Football news you may have missed

1. Berahino 'on naughty chair' - Pulis
2. Equatorial Guinea fined £65,000 after crowd trouble
3. Cuadrado not a panic buy, says Chelsea boss Mourinho
4. Wales v England in Six Nations opener (20:05)
5. Morocco banned and fined after refusal to host Afcon

Goodbye

So that is everything from today's Sportsday, but don't forget we have live text, radio and television coverage of the Six Nations, starting with Wales v England now. And it is also a very busy weekend of football and rugby to look forward to.

Sportsday will be back at 08:00 GMT on Monday so thanks for your comments today and see you again soon.

Watford boss unhappy after window

Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic has expressed frustration with a lack of signings in January.

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The Hornets brought in defenders Miguel Layun and Vujadin Savic, as well as midfielder Ben Watson, before Monday's transfer deadline day.

"I am not especially very happy with this window," Jokanovic told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"I am looking for another dressing room that can help us from outside our dressing room. Now the window is closed I must work with my boys and push them to fight until the end of the season."

'England to win by three'

England 2003 World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward on Twitter: Roof open - biggest opening game ever Six Nations starts @BBCOne at 7pm- England to win by three.

O'Grady 'does yoga before each game'

Brighton striker Chris O'Grady says doing yoga immediately before kick-off is the perfect preparation for a match.

The 29-year-old has made over 360 league appearances during the course of his 12-year professional career, and says he was inspired to do it by former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs.

"It's something I've done for probably 10 years now before each game," he told BBC Sussex.

"While centre halves in the other changing room are not doing much, I'm making sure I'm as flexible as possible to go into the game and do battle. When it comes down to it, from the first minute I'll be more ready than the opponents."

How they line up

Here are the teams for tonight's Six Nations opener in Cardiff.

BBC Sport

BBC Sport

Live text commentary on the Wales v England match is available on our rugby union pages.

'I'm ready for challenge' - Fletcher

Darren Fletcher says he is ready for the challenge after swapping trophy-chasing with Manchester United for a relegation battle with West Bromwich Albion.

Midfielder Fletcher, 31, has swapped third for 15th place in the Premier League, but insists his battling qualities are just as suited to life at the wrong end of the league.

"There's many ways to win a football match," he told BBC Midlands Today. "You don't win titles just with fancy football. There's times when you have to dig deep. I've been there before and done it with United and done it playing for Scotland too."

Fletcher is scheduled to make his West Brom debut on Sunday at Burnley.

News at 6.30pm

Here is a recap of some of today's biggest stories.

AFP

Football: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has said he plans to contest a Football Association disrepute charge.

Football: Morocco are banned from the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and made to pay £6m over their failure to host the 2015 edition.

Cricket: Illegal gamblers approach players using tactics employed by paedophiles, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption chief has said.

Cycling: Commonwealth champion Lizzie Armitstead claimed the overall victory of the women's Tour of Qatar by winning Friday's final stage.

Tennis: Great Britain recovered from the brink of elimination to defeat Ukraine and top their group in Fed Cup qualifying.

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The view from the BBC studio

Sonja McLaughlin

BBC Sport rugby reporter Sonja McLaughlin on Twitter: Six Nations studio in Cardiff, awaits first game of 2015.

BBC Sport

Six Nations

Who starts as favourites? Faces to look out for - old and new. How to follow the coverage on the BBC.

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The Six Nations starts tonight as Wales take on England, in a match broadcast live on BBC One, with coverage starting at 19:30.

BBC Sport looks at what you need to know about the competition, where the key clashes will be and who could make a name for themselves in the 2015 Six Nations.

Premier League team news

West Ham central defenders James Collins and Winston Reid are out with hamstring injuries suffered last week. Andy Carroll may not be risked after hurting his ankle, but Diafra Sakho returns after a row over his withdrawal from international duty was resolved.

Manchester United are again without injured midfielder Michael Carrick. Radamel Falcao will hope for a recall, while Ashley Young is in contention after recovering from a hamstring strain suffered on New Year's Day.

BBC

Premier League team news

Newcastle's summer signing Siem de Jong is still not ready to return from a thigh injury despite playing his second comeback game this week. Midfielder Cheick Tiote is still away at the Africa Cup of Nations, but defender Paul Dummett is fit again.

Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross has been ruled out of the next three games after picking up a back problem against QPR. Jon Walters is doubtful with a knee injury but Mame Biram Diouf has returned from international duty.

Premier League team news

Burnley manager Sean Dyche could name the same starting line-up for the 10th successive Premier League match against West Brom on Sunday. Deals for two players collapsed on transfer deadline day and he has no fresh injury concerns.

Darren Fletcher is expected to make his debut for West Brom after signing from Manchester United on Monday. Saido Berahino may feature despite being warned by his club after comments he made in an unauthorised interview.

Premier League team news

Everton could give a debut to Aaron Lennon, who joined the club on loan from Tottenham on the final day of the transfer window. Midfielder James McCarthy is set to return after six weeks out with a hamstring injury.

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Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge could make his first club start since August, having played twice as a substitute since his comeback from injury. There are slight injury doubts over Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana and Lucas.

Premier League team news

Swansea could give a debut to new signing Jack Cork while Ki Sung Yeung is available after international duty. Leon Britton and Jefferson Montero could return after a virus and hamstring problem respectively.

Sunderland's physios will be busy in the build-up to the game, with Jack Rodwell (groin) and Adam Johnson (thumb) among those being monitored. Connor Wickham (calf), Emanuele Giaccherini, Billy Jones and Will Buckley will also have fitness tests.

BBC

Premier League team news

QPR midfielder Sandro has returned to full training following a knee injury and could come into contention. Caretaker manager Chris Ramsey has no new injury problems, although January loan signing Mauro Zarate's match fitness is still a concern.

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman welcomes back midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama from injury. However, Ryan Bertrand is suspended and Filip Djuricic isn't available as he is awaiting a work permit.

Premier League team news

Manchester City pair Samir Nasri and Eliaquim Mangala return to the squad after recovering from respective calf and shoulder injuries. Ivorians Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony remain on international duty for Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final.

Hull City are likely to be without deadline day signing Dame N'Doye as the striker is awaiting international clearance. Fellow front man Nikica Jelavic faces a fitness test on a knee injury, while Mo Diame remains sidelined.

Premier League team news

Leicester City will be without new signing Robert Huth, who completes a two-match ban for comments made on social media. Matty James is back after suspension and Riyad Mahrez has returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Crystal Palace could hand debuts to Pape Souare and non-league signing Keshi Anderson, but fellow new recruit Lee Chung-Yong is injured. Mile Jedinak has a sore ankle and will not be risked, while Yannick Bolasie remains at the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Premier League team news

Right, where were we?

Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar should return to the squad against Chelsea after recovering from the knee injury he suffered on New Year's Day. On-loan winger Scott Sinclair could make his first start, while Joe Cole is back after a hamstring strain and could face his former side.

AFP

Cesc Fabregas is fit again for Chelsea, but Diego Costa is banned and Filipe Luis misses out with a calf problem. Winger Juan Cuadrado (pictured) could make his debut after joining on transfer deadline day for an initial £23.3m.

Morocco banned and fined

We will come back to the Premier League team news in a minute, but first some breaking news from the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Morocco have been banned from the next two editions of the competition after failing to host this year's tournament.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) also fined Morocco US$1m (£650,000) and ordered them to pay 8m euros (£5.9m) in damages.

Morocco pulled out towards the end of last year after they expressed concerns over the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa, with Equatorial Guinea stepping in as host nation.

