Summary

  1. Postpublished at 12:17 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    Dinamo Zagreb v PAOK is the fifth tie.

  2. Postpublished at 12:16 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    Union Saint-Gilloise v Fenerbahce - we are halfway through.

  3. Postpublished at 12:15 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    Molde v Club Bruges is the third tie.

  4. Postpublished at 12:13 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    Ajax v Aston Villa are next up.

  5. Postpublished at 12:12 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    We have 13 different countries represented in this draw.

    First up is Servette v Viktoria Plzen

  6. Postpublished at 12:07 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    So, we are back in Nyon for the Europa Conference League draw.

    Who will Aston Villa be facing? Not long now until we find out.

    With the final taking place in Greece, Euro 2004 winner Kostas Katsouranis is helping with this one.

  7. Villa await Conference League drawpublished at 11:59 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Conference League

    With the Europa League draw completed attention now switches to the Europa Conference League from Uefa HQ in Nyon.

    Aston Villa are the only British team in the draw after topping Group E with 13 points from six games so they are seeded.

    They could potentially be drawn against Ajax, where Jordan Henderson is plying his trade these days.

    Seeded teams for Europa Conference League draw: Aston Villa, Lille, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Viktoria Plzen, Club Bruges, Fiorentina, PAOK, Fenerbahce.

    Unseeded teams for Europa Conference League draw: Sturm Graz, Servette, Union Saint-Gilloise, Dinamo Zagreb, Olympiakos, Ajax, Molde, Maccabi Haifa.

    Ties take place on consecutive Thursdays next month - the first leg on 7 March and second leg on 14 March.

    The Agia Sophia Stadium, Athens, Greece, is the setting for the Europa Conference League final on 29 May.

  8. Man v Fat Footballpublished at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Kaitlyn Horrocks
    BBC Sport

    'Man v Fat Football' is the grassroots football organisation that combines sport and weight loss for men in the UK.

    The concept is simple: play football and lose weight while doing it.

    The team was made in 2014 and now has over 160 locations that has bettered men's physical and mental health across the UK.

    BBC Sport takes a look at how it works...

    If you've been affected by issues raised in this video, there is information and support available on BBC Action Line.

    Media caption,

    'Man v Fat Football': Tackling men's health through sport

  9. Lijnders positive despite Liverpool injury issuespublished at 11:47 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Chelsea v Liverpool (Carabao Cup final, Sun, 15:00 GMT)

    Mandeep Sanghera
    BBC Sport

    Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has done the club’s Carabao Cup game news conferences this season and he was the man who strode into the room at the AXA training centre to speak to the media before the final against Chelsea.

    If there’s anyone who can put a positive slant on things then it’s Lijnders and he did so again when discussing Liverpool’s injury troubles, saying ‘every disadvantage has an advantage’.

    But it was when he was providing some clarity on the players who are sidelined that you could hear the keyboards being busily tapped by the assembled media.

    Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai have a chance for the final but Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota are out until after the international break in March. Curtis Jones will be absent until around the same time as well.

    Apart from Sunday’s game, the Reds play Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round as well as Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Everton in the league before the international break so they will go into those games with stretched resources.

    Lijnders is leaving with manager Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season and he was also asked about his own future.

    At one point he jokingly stopped to say ‘I’m talking too much about me’ before, interestingly, saying he had received offers to leave in the past.

    However, while his ‘heart said yes’ he stayed at Liverpool out of loyalty and it was only when Klopp decided to leave that it was clear he would go and become a manager elsewhere.

    Until then he's 'focused' on Liverpool and ending the season on a high.

    Liverpool assistant boss Pep LijndersImage source, PA Media
  10. Ten Hag's Ratcliffe thoughtspublished at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Man Utd v Fulham (Sat, 15:00GMT)

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is due to speak to the media this lunchtime at around 13:15 GMT.

    It will be the first chance to ask the Dutchman about Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans for United and what it means for his own future.

    Ten Hag has previously said he has had positive discussions with Ratcliffe and INEOS head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford.

    It will be interesting to see if he expands on that.

  11. 'We are going to give it a real go'published at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Arsenal v Newcastle (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

    Arsenal

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the chance to close the five-point gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool, who play in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday: "We are in a really good position and where we want to be. We can be better but the most important thing is that we continue at this level. We are going to give it a real go."

    And a final word on the chances summer signing Jurrien Timber returning before the end of the season: "I really hope so. He’s doing really well and he’s going to start doing some bits with us in the next week and then we have to see. Hopefully the answer is yes.

    "We have missed some big players and we still are, but we have to adapt to that. We know the impact they’ll have when we have a fuller squad."

    BBC Sport has a dedicated Arsenal page packed with news, analysis and fan views - get it here

  12. Postpublished at 11:28 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Here is a reminder of the full draw:

    Sparta Prague v Liverpool

    Marseille v Villarreal

    Roma v Brighton

    Benfica v Rangers

    Freiburg v West Ham

    Sporting Lisbon v Atalanta

    AC Milan v Slavia Prague

    Qarabag v Bayer Leverkusen

    The first leg of the last-16 ties will be played on Thursday, 7 March, with the return legs on 14 March.

  13. Rome callingpublished at 11:27 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    What a time to be a Brighton fan.

    Highest league finish in the club's history, a first European campaign that has already featured matches against historic names in Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens and now a last-16 game against Italian giants Roma.

    Jose Mourinho is no longer in charge of course but still.

    Brighton fans are bound to travel to the Italian capital in numbers and the atmosphere at the Amex on 14 March will be electric.

  14. Postpublished at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Qarabag v Bayer Leverkusen ends the draw.

    A long trip to Azerbaijan for Xabi Alonso's side.

  15. Postpublished at 11:20 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    AC Milan v Slavia Prague penultimate tie.

  16. Postpublished at 11:20 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Sporting Lisbon v Atalanta is the next tie.

  17. Postpublished at 11:18 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Freiburg v West Ham is the next one pulled out.

    A trip to Germany for Hammers fans.

  18. Postpublished at 11:17 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Benfica v Rangers is the fourth tie drawn - we are halfway through.

    Rangers last made the final in 2022 and have been going well under Philippe Clement this season.

  19. Postpublished at 11:16 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Roma v Brighton is the next tie drawn.

  20. Postpublished at 11:15 Greenwich Mean Time 23 February

    Europa League

    Marseille v Villarreal is next up.