Sportsday - rolling sports news

1. Tuilagi to miss World Cup for assaulting police officer
2. Hull suspend Livermore after failing drugs test
3. Graves denies misleading Pietersen
4. Gerrard exit not permanent - Rodgers

That's it from us for Friday's Sportsday.

We'll be back at 08:00 BST on Monday for another week of sporting goodness.

Enjoy your weekend.

Saturday's Premier League games

As always the BBC Sport website will bring you a blow-by-blow account of the Premier League action this weekend.

Here's what's in store on Saturday (all times BST):

Southampton v Aston Villa12:45

Burnley v Stoke 15:00

QPR v Newcastle15:00

Sunderland v Leicester 15:00

Tottenham v Hull15:00

West Ham v Everton 15:00

Liverpool v Crystal Palace 17:30

Conference play-off final

Bristol Rovers and Grimsby head to Wembley on Sunday as they bid for a return to the Football League.

Rovers dropped to the Conference last summer after being relegated on goal difference, while Grimsby are looking to escape non-league after a five-year stay.

Read BBC Sport's preview of the game here.

BBC

Van Gerwen tops Premier League table

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Michael van Gerwen drew his final group game with Dave Chisnall in Brighton to finish top of the Premier League table.

St Helens-born Chisnall finished a point behind the 26-year-old Dutchman in second place.

World number one Van Gerwen will face defending Premier League champion and fellow countryman Raymond van Barneveld in his semi-final in London on 21 May.

PDC world champion Gary Anderson, who will face Chisnall in the last four, completes the semi-final line-up.

Championship play-off semi-final

Middlesbrough take a one-goal lead into the second leg of their play-off semi-final against Brentford.

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Boro won 2-1 at Griffin Park last Friday and are aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since relegation in 2009.

Brentford will have to beat the Teesside club for the first time since 1964 to reach Wembley.

The Bees are looking for back-to-back promotions but have never gone up through the play-offs.

BBC Sport will have live text commentary of the Championship play-off from 19:00 BST.

The Premiership play-off battle

Leicester Tigers, Exeter Chiefs and Saracens head into the final day of the Premiership season on Saturday battling for two remaining play-off spots.

The three sides are separated by just one point in the league table.

Third-placed Leicester play rivals and table-toppers Northampton Saints, Exeter host Sale Sharks and Saracens face relegated London Welsh.

Bath have already joined Saints in securing a top four berth.

BBC

Jake Livermore: Hull statement

Hull City have released a statement after the suspension of midfielder Jake Livermore, who has tested positive for cocaine.

"Following suspension by the FA, the club has subsequently suspended Jake Livermore pending further investigations to be made by the FA and our own internal disciplinary procedures.

"The club is unable to make any further comment during this process."

Livermore, 25, joined Hull from Tottenham for £8m last June and has made 39 appearances for the club this season.

Hales to play in IPL

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Nottinghamshire's England one-day batsman Alex Hales has confirmed he will play for the Mumbai Indians for the rest of the Indian Premier League season.

Hales, 26, was not picked during the IPL auction in February but will join for the final match of the regular season on 17 May and any knockout matches should Mumbai progress.

He tweeted: "Delighted to have signed. Can't wait to get out amongst it!"

Hales is available for Notts' T20 Blast fixture against Birmingham on Friday.

Stevenage boss Westley could depart

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Stevenage manager Graham Westley has hinted he could leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Boro were knocked out of the League Two play-offs following a 3-1 extra-time defeat by Southend on Thursday.

"The chairman and I spoke a couple of weeks ago and it's conceivable I won't get to work with these lads any longer," the 47-year-old told BBC Three Counties Radio.

Friday's T20 Blast

BBC Sport's T20 Blast live text commentary is up and running.

There's eight fixtures on Friday, starting with Durham against Northants and Gloucestershire v Middlesex.

You can also listen to ball-by-ball commentary on BBC local radio stations via the BBC Sport website - commentaries are available on desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

Wozniacki and Watson set for Eastbourne

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World number five Caroline Wozniacki and British number one Heather Watson will play at the Aegon International in Eastbourne next month.

Watson, who turns 23 on Tuesday, was beaten in the semi-finals last year, while Dane Wozniacki, 24, won the tournament in 2009.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will also appear at the tournament in Sussex, which runs from 20-27 June.

BreakingBREAKING NEWS

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Hull City midfielder Jake Livermore has been suspended by Hull City after testing positive for cocaine.

We're expecting to hear more from the club shortly.

#BBCSportsday

After Joey Barton mocked Steven Gerrard for only ever having one haircut, we are asking for your favourite footballing barnets.

Send in your choices via Twitter on #BBCSportsday .

Rob Cobban: Ibrahimovic's man-bun. Ol' man Djibril Cisse. And Roy Keane's beard at Villa was something terrifying.

Mrwriterman: Two words. Carlos Valderrama. Best. Hair. Ever. Not just in the football world either.