Premier League team news

Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb is available to face Arsenal after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. It means head coach Mauricio Pochettino has a full complement of players.

Arsenal are again without top scorer Alexis Sanchez because of a hamstring injury, but Danny Welbeck has overcome a thigh problem. The game has come too soon for Jack Wilshere, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also among the Gunners' absentees.

Premier League news coming up

So how is your team's Fantasy Football season going? Want some help in who to pick and who to drop for the weekend's matches?

Well, let's have a look at the team news for the next round of Premier League matches then.

Holloway stirs 'stagnant pool'

Millwall boss Ian Holloway says remodelling his squad in the transfer window was necessary to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation.

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The Lions brought in eight players, a total equalled only by Crystal Palace and Crawley in the top four divisions of English football, and allowed nine to leave.

"Sometimes you need to put the motorboat into the water and stir up a bit of a stagnant pool," the 51-year-old told BBC London 94.9.

'Fans could have died'

Supporters could have died in crowd trouble which marred an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, the Ghana FA president has told the BBC.

"We're lucky we haven't lost any lives, though people have sustained injuries arising from objects thrown at them," said Ghana FA chief Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Reuters

Play was halted for 30 minutes as home fans rioted at the match where Ghana beat hosts Equatorial Guinea 3-0.

Police used tear gas as bottles and stones were thrown by home supporters.

Norwich to consider Dorrans loan

Norwich City will look at signing West Brom's Graham Dorrans on loan after failing to secure a permanent deal in the transfer window.

A deadline day move for the 27-year-old Scotland midfielder that involved Canaries defender Martin Olsson heading to the Hawthorns fell through.

The loan window opens on Monday.

"He's not lined up at the moment but it's a potential thing we could look at when the window opens. It's something we will revisit," Norwich boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Norfolk.

'We need to bring joy back'

Mike Phelan has been speaking to Hull City's website, giving his first interview since being appointed Steve Bruce's assistant.

"We need to bring a little bit of joy back into it, a little bit of work-rate and maybe a few different things here and there," said Phelan.

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"But there's no secret to it - it's all about the quality of player and making sure that that player is happy and has no excuse not to perform.

"Nothing is impossible if you are 'do-ers' and you want to have a go. We've got to try and change the fortune that the club has been suffering over the last two or three months. Up to that point, things had been great for a club of this stature competing at this level."

Gamblers 'grooming' cricketers

Illegal gamblers approach players using tactics employed by paedophiles, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption chief has said.

But Sir Ronnie Flanagan believes spot-fixers will not affect the forthcoming World Cup, which starts on 14 February.

"They're almost like paedophiles in how they attempt to groom players to whatever suits the nefarious intentions in terms of illegal betting," he said.

"We have gone to great lengths to ensure they don't get their way."

Bellusci cleared of misconduct

A little more on the news that Leeds United defender Giuseppe Bellusci has been cleared of a misconduct charge by the Football Association.

The Italian was accused of allegedly using racist language towards Norwich striker Cameron Jerome in the the 1-1 draw between the sides last October.

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"We will of course await the written reasons of the Independent Regulatory Commission, but it remains essential that the FA continues to bring forward charges where we believe there is a credible case to answer," said director of football governance Darren Bailey.

"We fully and promptly investigated this matter from the moment it was brought to our attention and this underlines our commitment to the reporting process, which has been strengthened by both The FA and Kick It Out over recent years."

BBC Football writer Simon Stone at Old Trafford

"Sir Alex Ferguson had an uneasy relationship with the Football Association, believing Manchester United were singled out for special treatment by the governing body because of their status and success.

After a brief break, now it seems another Manchester United manager is going to be locking horns with the FA disciplinary panel.

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Louis van Gaal had until Monday to respond to his disrepute charge. He has launched his defence three days early.

Van Gaal has had a busy afternoon as he also attended the annual Munich memorial service to mark the 57th anniversary of the air crash that claimed the lives of 23 passengers, including eight players.

The Dutchman laid a wreath and stood in silence to observe proceedings before reading a passage from 'Flowers of Manchester' at his press conference a short time later."

Swansea news conferece

A final round-up of today's mammoth 12 Premier League news conferences .. and last word goes to Swansea's Garry Monk.

The Swans gaffer admitted he had to persuade Ki Sung-yueng to buy into his philosophy and stop him leaving for tomorrow's opponents Sunderland last summer.

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"It was important to give Ki the confidence and belief I have in him," Monk said. "Ki was unsure in the summer what he was going to do or how he felt about things, so I sat down with him.

"We had good discussions with how I saw football. Ki bought into it and he's been one of our most consistent performers."

Armistead claims win

Commonwealth champion Lizzie Armitstead claimed the overall victory of the women's Tour of Qatar by winning Friday's final stage.

The 26-year-old Briton beat Australia's Chloe Hosking in a sprint finish after an 85km race from Sealine Beach Resort to Doha Corniche.

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Boels Dolmans rider Armitstead had won Thursday's third stage to move into the lead for the first time in Qatar.

Armitstead finished 12 seconds ahead of Hosking in the overall rankings

Norwich 'disappointment' over dropped charge

Norwich have expressed their disappointment after Leeds defender Giuseppe Bellusci was found not guilty of racially abusing their striker Cameron Jerome.

The Italian was charged in December but an independent regulatory commission dropped the case at a personal hearing today after Bellusci denied the charge.

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A club statement read: "Norwich City is deeply disappointed by the 'not proven' verdict.

"We fully supports Cameron, who genuinely believed he was on the receiving end of unacceptable language on the field of play, reported it in the correct manner to the match officials and has conducted himself with dignity throughout the months since the incident."

Swansea news conference

Back at Swansea, Garry Monk admits the immediate aim is to get to 40 points and virtually guarantee Premier League safety.

The Swans are on 33 points at the moment. "I'm always pushing for more," the boss said. "Our first point of call is to get to that 40-point mark and we've got a chance to get there probably quicker than we have ever done before.

"We've got an important month coming up, starting on Saturday, and we want to show how we want to go forward until the end of the season."

Monk added that Wayne Routledge and Marvin Emnes are sidelined through injury, while Gylfi Sigurdsson sits out the second game of his three-match suspension. Jefferson Montero returns after missing last week's win over Southampton.

Remembering Munich

Manchester United forward Ashley Young on Twitter: Forever and ever, we'll follow the boys, of Man United, The Busby Babes #flowersofmanchester

Man Utd news conference

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Louis van Gaal laid flowers and sang with the fans at a ceremony to mark the 57th anniversary of the Munich air disaster earlier this afternoon.

He said: "I represent the club. I think the the players who died played a big part in the history of the club. We must remember that always."

He also read a passage from one of the speeches, which ended with "we must play the Manchester United way".

Man Utd news conference

Louis van Gaal doesn't intend to take his FA disrepute charge for comments made after the first FA Cup game against Cambridge lying down.

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Confirming he will appeal, the United boss said: "In 30 years as a trainer-coach I have never been charged. I do not think I said something wrong. I said in the press conference before the game that everything is in favour of the underdog."

Asked if he thought he was being singled out because it is Manchester United. "If I said that maybe I would be charged."

Burnley news conference

Back at Burnley, Sean Dyche has been talking about the frustration of January and missed targets - but says things aren't as bleak as some might suggest.

"I will remind everyone that we have a fantastic group of people here and we are 17th in the highest level of world football," he said.

"Let's remember what this club is built on and the pride we've all jointly taken in how we go about our business.

