Image source, Mario Balotelli

Liverpool new boy Mario Balotelli is up and ready for another day of training, insisting on Twitter he will be working hard.

Now all he has to do is learn to put on his training bib without help and the Reds will have a player.

Tennis: Swiss third seed Stan Wawrinka overcame a mid-match lapse to beat Tomasz Bellucci 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-1) and reach the US Open last 32.

Image source, AP

Athletics: European sprint champions James Dasaolu and Adam Gemili are set for a 100m showdown at Thursday's Diamond League in Zurich.

Cycling: Germany's John Degenkolb won his second successive stage of the Vuelta a Espana after a controversial finish.

Rowing: Britain's men's eight are through to Sunday's World Championship final after winning the repechage in Amsterdam.

The Daily Mirror relegates Arsenal's Champions League progress to a small portion of their back page, with scrutiny of Louis van Gaal's transfer targets their lead item. Arturo Vidal and Daley Blind are said to be the subject of the Manchester United manager's attention.

Image source, Daily Mirror

But Blind - of Ajax and part of Van Gaal's Netherland's World Cup team - will cost as much as £20m, according to the Sun's back page.

Image source, Mirror

It is Thursday morning and yet there is still sport to watch. For all those wanting to watch highlights of the Youth Olympics, go to the BBC Red Button, or alternatively hit the play button at the top of this page and enjoy.

England manager Roy Hodgson will name his new captain at 12:00 BST today and Wayne Rooney is the overwhelming favourite to get the role. We want to know if you think he is the right man? Tweet #bbcsportsday.

Steve Howes:, external Rooney is ring fenced if made captain yet his constant inclusion despite never scoring in important games is the problem.

Jamie:, external Rooney is not a leader. Joe Hart is the voice you always hear in the tunnel and he should be the England captain.

Elliot Harrison:, external Rooney is not captain material. All he does is sulk and moan. Not the ideal leader.

Richard Conway
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent

"Michel Platini [below left] has told Uefa delegates in Monaco he wants to continue as president of Uefa. He will not therefore stand against Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency.

"In what was described as positive meeting, Platini was applauded by the 54 associations in attendance."

Image source, Reuters

The Football Association is confident that Wembley could stage the final of Euro 2020 and has refused to rule out a bid to host Euro 2028.

FA general secretary Alex Horne hopes England's national stadium could stage the semi-finals and final in six years.

He feels the chances are boosted by Germany's focus on a bid for Euro 2024.

"We're really confident with our bid. We know what the Germans have been saying, that they're thinking about 2024. Nothing's confirmed," Horne said.

A reminder then of a big day ahead.

We will learn who England's new captain is at about 12:00 BST, see new Manchester United signing Angel Di Maria in his first news conference at 15:00 and learn the fate of the English Champions League competitors when the draw takes place at 16:45.

Throw in all of the latest transfer news and sporting headlines, and there are plenty of reasons to stay tuned into Sportsday.

Sunderland and Stoke will meet in round three in one of five all-Premier League ties.

Swansea host Everton, Newcastle go to Crystal Palace, West Brom take on Hull at The Hawthorns and Southampton travel to Arsenal.

Holders Manchester City take on Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester United's conquerors MK Dons face 2013 runners-up Bradford City.

You can see the draw in full on the BBC Sport website.

Image source, PA

From the Champions League to the League Cup, and QPR boss Harry Redknapp said he gave some players a chance, only for them to waste it in the defeat to Burton Albion on Wednesday night.

"We came here - I picked a strong team on paper - with senior players, but they were poor and didn't take the opportunity," said the 67-year-old.

No such mistake for Premier League sides Stoke and Sunderland, who both notched 3-0 wins over Portsmouth and Birmingham respectively.

More on that eagerly awaited draw at 16:45 BST.

It is the usual four pot system,, external with the best sides in pot one and so-called worst in pot four. One team is drawn from each pot to make up a group.

Arsenal and Chelsea are in pot one, Manchester City two and Liverpool three. The Reds, theoretically at least, should get the tougher draw.

Image source, AP

Elsewhere in the Champions League it was a big night for Spanish side Athletic Bilbao, who beat Rafa Benitez's Napoli to reach the Champions League group stages for the first time since 1998.

A 3-1 home win sealed a 4-2 aggregate passage for Ernesto Valverde's side, while Bayer Leverkusen romped to a 7-2 win over two legs against FC Copenhagen.

Malmo of Sweden will also be in the pot in today's draw which starts at 16:45 BST and will be covered here in Sportsday. They won 3-0 on the night to beat Red Bull Salzburg 4-2 on aggregate.

If you thought Arsenal's Champions League progress was nail-biting and dramatic at Emirates Stadium, what about this...

Bulgarian side Ludogorets won through via a penalty shootout, with defender Cosmin Moti going in goal to save two penalties after scoring one of his own.

Image source, Europress

Moti, 29, took up keeper duties when Ludogrets saw their first-choice number one sent off in the final minute of extra time with the scores level at 1-1 on aggregate. Not a bad story to one day dine out on.

The transfer window closes on Monday night and here are the latest offerings from our football gossip column:

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is desperately trying to buy Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, 27, and Ajax defender Daley Blind, 24, before the transfer window closes on 1 September. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres, 30, is set to join AC Milan on loan but midfielder Marco van Ginkel, 21, will stay with Jose Mourinho's side. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United are preparing to bid for £24m-rated Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, 22, as Louis van Gaal looks to offload Danny Welbeck, 23, Tom Cleverley, 25, and Shinji Kagawa, 25. (Daily Telegraph)

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud will not play again this year after having surgery on a broken leg.

The club received the results of a second scan on Wednesday, which confirmed the France international had broken his left tibia.

The 27-year-old sustained the injury in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Everton and has been ruled out for up to four months.

"You'll ask who we'll buy to replace Giroud. At the moment, nobody," Gunners manager Arsene Wenger said.

It was another night of surprises in the Capital One Cup, with League Two Burton knocking out QPR and Aston Villa beaten by Leyton Orient.

Manchester United's conquerors MK Dons were handed a favourable draw in the third round with a home tie against League One Bradford.

Defending champions Manchester City host Championship Sheffield Wednesday who beat top-flight Burnley 1-0 on Tuesday.

Following their victory against Besiktas, Arsenal join Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in Thursday's draw for the Champions League groups.

The draw will take place in Monaco at 16:45 BST.

Image source, Getty Images

Wayne Rooney is set to be named as England's new captain later today and we want to know what you think about the potential appointment?

Do you think Rooney is the right man for the job and why? If not, why not and who should be given the honour instead?

Tweet us your view at #bbcsportsday, external and join the debate.

Image source, Getty Images

England are set to be without props Dan Cole and Mako Vunipola for the November internationals.

Leicester's Cole is still recovering from a serious neck injury and is set to return in about 10 weeks.

Vunipola had surgery after dislocating a knee in May, and his director of rugby at Saracens Mark McCall says he has "no chance" of being fit for the autumn internationals.

England play New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa and Australia in consecutive weekends at Twickenham.

Image source, AP

The England team have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second one-day international against India, who won by 133 runs at Cardiff.

Captain Alastair Cook has been fined 20% of his match fee while his players received 10% fines.