We wouldn't disagree. See below.

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T20 champions Bears face tricky opener

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The T20 Blast season gets underway at 17:30 BST with 16 teams in action this evening.

Reigning champions Birmingham Bears face a tough start with a trip to Nottinghamshire - who are still looking to get their hands on the trophy for the first time.

Read more about what to expect in the 2015 T20 Blast here.

Listen to live commentary of the T20 Blast on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and follow text commentary on the BBC Sport website every Friday night.

Djokovic into Italian Open semi-finals

Top seed Novak Djokovic has beaten Japan's Kei Nishikori to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open in Rome.

The world number one came through 6-3 3-6 6-1 against the fifth seed.

Serb Djokovic will now meet Spain's David Ferrer in the semis.

Hull suspend Livermore

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More on the developing story involving Hull City midfielder Jake Livermore.

The 25-year-old has been suspended by the Premier League club - but no official reason has been given.

He joined Hull for £8m last June and has made 39 appearances for the club this season.

Livermore has one England cap from a friendly against Italy in August 2012.

Dnipro charged by UEFA

UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings following the Europa League semi-final between Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Napoli on Thursday night in Kiev.

UEFA have charged Dnipro's fans with racist behaviour, setting off and throwing fireworks, invading the field and crowd disturbances.

In another charge, UEFA says there was "insufficient organization" inside the stadium because stairways were blocked.

The charge of racist behaviour refers to a banner.

The case will be heard by UEFA on Thursday 21 May.

The Ukrainian side won the tie 2-1 on aggregate to reach the final.

Italian Open latest

Kei Nishikori has taken the second set 6-3 against Novak Djokovic in the Italian Open quarter-finals.

The pair are now into the third-set decider in Rome.

You can follow the action here.

Tuilagi to miss World Cup

Dan Roan

BBC sports editor

"Tuilagi lunacy appears blow for England. But can't help feel they're better off without him. Would probably have been injured/banned anyway.

"At his best, Tuilagi unstoppable and partnership with Joseph could have been formidable. But at least England now know where they stand."

Louis van Gaal news conference

Simon Stone

BBC Sport

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"As sure as night follows day, the end of any season will be greeted by mass withdrawals from England's youth teams.

"Gareth Southgate is taking his Under-21 squad to the Czech Republic for the European Championships this summer.

"It is widely accepted players will benefit from the tournament experience. Clubs have other priorities though.

"Louis van Gaal - who this time last year was an international manager - has seen how the rigours of a first season with Manchester United have affected Luke Shaw.

"So, despite the full-back being 19 and not a regular with the senior England squad, he wants Shaw to rest rather than continue his season.

"It is unlikely to be the last of those calls that are made before Southgate and his players get ready to leave."

Louis van Gaal news conference

Don't look now, Gareth Southgate.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he doesn't want full-back Luke Shaw to play for Southgate's England team at the European Under-21 Championship this summer.

"When you are not playing for Man Utd you cannot play for other teams," said Van Gaal, before Sunday's Premier League game with Arsenal.

"He needs the rest because he has over-crossed the line. He is 19. We have to protect him. I hope that the coach of the Under-21 understands that."

Tuilagi to miss World Cup

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill said: "Manu knows and accepts his responsibilities and has received a significant punishment in being excluded from the England squad and the club will also take internal disciplinary action.

"While we do not in any way condone his actions in this case, Manu is a young man who has grown up in the public eye and he is a good professional in a top-level environment.

"He always gives his time very generously to supporters, particularly young ones, wherever he goes, and fully understands the role that the fans have played in his career.

"We will continue to work closely with him on his return to full fitness and look forward to his return to the field in due course."

Tuilagi to miss World Cup

This is not the first time that England centre Manu Tuilagi has been in trouble.

May 2011: Tuilagi is banned for five weeks for punching Northampton and England teammate Chris Ashton.

October 2011: He is cautioned by New Zealand police after jumping off a ferry in Auckland. The RFU disciplined and fined the player.

September 2013: The Leicester player was forced to apologise for playing a prank on Prime Minister David Cameron during a visit to No. 10 Downing Street with the British and Irish Lions squad.

Livermore suspended by Hull City

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Hull City have suspended midfielder Jake Livermore.

The Premier League club have yet to confirm the reasons behind their decision.

"I deeply regret my actions" - Tuilagi

Manu Tuilagi said: "I take full responsibility for my actions and unreservedly apologise to all those involved in the incident, Leicester Tigers and England.

"It is something I deeply regret and I totally accept the sentence given by the court. The club and Stuart have been very supportive and I understand their sanctions too.

Tuilagi to miss World Cup

England head coach Stuart Lancaster: "As role models and ambassadors for the game, the highest standards of behaviour are expected from every England player both on and off the field.

"Having spoken to Manu, he understands and accepts both the seriousness of the offences to which he has pleaded guilty and the consequences of his behaviour to his club, country and the game as a whole.