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"So before anyone gets into this weird mindset of negativity, let's remember the positive journey and the people who have been key in that; not just the players, but the fans too.

"After 10 games, we hadn't won a game, but our fans were amazing. We're now 17th so how are there suddenly there question marks?"

Swansea news conference

Next stop south Wales and Garry Monk, with the Swansea boss admitting he is a big admirer of striker Jermain Defoe - who is expected to be in Sunderland's starting line-up tomorrow.

"Defoe is a fantastic player," said Monk. "He can score goals, he plays on the shoulder of the defender and he often spoke about how much he missed the Premier League.

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"He is a player we'll have to be wary of, but they have good players all over the pitch.

"It will be interesting to see how the game pans out but we are at home, and we were very disappointed with our last game here against Chelsea so we'll be looking to put that right."

Man Utd news conference

Louis van Gaal tells MUTV that only Michael Carrick is injured for Sunday's trip to West Ham.

Remembering Munich

Liverpool FC: The thoughts of #LFC are with all those affected by the Munich air crash. 57 years ago today, but never forgotten.

'Bring on the banter' - Gerrard

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will run out at Goodison Park for his final Merseyside derby with a clear message to his Everton detractors - "bring it on."

Gerrard has been the target of abuse from the blue half of the city from almost the moment he made his debut in 1999.

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Only Ian Rush has scored more Liverpool goals against the Toffees than the 34-year-old and Gerrard - who heads to Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer - said: "I love the banter with Everton fans. It's what it's all about. It's about rivalries and big games of football.

"I'm up for all that. I don't mind it at all. Bring it on, as far as I'm concerned. It will be my last derby and then it will be someone else's turn to be in the spotlight.

GB success

At the Fed Cup, GB have won the second set in the doubles against Ukraine (they lead the tie 2-0) and ensured they a better head-to head record in their group against Turkey and Ukraine.

That means they are through to a play-off - probably against Belarus - for a promotion spot.

West Brom news conference

Tony Pulis continues: "I do worry about young players and the people around them and directing them, especially with the media focus around young players.

"It's a minefield for them at times and they have to learn and recognise that whatever they say, if they don't think about it they'll be jumped on.

"I've spoken to Saido and his people. The most important thing for him is not to talk about what he wants to do but to go out and do it.

"We had no phonecalls about him whatsoever this window so he isn't at that level yet. So the priority for him is not to listen to what people are saying in his ear but to get down to playing and doing the business for this club."

West Brom news conference

More from Tony Pulis on the Saido Berahino row.

"I feel a bit sorry for him," said Pulis. "He has been at the club since he was 10 and he has real respect for everyone at the club.

"He was asked if he'd want to play in a top four team and everyone wants that. But until that happens his responsibility is to do the best for us and to score as many goals as possible for me."

Remembering Munich

Manchester United FC

Manchester United on Twitter: Forever remembered. #flowersofmanchester

Stoke City news conference

Back to Stoke now where Mark Hughes has been praising John carver, in charge of Sunday's opponents Newcastle.

"Newcastle have had a change in manager and they had a good performance and result last time out. It won't be easy going up there," said Hughes.

"John Carver has been given this opportunity and he is a proud Geordie. That adds to the difficulties facing us.

"We are playing well at the moment though and there is no reason why we can't go there and record a positive result."

Jose Mourinho news conference

A French journalist does get Jose talking when he asks about French central defender Kurt Zouma. Mourinho has also helped develop another French defender, Raphael Varane, during his time at Real Madrid.

Mourinho says: "The French Federation should write a letter thanking me. Now they have the two best young defenders in the world."

Burnley news conference

Burnley FC

Sean Dyche insists Burnley fans will rally around the club despite the fact the club failed to bring in any of their targets during the transfer window.

The club hit the headlines after it was suggested they had sent an email to agents asking what players were available.

"I can assure the fans we have been our there looking, despite the story of this email to agents," said Dyche.

"Signing new players often comes down to the numbers and it's hard for the club and the Board to write off large chunks of money when the club going forward might not be able to deal with that."

Jose Mourinho news conference

Asked for his views on Diego Costa's three-game suspension following his stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho replies: "I do not reflect, because maybe I'm punished if I reflect."

When asked by journalists if he was in a happy mood, Mourinho said: "I enjoy working with my players. When I like the players in my squad I'm much more motivated to work. You know why I'm here. You can't expect me to be super happy to be here."

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw on Twitter: Never forget. #Flowers of Manchester

Defender Phil Jones: Never Forgotten #BusbyBabes #FlowersOfManchester

Jose Mourinho news conference

Another great answer from Jose Mourinho talking about winger Juan Cuadrado.

Asked where new signing Cuadrado will fit in the team, Mourinho says: "Goalkeeper? Impossible. We do not need one. Central defence? We do not need one and he is too small for that. He can play anywhere else."

Remembering Munich

Manchester United FC

Manchester United announce on Twitter that, on the 57th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, Sir Bobby Charlton and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge have opened a Munich exhibit at the Bayern Munich museum.

Remembering Munich

A little more on the short ceremony taking place outside Old Trafford at the moment.

Louis van Gaal accompanied fans and laid flowers as they sang the commemorative 'Flowers of Manchester', before a minute's silence at 3.03pm, the time of the plane crash.

Eight United players were amongst 23 passengers killed on take-off, following a refuelling stop.

The flight was on its way back from Belgrade, where United had reached the European Cup semi-final.

Jose Mourinho news conference

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A frosty news conference from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

Q: "How many teams are in the title race?"

A: "It's not my problem."

Q: "Who will play, Drogba or Remy?"

A: Silence. Shrugs shoulders.

Q: "Is Cesc Fabregas fit?"

A: "Filipe Luis is injured. The player who is suspended is suspended."

Q: "Why did you not speak to the press before or after the Manchester City game?"

A: "If you want to make a silence very noisy it depends on what you want to do and you can make noise with your silence."

Remembering Munich

Twitter

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is laying flowers underneath the Munich memorial at Old Trafford to mark the 57th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.

Stoke City news conference

Reflecting on Ryan Shawcross's injury Mark Hughes added: "Unfortunately the deal for Robert Huth to depart was agreed on Friday, before Ryan got injured. It was too far down the line."

The Stoke boss added that he had wanted to sign Spurs winger Aaron Lennon, who eventually ended up at Everton.

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"We had a couple of targets on deadline day, Aaron Lennon was one of those. They didn't fall for us and we move on from it," Hughes said.

"I wasn't privy to everything but what we were hearing was that he felt he would have more opportunities to play at Everton. We don't guarantee game time to anybody. Players have to earn a spot in my team and they all know that."

Stoke City news conference

Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross has been ruled out of action for up to three weeks by a groin injury.

Shawcross had to come off in the first half of last Saturday's 3-1 win over QPR because of the problem.

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"It's a big disappointment because he is obviously an important player for us and the captain, so he will be a miss," said boss Mark Hughes.

"We do have other players who are capable of filling in though, so it is a chance for them to come in and make a mark - just as they have done in the past."

£65,000 fine for Afcon riot

Equatorial Guinea have been fined £65,000 for the crowd trouble at their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final loss to Ghana on Thursday.

The Confederation of African Football also said that the team would have to play a game behind closed doors should there be any repeat of the incident.

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That means fans will attend Equatorial Guinea's third-place play-off match against DR Congo on Saturday.

Equatorial Guinea must also pay for the treatment of 36 fans who were injured.

Swansea news conference

Swansea manager Garry Monk has just arrived to speak to the media.

What's that? You don't believe us? How dare you. Here's the proof.

