the club against Ipswich and his impact on the team: "He was unfortunate not to play earlier because he had an amazing pre-season.

"He has an incredible belief in himself, in a humble, modest way. He has to just keep giving 100% and understanding what has got him this far.

"At this moment he couldn't play for every team - he suits the way we play a lot, he's getting so much better at the things he needs to improve on, but he needs to continue to grow and develop and stay so hungry.

"That's always the challenge with young players when they have a quick rise. With Tyler, I don't see that being a problem."