"England will continue to liaise with Leicester Tigers and have every confidence that the club will continue to support Manu in the right way."

BreakingBREAKING NEWS

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More now on the breaking Manu Tuilagi story:

A joint statement from the RFU and Leicester says: "England Rugby and Leicester Tigers have taken action against Manu Tuilagi following his conviction on three charges of assault and one of criminal damage.

"Tuilagi pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates this week and was ordered to pay the court a total of £6,205 in fines, compensation, charges and costs.

"England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster has spoken to Tuilagi and informed him that, in the light of his conduct and subsequent conviction, he will not be considered for selection for England's Elite Playing Squads until January 2016."

Italian Open latest

Top seed Novak Djokovic has taken the first set 6-3 against Japan's Kei Nishikori in the Italian Open quarter-finals.

The winner of the match will meet Spain's David Ferrer in the semis.

You can follow live scores here.

BreakingBREAKING NEWS

England centre Manu Tuilagi has been fined £5,500 for two counts of assaulting a police officer, assault by beating, and causing criminal damage, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

Full statements from RFU and Leicester due at 4pm.

Rooney out of Arsenal match

Louis van Gaal has confirmed Luke Shaw and captain Wayne Rooney are both unavailable for Manchester United's match against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Rooney suffered a dead leg during the Red's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace while Shaw took a blow to his face during the first half at Selhurst Park.

Robin van Persie is fit to face his former club after the Dutchman missed the trip to south London due to a virus. Angel Di Maria is also available after recovering from injury, as well as his Argentinian teammate Marcos Rojo.

Get involved #bbcsportsday

Bongarts

Ladies and gentleman...Taribo West

We are asking for your favourite footballing hairstyles and a popular choice has been Taribo West's green dreadlocks.

Edd Scicluna, Adam Taylor, Ian Rowbottom, VictorOfficial and Chris Spina all suggested the former Nigerian defender. He sported his vivid locks at the 1998 World Cup in France and a much shorter version at the 2002 tournament.

Send us your entries and we'll publish the best ones along with pictures of the colourful crops. Get in touch via #bbcsportsday, text to 81111 (UK) or the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Jose Mourinho news conference

Aside from talking about his impending holidays, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been discussing the future of Petr Cech.

The Blues goalkeeper's agent has said the 32-year-old has been given permission to talk to other clubs, after being displaced as first choice by Thibaut Courtois.

But Mourinho said: "I don't know that it's absolutely true what the agent is saying.

"I keep saying the same: I want my best players. Petr is one of my best players.

"I want my important players. Petr is one of my important players, so I would like him to stay and that's my position.

"I'm optimistic that he can be here next year."

"Young scruffy dreamer"

Stan Collymore

"I'll be England captain one day"

Former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore has tweeted this picture of a young Steven Gerrard looking in the background as he had his picture taken at Melwood in 1996.

He said: "Posing for a photo with a youngster, with a young, scruffy dreamer in the background. El Capitan."

Hull will go down - Savage

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In his regular BBC Sport column, Robbie Savage looks at how Hull City manager Steve Bruce will cope with his side's situation at the bottom of the table and says the Tigers' prospects of climbing out of the relegation zone with two games to go look grim.

Tennis

After Federer's cruise on the Rome clay, Novak Djokovic is just getting underway against Kei Nishikori. And respected tennis coach Brad Gilbert can only see one winner. "Djoker vs Special K - after tough match last night for Nole straight sets today," he tweets. Following that, it's another mouth-watering match-up between Rafa Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka. You can follow live scores here.

Jimenez gets a round in

Golf Channel

Drinks are on Jimenez

How about this for a prize - Spanish veteran golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez has won 288 beers after getting a hole-in-one during the second round of the Open de Espana in Barcelona

The 51-year-old defending champion got his ace on the par-three 8th hole and the Golf Channel posted a picture of the moment on Instagram.

Now where is the bottle opener?

McLaren 'are not good enough'

Andrew Benson

BBC Sport chief F1 writer

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McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has taken a realistic approach to this year's Formula One championship.

His side are ninth in the table with no points after five races and he's now hoping to finish to match last season's fifth-place finish.

Asked where he saw McLaren by the end of the season he said: "Maybe it looks stupid, but fighting for the position we finished last year.

"It is not good enough - I want to win and I hope we will win. But I have to say something realistic."

PCA on Pietersen

BBC Sport have been in touch with Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association about the Pietersen saga.

He said he has had no contact with Pietersen or his advisors, but did issue the following plea in defence of the England players.

"The policy on Pietersen is a matter for the ECB board. The current England players are getting put in a really difficult position every time they are asked for their views. Whatever they say is interpreted to suit the questioner.

"It is nothing to do with the players. Managers manage and the players play. You just hope that the team will be given every support during what will be a very challenging summer ahead."