Swansea City FC

Jose Mourinho news conference

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho discusses his side's purchase of Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado.

"I don't think it is the best thing for him that I speak of expectations," says Mourinho. "He needs his time as anyone does and he will have his time. He's not a panic buy, it's a reaction to Schurrle leaving and he is a player we have known of for a long time."

Jose Mourinho news conference

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho faces the press and the first questions concern his decision to let midfielder Andre Schurrle leave the club in a £22m move to Wolfsburg.

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"He is a player we like very much but the business was very good and we're happy with it," says Mourinho.

"We're happy with what he has given us and the investment we made in him one-and-a-half-years ago. Hopefully we made him a better player and hopefully he can have success in the future because we like him very much."

West Brom news conference

A wee bit of injury news that will interest Baggies fans.

James Morrison is being monitored ahead of West Brom's trip to Burnley on Sunday. He is suffering from tendonitis in his knee.

Cav loses lead in Dubai

Mark Cavendish lost the lead in the Dubai Tour to John Degenkolb as the German claimed victory in Friday's third stage.

The Manx rider, winner of stage one, finished 10 seconds back in 17th place.

However, it left 29-year-old Cavendish second, and just four seconds behind, overall and he heads the general points classification before Saturday's final stage.

'He's no bad egg'

Brad Friedel insists Emmanuel Adebayor is no "bad egg" and has rejected suggestions his team-mate is a disruptive influence in the Tottenham dressing room.

Adebayor has been booed by some Spurs fans recently after commenting that the team would rather play away, which compounded a perceived lack of interest from the highly-paid striker.

"Emmanuel is a very big character," said Friedel. "He's got a very strong ego and he can deal with [the booing] but I do agree with what Mauricio [Pochettino] was saying - it does bring a negative energy.

"A lot of people want a far sexier story than it actually is. Adebayor is not a bad lad."

Just so you're in no doubt, here's Adebayor.

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And here's a bad egg.

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Get involved

Share your photos of where you are watching Wales vs England tonight in the #SixNations via the hashtag #friendlyrivalry.

Fit-again Burke in GB team

Steven Burke has recovered from a broken collarbone to be selected in the Great Britain team for the Track World Championships in Paris later this month.

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The Olympic champion has made a swift recovery following surgery after a training accident in early January, and is included in the men's endurance group which will contest the team pursuit on the opening day of the five-day competition, which begins on 18 February.

Joanna Rowsell, who won individual and team pursuit titles at the 2014 Track World Championships in Colombia, leads the women's endurance group.

Sidebottom extends Yorkshire deal

Yorkshire seam bowler Ryan Sidebottom has signed a new one-year deal with the county champions, tying him to the club until December 2016.

The former England player has taken 663 first-class wickets, 48 of them last summer to help Yorkshire win the title.

The 37-year-old left-armer told the club website: "To get to 700 wickets would be brilliant."

Ramos sidelined

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Real Madrid have admitted key defender Sergio Ramos has torn his left hamstring and looks set to be sidelined for up to six weeks.

Ramos limped off the field on Wednesday in the eighth minute of the hard-fought Spanish league clash against Sevilla that Madrid edged 2-1.

West Brom news conference

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No surprise what the main line of questioning is to West Brom boss Tony Pulis - Saido Berahino and the striker's comment (made in an interview not authorised by the club) that he wants to leave the Baggies for bigger things at the end of the campaign.

"He has been on 'the naughty step - but he's OK," says Pulis, dealing with the questions from journo's in customary neat manner.

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

After the crowd trouble during the second semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations, Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is asked if he is worried for the safety of his players Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony, whose Ivory Coast team play in the tournament final on Sunday.

Pellegrini replies: "It was not the best thing to finish that game, but I don't think that will continue to happen."

Get involved - great rivalries

We want to know what you think the greatest rivalries in sport are.

Keep them coming at #greatrivalries or via the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Scillaci Ram: Brian Clough (Derby County) and Don Revie (Leeds United) was one of the great rivalries of all time.

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Anthony Savery: Boca Juniors v River Plate. Or Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. No Christmas cards exchanged between these sides.

Martin Cumberbatch: Jon Pall Sigmarsson v Bill Kazmaier '87 and '88. World's Strongest Man competitors who gave it their absolute all.

Ged Osmaximos: AP Tony McCoy v anyone trying to take HIS championship from him.

James Stafford: Got to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles V Shredder. Doesn't get bigger than that.

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Now there's a picture we never thought we'd use on Sportsday.

Greatest ODI XI - Lance Klusener (South Africa)

Here is the last man in contention for the all-rounder slot in our one-day international team of all time. South Africa's Lance Klusener.

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Armed with a trunk of a bat and biceps built in the army, Klusener was for a time the most feared batsman in one-day international cricket. The left-hander clubbed his way to an average of 140 in the 1999 World Cup at a strike-rate of 122 - in an era long before three-figure strike-rates become the norm - as well as taking 17 wickets with his bustling medium-pacers.

ODIs: 171; Runs: 3,576; Average: 41.10; Strike rate: 89.91

Wickets: 192; Average: 29.95; Economy rate: 4.70

Vote on the right-hand side of the page now. Voting closes at 14:00 GMT.

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

Simon Stone

BBC Sport

"Manuel Pellegrini was not for explaining exactly what he said to Stevan Jovetic after telling the £22m striker he was not going to be in his Champions League squad following the arrival of Wilfried Bony.

"But how he handles the Montenegrin from now until the end of the season could be crucial to Manchester City's chances of retaining the Premier League.

"In saying Jovetic still has a positive role to play on the run-in, Pellegrini is trying to life the former Fiorentina forward.

"But that stance is at adds with the knowledge he is not needed at the very highest level. And when he came to City, the chance of playing in the Champions League was stated one of the attractions."

Greatest ODI XI - Imran Khan (Pakistan)

Next up in our vote to find the best all-rounder in one-day international cricket is Pakistan's Imran Khan.

AP

A genuine world-class pace bowler and a batsmen good enough to score six Test hundreds and 19 ODI fifties, Imran was destined for legendary status long before he captained Pakistan's "cornered tigers" to a memorable World Cup triumph in 1992. A pin-up during his playing days and now a politician, there seems little he cannot do.

ODIs: 175; Runs: 3,709; Average: 33.41; Strike rate: 72.65

Wickets: 182; Average: 26.61; Economy rate: 3.89

Vote for your favourite on the right-hand side of this page now.

John Carver news conference

Some team news for you Newcastle fans.

John Carver reveals that Paul Dummett will be fit to face Stoke City on Sunday, but Rolando Aarons is not back in full training.

But Carver adds that "this weekend, and Wednesday at Crystal Palace, is probably to early for Siem De Jong to be involved".

West Brom news conference

Former Manchester United stalwart Darren Fletcher meets the media for the first time at West Brom, tweet BBC Radio WM.

BBC Sport

John Carver news conference

The news conferences come thick and fast on a Friday afternoon. Newcastle United manager John Carver has his turn in front of the assembled media.

He says: "We've had some work on the training ground this week and now want to go back to St. James' Park and make this place a fortress.

"It's a huge game. We're two points behind Stoke so if we win we will go above them, and that's our aim. We're not relaxing. I want to get as high as I can up this division. We are here to win football matches."

Don't forget to vote

BBC Sport

Vote for your favourite moment on the right side of this page now.

Radio Wales Sport: Justin Edinburgh will not be in charge of Newport County's game against Wimbledon tomorrow as talks continue over his move to Gillingham.

Greatest ODI XI - Jacques Kallis (South Africa)

Next up in our vote to find the best all-rounder in one-day international cricket is South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

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Those who regard Kallis as a Test specialist overlook the fact he sits seventh in the all-time list of ODI run-scorers. He reached 50 in almost one in three innings, was far more than a fill-in bowler, and took 131 catches with his flypaper-like mitts. But perhaps the truest mark of his greatness is his longevity: 18 years at the top until his retirement in 2014.

ODIs: 328; Runs: 11,579; Average: 44.36; Strike rate: 72.89

Wickets: 273; Average: 31.79; Economy rate: 4.84

Vote for your favourite on the right-hand side of this page now.

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

Simon Stone

BBC Sport

"Manuel Pellegrini expects Wilfried Bony and Yaya Toure to be available for the Newcastle game on 21 February, but says it 'will be impossible for them to play on Wednesday' for the away game at Stoke.

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"Pellegrini adds that Stevan Jovetic still has a positive role to play despite being left out of their Champions League squad."

Leeds United: Leeds can confirm that defender Giuseppe Bellusci has been cleared of using racist remarks on October 21 and will face no ban

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini on the Premier League title race: "Other teams will drop points. The last two times this team has won the title, they've come from behind.

"It was not a good January for us but I believe that the game against Chelsea can be the switch for our performances."

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini begins with some team news. He says: "We have no injuries, we have a full squad for tomorrow. Mangala and Nasri are fine and will be in the squad.

"Samir is important for the team but we cannot just think that because he can play we will win."

Talk to me

Get ready for another host of news conferences from Premier League managers starting very soon. We will be hearing from Manchester City, West Brom, Newcastle, Swansea, Stoke, Burnley, Chelsea and Manchester United in the next three hours. As always, we will have all the best quotes here so stay with us.

And as we write that, Manuel Pellegrini is in position...

Greatest ODI XI - Kapil Dev (India)

The next man to feature in our vote to find the best all-rounder in one-day international cricket is India's Kapil Dev.

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He was one of the quartet of players - along with Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee - who vied for the unofficial title of world's best all-rounder in the 1980s. The finest pace bowler to come out of India, Kapil captained them to World Cup glory in 1983, a tournament in which he scored a savage 175 in a total of 266 against Zimbabwe.

ODIs: 225; Runs: 3,783; Average: 23.79

Wickets: 253; Average: 27.45; Economy rate: 3.71

Vote for your favourite on the right-hand side of this page now.

Best videos

Here are some of the videos you will want to see on the BBC Sport website right now.

BBC

Football: BBC Sport reports on the crowd trouble which overshadowed the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Ghana and hosts Equatorial Guinea.

Rugby union: BBC Sport looks ahead to the opening fixture of the 2015 Six Nations, when Wales host England.

Rugby union: BBC Sport looks back at 10 of the greatest tries from the Five and Six Nations before the 2015 competition begins this weekend.

Skiing: American Bode Miller crashes out of the men's Super G race as Hannes Reichelt makes it double gold for Austria at the 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships in Colorado.

BBC Sport

Westwood in fine fettle

Lee Westwood and Alejandro Canizares share the lead on 11-under-par at the halfway stage of the the Maybank Malaysian Open.

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Westwood, the defending champion, started the day level with Graeme McDowell on six under and registered his first birdie on four in Kuala Lumpur.

McDowell shot one over and finds himself back in eighth. Tommy Fleetwood, who started the day in third, but a nightmare score of seven over saw him finish the day back in 64th and two over par, just above the cut line.

Dons captain Bennett returns home

AFC Wimbledon captain Alan Bennett has had his contract terminated by mutual consent and re-signed for League of Ireland Premier side Cork City.

The 31-year old centre-back made 71 appearances for Wimbledon after signing for the League Two club in 2013.

Bennett, who started his career with Cork before joining Reading in 2006, said: "It's sad for me to leave, but I'm going to head home to finish my playing career with my hometown club and that's something I've always wanted to do."

Greatest ODI XI - Sir Ian Botham (England)

The next contender to be picked as all-rounder in our all-time best one-day international team is England legend Sir Ian Botham.

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England's greatest all-rounder played in three World Cups and helped them reach two finals - 13 years apart. He batted in every position in the top seven, and only four Englishmen have taken more ODI wickets, despite Botham not having played since 1992.

ODIs: 116; Runs: 2,113; Average: 23.21; Strike rate: 79.10

Wickets: 145; Average: 28.54; Economy rate: 3.96

You can vote on the right-hand side of this page right now.

Middlesex sign New Zealand's Franklin

Middlesex have signed New Zealand international James Franklin on an initial two-year contract.

The 34-year-old is set to qualify as a non-overseas player through his Irish ancestry, subject to approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

All-rounder Franklin has played 31 Tests for New Zealand, as well as appearing in 110 one-day internationals and 38 Twenty20 internationals. His deal at Lord's has the option of being extended into a third year.

Marquez still has it

World champion Marc Marquez showed why he is still a force to be reckoned with as he led the pack for two out of three days of pre-season MotoGP winter testing at Malaysia's Sepang circuit.

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The new season officially starts in Qatar on March 29 and Malaysia will host the penultimate leg of the championship on October 25.

Get involved - great rivalries

We want to know what you think the greatest rivalries in sport are.

Keep them coming at #greatrivalries or via the BBC Sport Facebook page.

John McEnerney: McEnroe and Connors. No love lost there, the only thing there was hatred. Amazing battles between those two.

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Tom Sefton: Benn v Eubank (pictured above) was a feisty one.

Claire Downs: My team United and of course Liverpool. But what I also like about our beautiful game is we are sometimes brought together, like today's Munich anniversary, and of course Hillsborough. In times of sadness and tragedy we really are just one big footie family.

Well said Claire.

'I love football, but prefer to live'

Some more on the Africa Cup of Nations, where there was crowd trouble during the semi-final between Ghana and hosts Equatorial Guinea.

BBC presenter Piers Edwards wrote on Twitter: "This is what I picked up off the pitch (mirror, broken plate, stone - one of 100s). Truly shameful. Why?"

BBC

Well, Peterborough defender Gabriel Zakuani, whose DR Congo side are scheduled to play Equatorial Guinea in the play-off for third place on Saturday, has retweeted Piers' message and added: "If they're throwing this at players, Equatorial Guinea [some of their supporters], you can have third place. I love football but prefer to live."

Greatest ODI XI - Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

Here is the first contender in the all-rounder section of our quest to find the world's greatest one-day international XI.

AFP

A savage, often reckless, hitter for whom playing himself in is an alien concept, Afridi has hit more sixes - 342 - in ODI cricket than any other player and is responsible for two of the six fastest centuries. No other current player has taken more wickets and this will be his fifth World Cup campaign. Occasionally controversial, but never dull to watch.

ODIs: 391; Runs: 7,948; Average: 23.58; Strike rate: 116.79

Wickets: 393; Average: 33.96; Economy rate: 4.62

View the full list of contenders here.

Baggies fury over striker's interview

West Brom's hierarchy are furious with Saido Berahino's reported comments about "moving on to bigger things" in an interview which they did not sanction, report the Express and Star newspaper.

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The 21-year-old striker, linked with Liverpool and Tottenham, is likely to be fined for his behaviour.

Meanwhile, The Mirror says Berahino's team-mates at The Hawthorns are so fed up with his behaviour they have started to ignore him.

England boss joins BBC

England boss Roy Hodgson will join Gary Lineker in the Match of the Day studio when Preston host Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

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It is the first time the two teams have met competitively in 43 years - and Hodgson will be at Deepdale on Monday, 16 February to offer his thoughts.