Get involved #bbcsportsday

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The classic bleached beard and hair look - still not caught on

We are asking what are your favourite footballing hairstyles? While Steven Gerrard found a haircut and stuck to it...for his whole career, others liked to mix it up a bit.

Adam Harris and Steven Todd both tweeted to suggest Everton and Liverpool's former Portuguese defender Abel Xavier's co-ordinated hair and beard combo.

Twovests tweeted: Take your pick from any David James' hairstyle, from Watford through to Bristol City!

Yohannes kiflat tweeted: Red hair of Freddie Ljungberg

Send us your entries and we'll publish the best ones along with pictures of the colourful crops. Get in touch via #bbcsportsday, text to 81111 (UK) or the BBC Sport Facebook page.

This is England star takes on Lawro

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This Is England actor Thomas Turgoose is the latest celebrity to do battle with BBC Sport's Mark Lawrenson in the Premier League predictions.

Grimsby Town supporter Turgoose will give his scores on Friday, but you can take on Lawro yourself right now via this link.

Federer reaches Italian Open semis

Switzerland's Roger Federer beat Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-3 to reach the Italian Open semi-finals.

Second seed Federer will face either seven-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal or eighth-seeded Stan Wawrinka, who were playing in the night session at the Foro Italico.

Spain's David Ferrer beat David Goffin of Belgium 6-2 4-6 6-3 and will meet the winner of a match between top-ranked Novak Djokovic and fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori.

In the women's draw, second seed Simona Halep routed qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1, 6-0 in an all-Romanian matchup.

Marney commits to Burnley

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Dean Marney has signed a contract extension to keep him at relegated Burnley until the summer of 2017.

The Clarets midfielder suffered a cruciate injury against West Bromwich Albion in February and is expected to return to action later this year.

Get involved #bbcsportsday

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He's got a pineapple on his head

Great one to start us off from Matthew Birch who tweeted: "Jason Lee at Forest was pretty good."

And who can forget that fruit-based beauty from the Nottingham Forest striker.

Send us your entries and we'll publish the best ones along with pictures of the colourful crops. Get in touch via #bbcsportsday, text to 81111 (UK) or the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Dick Advocaat news conference

Sunderland Twitter

Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat has been speaking to the media before Saturday's crunch relegation game with Leicester City.

"The way they have trained is very positive. Everybody realises one win can save the season and the support of our fans is key," said the Dutchman.

"We have to win. It does not matter what kind of goals you score as long as you score.

"We have to go out with the right attitude and everyone needs to understand their role. Winning is the most important thing."

The Black Cats are two points above the drop zone and one behind their opponents.

Jose Mourinho news conference

Jose Mourinho has responded in fine fashion when asked about his summer transfer plans.

"I expect to be busy walking from my towel in the sand to the water, swim a little bit and be back to the sand again" said the Chelsea manager, an answer which was tweeted by journalist Paul Brown.

We have more from Mourinho's press conference coming up later.

Get involved #bbcsportsday

BBC

Hopefully by now you've seen our "Gerrard in stickers" piece, showing Liverpool's captain and his unchanging barnet over the past 17 seasons. But while Gerrard has stuck rigidly to his short back and sides, other footballers have been a tad more adventurous. Carlos Valderrama, to name just one.

So what we want to know is, what are your favourite footballing hairstyles from over the years?

Send us your entries and we'll publish the best ones along with pictures of the colourful crops. Get in touch via #bbcsportsday, text to 81111 (UK) or the BBC Sport Facebook page.

"Bridges have not been rebuilt"

More from Graves: "Ahead of a big, busy summer of cricket, a clear decision needed to be taken. Given the history and the book, the simple fact is that bridges have still not been rebuilt and trust needs to be restored.

"That takes time - as Andrew Strauss made clear this week.

"Kevin was told on Monday and I completely support the decision that was taken. He may not have liked what he heard but it allowed him to look at his opportunities."

Read the statement in full on the ECB website.

"Pietersen can still make contribution"

Graves on Pietersen: "Despite everything, he can work with us to re-build the relationship and make a further contribution to English cricket. It was important he knew where he stood."

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"I back Strauss' decision"

More from ECB chairman Colin Graves on Pietersen:

"I can see something has been misunderstood around the conversation and in the following debate - and perhaps how that happened.

"What I did stress was that when I took over as chairman I would back those people whose job it was to take decisions on team selection. I stand by that."

"I didn't make any promises to Pietersen"

ECB chairman Colin Graves has responded to Kevin Pietersens' claims that he was deceived about a possible return to the England side.

Graves said: "In the past few days my integrity has been called into question, something I can't accept.

"I didn't make any promises. There were no guarantees that if he chose to exit his IPL contract, play County cricket and score runs he would be selected for England.

"And I said he should make any decision on his future on that basis."

Cook unveiled as Portsmouth boss

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Portsmouth have unveiled new manager Paul Cook and he is already setting his sights on getting the club out of League Two.