The tie, which kicks off at 19:45 GMT, is being broadcast live on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.

News at 12

It's midday and these are some of the best stories on the BBC Sport website at the moment.

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Football: The Ghana FA says fans could have died as crowd trouble marred the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final with Equatorial Guinea.

Rugby union: Shaun Edwards says England risk being penalised if they use 'league' tactics in Friday's Six Nations opener in Cardiff.

Skiing: Former Olympic and world champion Bode Miller will miss the remainder of the Alpine World Ski Championships after having surgery on a torn hamstring.

Formula 1: Marussia's chances of a Formula 1 return this season have suffered a large setback after Force India rejected their request to use last year's car.

Golf: Tiger Woods has withdrawn from his latest tournament - the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines - because of more back problems.

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Greatest ODI XI - vote opens at 12:00 GMT

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Imran Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Shane Warne

It's almost here... the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

And, to mark the competition's opening on the weekend of 14 February, BBC Sport is conducting a vote on the world's greatest one-day international XI. Each day Sportsday live readers will get to vote for the different components which make up the side - opening batsmen, middle-order batsmen, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, pace bowlers and spin bowlers. The contenders have been nominated by the Test Match Special team.

Voting on each category has been taking place on each weekday, with two votes on 9 February. The vote result won't be revealed until the Tuffers & Vaughan show on BBC Radio 5 live on Monday, 9 February and on the BBC Sport website.

The fourth one is live now and we'll profile the contenders during the course of the next 120 minutes. You can vote for one player, with the top one being selected as the team's all-rounder. Terms and conditions are here. Happy voting!

View the full list of contenders here.

Rochdale v Leyton Orient postponed

Tomorrow's League One fixture between Rochdale and Leyton Orient has been postponed because of a frozen pitch.

An early inspection was carried out at Spotland at 11:00 GMT on Friday to avoid any Orient fans making a needless four-hour trip north.

Foreign newspapers

L'Equipe

French newspaper L'Equipe talks of a financial crisis in French football and asks 'Is Ligue 1 for sale?' The paper says that clubs apart from Paris St-Germain and Monaco are struggling to find financial backers and investment.

Cornelius Lysaght

BBC horse racing correspondent

Today's racing at Bangor-on -ee goes ahead after passing a third inspection because of frost.

Wigan announce signing

Wigan Athletic have announced the signing of South Korean international Kim Bo-Kyung.

Bo-Kyung worked with Latics manager Malky Mackay when the pair were at Cardiff.

Wigan Athletic FC

After signing a contract until the end of the season, the 25-year-old said: "I am very happy to be working with Malky again."

Foreign newspapers

Sport

The transfer window has only just closed, but Louis van Gaal may soon be strengthening his Manchester United squad if today's front page of Spanish newspaper Sport is to be believed.

They say 31-year-old Barcelona right-back Dani Alves is after a three-year contract and if he does not get it then it could open up the possibility of a move to Old Trafford.

Andy Murray tweeted earlier today: This is not news.

Hmm, wonder what he can be referring to..?

Ace news for Murray

Now forget all this Premier League nonsense - here's the big story you've been waiting for... Andy Murray is to marry his fiancee Kim Sears at the luxury hotel he owns in Scotland. I know, hold the front page.

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The couple are said to be arranging the private service for 11 April (before Murray embarks on his quest for success at the French Open) at the five-star Cromlix House Hotel, close to Murray's home town of Dunblane.

The hotel was the venue for his brother Jamie's wedding in 2010.

Get involved - great rivalries

We want to know what you think the greatest rivalries in sport are.

Keep them coming at #greatrivalries or at the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Vasilogiannis Sisekelo: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Simon Lethbridge: I've been to Rio de Janeiro several times and can confirm first hand the intense rivalry between all the teams from there, especially Flamengo and Vasco de Gama.

Amos Matoh: Man United v Liverpool. My friend, a Liverpool fan, divorced his wife - whose dad is a United fan - after Berbatov scored a hat-trick against them.

John Byrne: Noel Gallagher v Liam Gallagher.

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Not very sporting that last one John, but it did make us smile...

World champion Anderson starts with win

Lawrence Lustig/PDC

Gary Anderson began the 2015 Premier League with a 7-5 victory over Phil 'The Power' Taylor - the man he defeated last month to win the PDC World Championship.

Defending Premier League champion Raymond van Barneveld was thrashed 7-1 by Adrian Lewis in his opening match.

There were also wins for Dave Chisnall and world number one Michael van Gerwen in Leeds, while Stephen Bunting and James Wade shared a 6-6 draw.

The round-robin stage is played over 15 weeks, with 10 players hoping to reach the play-offs in London on 21 May.

BBC Wales Sport: Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman admits concern over recent results but says the board has given manager Russell Slade its full backing.

Slade was appointed Bluebirds boss on 6 October, 2014, after a protracted battle to release him from his contract at Leyton Orient. Cardiff are 13th in the Championship, 13 points off the play-offs.

Draw at Widnes 'like loss' - Wane

Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane said the 22-22 draw in the 2015 Super League opener at Widnes felt like a loss.

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Leading 16-0 and 22-12, as well as having a man advantage because of Patrick Ah Van's red card, the Warriors conceded late on to throw away victory.

"It definitely feels like a loss," Wane told BBC Radio Manchester.

"The way we gave the game up to Widnes and we didn't finish our try-scoring opportunities is disappointing - we need to be better at that."

Cambridge sign £1m striker

Cambridge United have signed striker Jordan Slew on an 18-month deal following his release by Blackburn.

The 22-year-old, who was a £1m signing for Rovers from Sheffield United in 2011, left Ewood Park on transfer deadline day.

Remembering Munich

Today marks the 57th anniversary of the Munich air crash.

Eight Manchester United players were among 23 passengers killed when the plane crashed on take-off following a refuelling stop on the way back from a European Cup quarter-final in Belgrade.

AP

Duncan Edwards, Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor, all senior England internationals, were amongst those to lose their lives.

BBC Sport

Fans will gather at Old Trafford at 3pm to sing the commemorative 'Flowers of Manchester', with a period of silence to follow at 3.03pm, the precise time of the crash.

Friday's back pages

The Guardian

The Guardian goes with rugby as well, though it also reports that Tim Sherwood is due to be named new boss at QPR after two others turn the job down.

Lambert could drop Benteke

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert could drop striker Christian Benteke for tomorrow's home game with leaders Chelsea, reports BBC WM.

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Villa have broken an unwanted club record, not having scored in their past six Premier League matches.

They have not found the net in the league since Benteke scored in the 18th minute against Manchester United on 20 December - and, when it comes to team selection, Lambert says that he does not think "anybody is indispensable".

Get involved - great rivalries

We want to know what you think the greatest rivalries in sport are.

Keep them coming at #greatrivalries or at the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Sir Chris of Ballard: Greatest rivalry of them all - Senna vs Prost.

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Stephen Briggs: If you believe the hype Nottingham Panthers v Sheffield Steelers is the biggest ice hockey rivalry in Europe.

James Holness: Got to be the Miami Dolphins and the NY Jets. They hate each other. (And I hate the Jets!)

Raymond Anthony: Yanga V Simba, the derby in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city. Someone once bet their wife on this one!

QPR news conference

So that's enough about the QPR managerial situation for the moment. Chris Ramsey now goes on to talk about their game against Southampton on Saturday.

"Southampton have been outstanding in the Premier League," says Ramsey. "They've been a breath of fresh air for the division.