Cook replaces Andy Awford who was sacked in April after a disappointing season.

"Portsmouth's problems over the past few years have been well documented and my job now is to bring success to this club," said Cook, who left Chesterfield last week.

"You've got to set the bar at promotion, the most important thing is that myself and my staff believe we can achieve it and we do. All the players have a clean slate and it's about moving forward now."

Pellegrini on Bony

AFP

Wilfried Bony makes his return to the Liberty Stadium after joining Manchester City in January for £28m.

Bony has scored one goal since his move to Manchester.

Pellegrini said: "It's important to have this clear - we didn't bring Bony just for this year.

"We bought him because he's a very good player, an important striker.

"Maybe it was a difficult start for him here mainly because of his injury. Maybe he's not playing the amount of minutes he must play but I'm sure he'll be a very important player next season."

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says Premier League top scorer Sergio Aguero is happy at the Etihad and questioned why he wasn't in the PFA team of the year.

"We are not a selling team. Sergio is very happy here.

"I don't know the way they choose the PFA team, so I cannot talk about that. All I can say is that Kun must be in every best team."

"When Sergio was coming back from his injury - he took some games to return to his top performance but I always say he is one of the top five players in the world.

"He's improved a lot this season and I think he will continue to improve."

Chris Woakes on the Friday Sports Panel

More from Chris Woakes on the Friday Sports Panel on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I feel sorry for him not playing for England. Many want to see him play again," Woakes said of Kevin Pietersen.

"But at the same time we've got to concentrate on moving forward to a really important summer.

"If he was told he could get a place after scoring Championship runs, I imagine he'd feel a bit aggrieved.

"I hope it doesn't take away the support and the love for English cricket this summer."

Refuelling to return from 2017 season

Andrew Benson

BBC Sport chief F1 writer

Formula 1 bosses have agreed to bring back refuelling in 2017 as part of a range of measures aimed at making the sport more exciting.

There will also be higher revving and louder engines and changes aimed at making cars "five to six seconds a lap faster", governing body the FIA said.

Chris Woakes on the Friday Sports Panel

AFP

England and Warwickshire's Chris Woakes has given his views on the Kevin Pietersen saga on the Friday Sports Panel on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The good thing is people are talking cricket, but not in the way we want," he said.

"I think trust is crucial. It's not always rosy in a team environment but as long as everyone is going in the right direction, that's the main thing.

"It can be intense. The pressure's on you when you're playing at the highest level of sport. Cricket is individual game within a team sport. Test matches lasting five days makes it more difficult. Trust needs to be strong."

You can listen live to the programme via this link.

QPR allowed to play in Championship

Queens Park Rangers will not be barred from the Championship despite being accused of breaching Football League regulations.

QPR are alleged to have spent more on salaries than rules allowed when they were in the division two seasons ago.

The London club have been relegated from the Premier League after just one season back in the top flight.

Horse Racing

Former England striker Michael Owen hopes his horse Brown Panther can secure a 12th career victory, at York on Friday.

@ChampionsSeries

Brown Panther limbering up in an equine swimming pool earlier this week

The seven-year-old - bred and owned by the ex-Liverpool, Newcastle and Real Madrid forward - is favourite for the Yorkshire Cup (15:15 BST).

Going at the track is now described as Good to Firm, Good in places. You can check out the latest going, non-runners and results on the BBC Sport website.

Manuel Pellegrini news conference

BBC

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has been talking about his squad before Sunday's game with Swansea.

"Samir Nasri is injured - the rest of the players are fit," he said. "We'll see tomorrow who will start the game.

"We'll see if Vincent Kompany or Yaya Toure can start tomorrow or if we'll stick with the same team that started the last couple of games."

And when asked about Sergio Aguero's future at the Etihad, Pellegrini added: "We are not a selling team. Sergio is very happy here. I think he is one of the top five players in the world. He's improved."

BBC Sport Predictor

Fancy a Friday challenge?

BBC

Map out the road to Premier League and FA cup glory by predicting the scores for all the remaining games of the season.

See how your guesses match up against pundit Mark Lawrenson, plus get feedback from BBC Sport's team including Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

Click here to have a go.

The Friday Sports Panel

Starting on BBC Radio 5 Live now is the Friday Sports Panel.

This week, Eleanor Oldroyd is joined by England and Warwickshire cricketer Chris Woakes, 2012 Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover and former Great Britain Rugby League international Shaun Edwards.

Alan Pardew news conference

A few more snippets from Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew.

On Steven Gerrard's last home game for Liverpool: "Gerrard has consistently come up with 'moments' for Liverpool. I wish him well. I have great respect for him and I look forward to the game.

"It's important that we show respect to Liverpool and to their fans on a special evening for them. It's going to be a difficult game."