"We need to be on the front foot, giving maximum energy and showing some flair. We need to get fans off their seats. The players really need to step up now and achieve what they're capable of.

"All I am interested in is getting three points tomorrow. Whoever is fit and available, will be in contention."

Friday's back pages

Daily Mail

A nice non-inflammatory back page in the Daily Mail to calm the tension before tonight's big rugby union clash...

QPR news conference

Things may get feisty in the QPR dressing room on Saturday. So who picks the team. Well, Chris Ramsey does. As does Kevin Bond. Don't forget Big Les Ferdinand. He'll be there with his opinions too.

"It will be a collaborative decision in terms of the team tomorrow," says Ramsey. "Myself, Kevin and Les will pick the team."

Another question asked is "What will happen if there are disagreements on formation?"

"There will be a fight in the tunnel," jokes Ramsey. "No, I don't think we'll get to that point. We'll discuss and then we'll decide."

West Ham news conference

Short and sweet today from Big Sam (copyright The Media).

He finishes by discussing injury problems and reveals he bust a gut to try and bring in a defender on deadline day.

"Our injury problems are worrying. Reid, Collins, Demel, Henry, Poyet and Carroll lie in our medical room at the moment," Allardyce said.

"We're not sure how many of them will make Sunday and it's a big, three-game week for us.

"We went all out to secure a central defender after the Liverpool game, but however hard we tried we couldn't pull it off."

Cornelius Lysaght

BBC horse racing correspondent

Today's racing at Bangor-on-Dee is subject to a third inspection at 11:30 because of frost. But, following official checks, the scheduled fixtures at Kempton and Newcastle go ahead as planned.

West Ham news conference

West Ham are involved in the last of this weekend's 10 Premier League fixtures when they host Man United on Sunday afternoon.

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Sam Allardyce has arrived for his press conference ahead of the match and begins by talking about the Reds.

"Man United have had some very good results recently and the beauty of them is the goalscoring ability in their squad," the Hammers boss said.

"Our aim is to limit that as much as possible. We need to be tactically astute and try to cause them a few problems."

QPR news conference

More from Chris Ramsey on the QPR managerial situation. He says "it is a proud moment" for him to be helping run the team but reveals that there's "no timeframe for the new appointment".

He adds: "This is a proud moment for me. We've got a great set of fans and we want to repay their loyalty tomorrow.

"The owners want what's best for QPR. They want the club to produce talent. To be sustainable over time. I'm happy to be here and be involved at a club like QPR.

"Les Ferdinand has been on the training ground this week, helping us out. He's a very good coach."

QPR news conference

QPR

QPR academy coach Chris Ramsey, who along with Les Ferdinand and Kevin Bond will run the team on a temporary basis following the resignation of Harry Redknapp, is the next to face the media.

"It's always a surprise when something like this happens," says Ramsey. "It was a shock, a big surprise.

"We all knew Harry had a knee problem, but he never moaned. He just got on with the job. I'm in this role with Kevin Bond to steady the ship until the club appoints someone to take the role.

"It's down to the owners to decide who they think is the best fit for the club. They will decide who is the best for QPR."

Manager told to leave

Kilmarnock manager Allan Johnston has been told he must leave the club with immediate effect.

The Kilmarnock board met last night, following Johnston's shock revelation at his weekly media conference that he intended to quit in the summer.

A club statement read: "Allan will stand down as manager with immediate effect and the board has therefore appointed assistant manager Gary Locke as interim manager pending a permanent appointment."

Get involved - great rivalries

We want to know what you think the greatest rivalries in sport are.

Keep them coming at #greatrivalries or at the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Mitch Clifford: Boca Juniors v River Plate is probably the most dangerous rivalry on the planet.

Joshua Malcolmson: Rangers v Celtic, the greatest rivalry in the world and the most successful rivalry in the world. So before you go on about Liverpool-United, the Old Firm is much bigger.

Nigel Nicholson: Coe v Ovett the very best in the world versus the very best in the world.

Scott Hamilton: Big Daddy v Giant Haystacks.

A fine choice, Scott, which we'll mark by using this photo of Big Daddy who, for reasons unknown, is wearing a sparkly hat and cuddling 1980s pop star Kim Wilde. No doubt just what you wanted to see on a Friday morning...

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Championship is 'bonkers' - McCarthy

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy has called the Championship "bonkers" before his side's trip to Rotherham on Saturday.

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The fourth-placed Tractor Boys were held to a 0-0 draw by relegation-threatened Wigan in their last game, while the other two teams in the relegation zone, Blackpool and Millwall, were victorious.

"The league is bonkers, isn't it?" McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk. "We aren't going to win them all. It's how you cope with that and whether you get so up or down with the results."

Arsene Wenger news conference

Some more quotes from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after midfielder Jack Wilshere was pictured in a newspaper holding a shisha pipe at a nightclub.

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"I have spoken with him about that - he is not a smoker," said Wenger. "He is sorry about what happened, but he has to master his own life.

"When he is here, he has to follow the rules. This photo has been taken at half past 12 after the Superbowl. I don't know what happened really. Away from the club, it is his responsibility to master his life.

"Today, everywhere you go people make photos, but one second of your life does not define who you are."

Cornelius Lysaght

BBC horse racing correspondent

Today's racing at Kempton goes ahead following two inspections.

Friday's back pages

The Sun

As well as a spot of Six Nations, The Sun goes with Louis van Gaal's attempts - apparently - to bring PSV's £10m-rated winger Memphis Depay, 20, to Manchester United in the summer.

Arsene Wenger news conference

Arsenal's biggest threat on Saturday is likely to come from Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who has netted 20 times already this season and Wenger says he likes the 21-year-old.

"It's impressive the way he's made his way through," says Wenger. "He's one of the players who has made an impact throughout the season."

Arsene Wenger news conference

As we mentioned, Arsene Wenger will be without Alexis Sanchez, but the Gunners boss says he has had easier chats with players than having to inform the Chile international he would not play.

"It's not easy to tell him he's not playing. He wants to play - he's so keen," says Wenger. "But we have enough offensive power. We don't need to worry about being short on that front."

Wenger also praises his midfielder Mesut Ozil and says: "He has worked extremely hard physically to be fit and he's benefitting from it now."

Arsene Wenger news conference

More from Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as he talks about his side's moves during the January transfer window.

He says: "I'm very happy with the business we did. We met our targets and extended Chuba Akpom's and Francis Coquelin's contracts."

AFP

The Gunners also signed defender Gabriel Paulista for £11.2 million from Villarreal, although the Brazilian is unlikely to feature on Saturday.

"Gabriel is physically ready to play but is not used to our back four and hasn't mastered the language yet," adds Wenger.

Hull news conference

If the last question asked was designed to cheer up Steve Bruce, it maybe wasn't the best choice.

'So, Steve, next game is Manchester City away?'

Bruce gives a hollow laugh and responds: "Yeah, nice easy one isn't it."

The Hull boss adds: "But Middlesbrough and Burnley have got results in the recent past. What we have to do is get over the disappointment of the last few weeks. If we make mistakes against City then we've no chance but if we roll our sleeves up then we've got a chance. "

And with that, the Tigers manager is off. Back over to Arsenal now...

Hull news conference

"We have worked very hard over the last two and a half years and I am not going to give it up without a fight," says Steve Bruce, who is in combative mood this morning.

"We have 15 games to stay in this division. We are always going to be at the bottom end of the division, you'd expect Hull to be in the bottom six or eight. That's the way it is.

"We were a very good side three months ago but we've been badly damaged by constantly chopping the team because of injuries and it has been a struggle.

"Jelavic, Diame, Robinson, Snodgrass … the list of big players that we have lost to injury is endless. But we have to get on with it, it is as simple as that."

Hull news conference

Lively news conference this. Steve Bruce is asked about newspaper speculation that he may lose his job.

"We are in the bottom three so there is a problem," says Bruce, with admirable honesty.

"I can't control what a newspaper says or what the speculation is. I am not going to take anything for granted but I would think the chairman, given the relationship we have, would tell me if I was in trouble.

"He has backed me to bring in new players so I don't think he would have done that if he wasn't backing me."

Hull are third-bottom of the Premier League, two points above bottom-of-the-pile Leicester, one point off Burnley and climbing out of the drop zone.

Arsene Wenger news conference

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been talking to the media about his side's north London derby at bitter rivals Tottenham on Saturday. He says: "In the derbies the home ground is not too significant. We just focus on the quality of our game and performance."

Wenger also says that midfielder Jack Wilshere will miss the Spurs game, but will be back in action next week. Forward Alexis Sanchez will also be absent, although striker Danny Welbeck is back in contention.

Hull news conference

The topic of Mike Phelan is next up. Phelan was announced as Bruce's assistant yesterday.

"I've known Mike a long time," said the Hull gaffer. "I played with him at Norwich a long time ago ... in fact it seems a lifetime ago now ... and we were at Manchester United together.

"He comes in at just the right time to add valuable experience, plus he has been assistant to the best boss we will ever come across."

Hull news conference

Steve Bruce appears to have calmed down and put traffic problems to the back of his mind.

First question he's asked is about new striker Dame N'Doye, signed on deadline day from Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow.

"His goalscoring record is very impressive. The big question now is can he adapt to the Premier League," says Bruce.

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It doesn't, though, sound as if the new man will be involved tomorrow.

"We need clearance from the Russian FA before he's allowed to play," Bruce said. "I would think there is a great chance he'll be available for Tuesday [at home to Aston Villa]. He is still in Paris at the moment so it is very unlikely he'll be involved tomorrow."

Hull news conference

Steve Bruce has arrived, grumbling about the traffic while looking at his watch, and is taking his seat. In fact here's the proof.

Hull City FC

He's about to start talking footie matters...

Friday's back pages

The i

Let's begin a round-up of what's making the sporting headlines today with The i. The Six Nations opener between Wales and England dominates, with Wales attacking England's tactics for the big game. Its going to be a spicy affair tonight - kick off is 20:05 GMT, live coverage begins on BBC One at 19:30.

Video nasty

Fancy a spot of dramatic video to enliven your morning cornflakes?

Here's American Bode Miller crashing out of the men's Super G race at the 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships in Colorado in rather spectacular style.

BBC Sport

Austrian Hannes Reichelt, in case you're interested, took the gold.

Marussia's hopes ended

Marussia's hopes of competing in Formula One this season appear to have been dashed after Bernie Ecclestone revealed their request to race with last year's car had been voted down.

The team wanted to race with last year's model before building up their resources to make a more credible challenge in 2016.

"It needed all the teams to agree and there were three or four of them that didn't agree," F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone told the Independent.

Get involved - great rivalries

Your chance to get involved.

It is going to be a hell of a weekend for rivalries, beginning with Wales v England in the Six Nations (125 meetings, 56 wins to Wales, 57 to England, with 12 draws), followed by two big Premier League derbies in North London and Merseyside tomorrow.

So we want you to tell us your favourite all-time sporting rivalry.

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Is it Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, or maybe - and granted this an ever-so-slightly personal choice - Bury v Bolton in the late 80s?

Let us know now at #greatrivalries or at the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Woods' woes

More bad news for Tiger Woods overnight, with the former world number one forced to withdraw from his latest comeback tournament - the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines - because of back problems.

The 14-time major champion was two over par when he abandoned his first round after 11 holes.

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The 39-year-old American spoke to his playing partners before walking off the course and into a waiting car.

His early departure comes after he shot a career-worst 82 in the second round at Phoenix last week.

Premier League action

And, just so you know what's in store this weekend in the Premier League, here's the fixture list - including two mouth-watering derbies in London and Merseyside...

Saturday: Tottenham v Arsenal (12:45 GMT), Aston Villa v Chelsea, Leicester v Crystal Palace, Man City v Hull, QPR v Southampton, Swansea v Sunderland (all 15:00); Everton v Liverpool (17:30).

Sunday: Burnley v West Brom (12:00 GMT), Newcastle v Stoke (14:05), West Ham v Man United (16:15).

Cornelius Lysaght

BBC horse racing correspondent

Today's jump racing fixtures at Bangor on Dee and Kempton are both subject to second inspections at 10.00, but Newcastle goes ahead as planned.

Dirty dozen

We know you're a busy lot who like to plan their day, so here's a run-down of all those Premier League news conferences taking place today - starting with Steve Bruce, if he's on time, in four minutes...

Hull 08:30 GMT, Arsenal 09:00, West Ham 09:30, QPR 09:45.

West Brom 11:30 GMT (new signing Darren Fletcher) 13:00 (Tony Pulis); Man City 12:45

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Newcastle 13:00 GMT, Swansea 14:00, Stoke 14:30, Burnley 14:30

Chelsea 14:30 GMT (hopefully with Jose, if he shows), Man United 15:30

As promised, we'll bring you what's said.

BBC commentators give their verdict

BBC World Service reporter Nick Cavell was at the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final game and described what happened: "The trouble began before half-time, with fans angry at some refereeing decisions.

"Bottles were thrown onto the pitch and the Ghana players were forced to leave the pitch at half-time under a tunnel made of riot shields. The bottle throwing continued after the break.

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"A police helicopter tried to intimidate fans by flying just 20 or 30 metres above their heads. Then police moved in with tear gas and batons to move the fans away. The press box emptied, too, as the tear gas spread."

BBC World Service reporter Steve Crossman, who was forced to stop commentating and run for cover, added: "You could see fans hanging off the stadium walls as they tried to get to safety. All in all, nobody comes out of this in any good shape at all."

Cornelius Lysaght

BBC horse racing correspondent

As well as Kempton and Newcastle, Bangor on Dee to hold 8am inspection now as well.

'War-zone'

When Ghana and hosts Equatorial Guinea met in the Afcon semi's last night it turned into what was described by one official as "a war zone".

Reuters

Play was suspended for more than 30 minutes because of crowd trouble as players ducked bottles thrown from the stands, Ghana fans sought safety behind a goal, riot police used tear gas and a helicopter hovered over the stadium.

"It's like a war zone," the Ghana Football Association (GFA) tweeted, claiming "barbaric acts of vandalism" and "unprovoked violent attacks" had taken place inside the stadium.

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Amazingly the game was completed, with Ghana winning 3-0 and setting up a Sunday final against Ivory Coast.

Busy day ahead

As well as all the Premier League action, we'll also bring you all the breaking sports news throughout the day and build-up to tonight's Six Nations opener between Wales and England at the Millennium Stadium.

We'll also have Tiger Woods' latest news and a look at the opening round of Super League games. Busy day, eh?

Let's begin, though, with a look at what turned out to be an incredible semi-final at the Africa Cup of Nations, incredible for all the wrong reasons...

No way Jose?

Morning. So, will we get to see this today.

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Or will it be this?

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After missing his last two dates with the media, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is due to give a press conference at 14:30 today. But will he turn up?

He is one of 12 - that's right, 12 - Premier League managers talking today, before the weekend's top-flight action. We'll bring you the best of everything they say.