On his former club Newcastle battling relegation: "I don't think Newcastle will go down. It's a strange scenario where they've found themselves. I made some great friends in Newcastle and I really hope they get over the line this weekend."

Alan Pardew news conference

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has brought us some contract news as he previews Saturday's game with Liverpool.

"We've secured two players this week," he said. "Damien Delaney has signed a new contract and so has Jason Puncheon.

"Damo's is a one year extension and Puncheon's is three or four years.

"Since I've come in, Jason Puncheon has been the best player. He's orchestrated our play. I've given him more responsibility. He's very influential and very important."

#BBCSportsday

Your transfer wishlists so far:

Michael Jacinto Carlier: Chelsea out: Ramires, Mikel, Drogba. In: Pogba. Promote Kalas, Romeu, Loftus Cheek and Bamford to the first team.

Alex Laz: Tottenham. Everyone can go except Kane, Lloris, Eriksen, Rose and Bentaleb. Pfft, clutching at straws here.

Ricky Strike: Arsenal. Begovic in goal, Varane at CB, Wanyama as CDM cover and possibly Jackson Martinez up front...None of these will happen.

Send us your dream teams on twitter via the hashtag #BBCSportsday or on the Match of the Day Facebook page.

Graves rejects KP claims

The Kevin Pietersen saga has taken yet another turn.

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BBC Sport has learned new England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves has rejected Pietersen's claims that he was deceived about a possible international return.

Graves had suggested the batsman, sacked by England in 2014, could return if he scored heavily in county cricket.

But as Pietersen was hitting an unbeaten 355 for Surrey, new ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss said the 34-year-old would not be selected.

It is understood Graves had two conversations with Pietersen but offered no guarantees about an England return.

To be continued.....

Depay's dream

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Memphis Depay kick-started the summer transfer window this year.

The 21-year-old Netherlands winger signed for Manchester United for £31m from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven earlier this month.

And Depay has been speaking to BBC Football Focus about his dream of being the best player in the world.

You can catch a glimpse of the interview here with more to come on Saturday 16 May (12:10 BST) on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.

'Bring back the noise'

Andrew Benson

BBC Sport chief F1 writer

British Grand Prix circuit Silverstone has done a survey on what fans would like to see changed in Formula 1.

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The most popular answer with 25.2% of the vote was to "bring back the noise" of the engines.

Second and third were "make it less technical and bring back the skill of the drivers" and, the obvious, "cheaper tickets".

The fans had an option to add their own suggestions, one of which was: "Bernie Ecclestone to step down and get a CEO who will listen". That ended up fifth most popular with 5% of the votes.

The full results can be seen on Silverstone's Facebook page.

#BBCSportsday

Imagine you manage your favourite club. Who you keep and who would you ship out this summer?

Get involved on Twitter via the hashtag #BBCSportsday or on the Match of the Day Facebook page.

Tom Bigsy 97: Arsenal: Flamini, Rosicky, Ospina/Szczesny out. Cech, Schneiderlin, Cavani, Alex Sandro in.

Sam Walker: Blackpool. Out: Oyston. In: Anybody.

David Kemp: Portsmouth. In: Kyle Bennett, and Championship/League One freebies that get released. Out: Ben Chorley, Craig Westcarr.

Wonder if David's pleas will be heard by Paul Cook? He's being unveiled as Portsmouth manager at 13:00 BST on Friday.

Cech can talk to other clubs - agent

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Petr Cech has been given the green light to talk to other clubs by Chelsea, according to the goalkeeper's agent.

Cech, 32, is second choice at Chelsea behind Thibaut Courtois.

The Czech Republic international's agent Viktor Kolar told talkSPORT: "Petr has a valid contract with his current club.

"However, I can confirm that we have been permitted by Chelsea to negotiate with interested parties and Petr has confirmed his interest to play regularly at a top club."

Mark Hughes news conference

Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross is likely to miss Saturday's trip to Burnley with a knee injury.

The Potters can beat their Premier League record of 50 points, set last season, with a positive result at Turf Moor.

Manager Mark Hughes said: "We have two games to hopefully exceed what we achieved last season, starting with the one against Burnley tomorrow.

"I would say that its been an even better season than last year, given the nature and amount of injuries we've had to contend with.

"I'm really enjoying it here. I have a real good feeling about this place and feel there is even more room for us to progress

"I would love to take the club into Europe if possible; that is an obvious target for us."

ECB to address Pietersen claims

David Ornstein

BBC Sport

"ECB preparing statement responding to @KP24 criticism. Understand chairman Graves refutes claims of deceit, insists he offered no guarantees."

Looks like we will be talking about Kevin today after all...

Mirallas "happy" at Everton

Getty Images

Everton's Kevin Mirallas, who was linked with a move to Tottenham earlier in the season, insists he is happy at Goodison Park.

The Belgian international who has scored 11 goals this season said: "I have always been proud to wear this shirt at Everton.

"People speaking about me wanting to leave has never come from me. When you have a good start to the season and you are playing well, people are maybe showing a bit of an interest in you.

"But the supporters can rest assured that it never came from me and I never said I wanted to leave. I have always been happy here at this club, my family are happy where we are so it is a shame when stuff gets said and it isn't me who said it."

Bingham celebrates Southend win

Stuart Bingham's had a pretty good month.

First of all he wins the snooker World Championship for the first time, then he got to watch his hometown club Southend reach the League Two play-off final.

Bingham has now offered his services to Shrimpers midfielder Ryan Leonard, who celebrated his goal on Thursday with a snooker pot celebration.

He tweeted:

Stuart Bingham Twitter

"White failure, black future"

Sport

The front page of Spanish sports newspaper Sport makes bleak reading for Real Madrid following their Champions League semi-final defeat to Juventus.

It calls it "The crisis at the Bernabeu" with president Florentino Perez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Iker Casillas and Carlo Ancelotti all singled out by the paper.

Frankfurt win Champions League title

Getty Images

FFC Frankfurt lifted the women's Uefa Champions League title for a record fourth time on Thursday.

The German side beat Paris St Germain 2-1 in Berlin.

Frankfurt are managed by Colin Bell, an ex-Leicester City defender, and he becomes the first Englishman to lead a club to the trophy.

He said after the game it felt like "a dream".

Wenger on Man Utd

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he expects Manchester United to be "very active" in the summer transfer window.

Speaking ahead of the teams' match at Old Trafford on Sunday, Wenger said: "Every player I am offered I am told Manchester United's on their case too."

"We expect them to come back with some strong buys but they have already a very strong squad. It is top quality."

Veteran T20 tournament plans

AFP

BBC Sport understands plans are afoot for an all-star T20 tournament for former international players set-up by Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has confirmed he has been asked to play.

It is reported that 28 ex-players have been offered $30,000 (£20,000) a match to play in their tournament,

#BBCSportsday

Who would you have on your transfer wishlist?

Send us your thoughts on Twitter via #bbcsportsday and on the BBC Sport Match of the Day Facebook page.

Anthony Hobson: Liverpool: Out- Johnson, Jones, Lambert, Allen, Borini & Balotelli. Keep- Sterling. In- Cech, Lacazette, Griezmann, Caulker & Gerrard on loan.

Tom Wauters: Out: Evans, Falcao, Van Persie, Nani, Mcnair. In: Pogba, Bale, Hummels, Benteke and Kane.

Jack Sharp: Plymouth Argyle - sign Zak Ansah and Bobby Reid on permanent deals.

Wozniacki to play Eastbourne

There is going to be a star studded filed at the Aegon International Eastbourne after Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki confirmed her participation in the tournament.

World number five Wozniacki is the sixth player ranked in the top 10 to confirm she will play in the grass court tournament which takes place the week before Wimbledon.

British number one Heather Watson, US Open winner Sam Stosur and former Wimbledon finalists Eugenie Bouchard and Radwańska will also play alongside two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.

Gatlin 'will not win people over'

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Justin Gatlin will make his season debut in Friday's Diamond League in Doha.

But can the American 100m specialist win back support after his doping past?

BBC Sport athletics commentator Steve Cram give his views on the athlete who's splitting opinion.

Suarez injury fear

Barcelona have confirmed striker Luis Suarez has a hamstring injury and did not train with the team ahead of their game against Atletico Madrid on Sunday when they could clinch the La Liga title with a win.

Barcelona said the Uruguayan had physio but have not confirmed when Suarez will return to training.

The Catalan side are attempting to win the treble and have the Copa del Ray final against Athletic Bilbao on 30 May and face Juventus in the Champions League final on 6 June

Wenger on Gerrard

Arsene Wenger has paid tribute to Liverpool's Steven Gerrard at his press conference this morning

"He is a fantastic player and he has remained loyal to his club for his whole career. You don't see that a lot, especially for that kind of quality player he was."

Boca fans 'pepper spray' opposition

AP

Four River Plate players have been taken to hospital after being sprayed with an irritant by Boca Juniors fans in an abandoned Copa Libertadores tie. in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The last-16 second leg was called off at 0-0 after the players were attacked as they came out of the tunnel after half-time.

Television pictures showed River players Leonardo Ponzio and Leonel Vangioni rubbing their eyes, with other players pouring water over their faces after apparently being sprayed with a pepper spray-like substance.

You can watch footage of the incident here.

Contador to continue despite shoulder

Spain's Alberto Contador has confirmed he will continue in the Giro d'Italia despite dislocating his shoulder in a crash during the sixth stage on Thursday.

Race leader Contador Tweeted to say his shoulder wasn't fractured and he would be able to continue.

"They have protected my shoulder and hope it will not go out again. Will be a hard day with 264km."

Netball Europe latest

Tracey Neville's England started the 2015 Netball Europe tournament on Thursday with two victories.

They opened day one with a 63-42 win over Trinidad and Tobago and followed it up by beating South Africa 69-33.

On Friday (16:30 BST) Neville's side face Scotland before weekend games against Wales and hosts Northern Ireland - who drew 53-53 in their match on Thursday.

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Get Involved

Tatenda Chakaduka: Clyne, Hummels, Laporte, Strootman and Kane in for Man United; Evans, Valencia & Van Persie Out.

Rob Cobban: Keep hold of everyone especially Benteke & Vlaar. No-one in, no-one out. Squad is perfect as is with Sherwood #bbcsportsday

Patrice West: Spurs - Keep Lloris (somehow), Kane, Mason and Eriksen. Remove all else + replace with players who'll actually contribute.

Steve Bruce news conference

Steve Bruce says he needs a big performance from his players ahead of his side's visit to Tottenham on Saturday. Hull are in the relegation places, two points from Newcastle who are in 17th.

"Let's hope we can take it to the last game. " said Bruce. "That's our objective now. We need to get a result at Tottenham and keep it alive.

"We need seven or eight of our players at the top of their form on Saturday. We have to perform to the level to give is a chance.

"Can we come out fighting? If we get beat we get beat with our boots on and if that's not enough we have to accept the consequences.

"We sincerely hope there is going to be one last twist, it's our job to get a result and give us a chance. It's up to us to produce a performance, which we know were capable of."

Rodgers on Gerrard

What about the question on every Liverpool fan's lips. Will Gerrard be back?

"Steven leaving here isn't permanent. He's somebody I'd love to have working with me when he has finished playing."

Is England ready for a Big Bash?

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So Gayle is the star attraction of the 2015 T20 Blast season which starts on Friday - but can the competition match the glitz and glamour of the IPL and Australia's Big Bash.

BBC Sport's Stephan Shemilt looks into how and why the short-form game could take some tips from other leagues around the world.

Read more about it here.

Can Gayle bring the X-Factor?

England's Twenty20 Blast competition needs a shake-up. The answer? Chris Gayle.

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The big-hitting West Indies batsman has agreed a stint at Somerset for at least six games this summer, and captain Marcus Trescothick reckons Gayle is exactly what the competition needs.

"We're delighted to have him over," Trescothick told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The moment it was announced our website crashed. The hype around Chris coming, along with other players from world cricket, is fantastic. It's great for the competition."

You can listen to live commentary of the T20 Blast every Friday on BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra and we'll have live text commentary on the BBC Sport website as well.

Gerrard = Liverpool

Rodgers on Gerrard: "I asked members of staff if they could describe Steven in one word, what word would that be.

"It's Liverpool. Not just Liverpool as a football club but Liverpool the supporters and Liverpool the city.

"This is a guy who is very much about the city, about his people. He loves the city. He's had a number of opportunities to move away from here to prestigious clubs but this is his club. He grew up around the corner.

"When it comes to what he's given the city, politicians haven't given the same amount to the city. It's incredible really. He's a wonderful symbol for the people here and is an icon of the club."

No party for Newcastle

Newcastle have cancelled their end-of-season awards dinner as head coach John Carver and his players battle to secure Premier League safety.

The event, which would have raised funds for the club's charity Foundation, was due to take place at St James' Park on Wednesday evening, four days before the final-day fixture against West Ham.

Newcastle are just two points from safety with two games to go.

A club spokesman said it would be "inappropriate" to hold the dinner given the team's current status.

Rodgers on Gerrard

Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media this morning about his departing captain Steven Gerrard.

Asked about possibility of bringing him back on loan from MLS, Rodgers said: "We haven't spoken about it. We'll just see how it pans out really. It's something that may be a possibility later down the line.

"He's made 39 appearances last season and up until now he's made 38 this season. That shows the value I put on him as a footballer. But I'll miss him as a man."

Brendan Rodgers news conference

Juliette Ferrington

BBC Sport's Juliette Ferrington is at Brendan Rodgers' press conference where the Liverpool manager appears to be in good spirits.

"All smiles at #LFC asked on #Gerrard against Palace, Rodgers: "There's a very good chance he'll play..." she tweeted.

Arsene Wenger news conference

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.

"We want to bounce back from our defeat against Swansea and put in a good performance, " said Wenger. "Any positive result, a win or a draw would be great."

"Mathematically we can put distance between United and us in the top four and secure a top three place.

"I think as well it would be a symbolic statement if we won. We won there in the FA Cup and to replicate that would be important psychologically."

Get Involved

Brendan Martin: Aston villa - keeping Benteke will be the biggest job. Then a new number 1 or a strong replacement for Guzan.

Christopher Clee: Southampton - Need to ship out Steve Davis, Maya Yoshida and Gaston Ramirez. We need to bring in another out-and-out striker, so I'm thinking Charlie Austin. Make Alderweireld's deal permanent. With Schneiderlin and Clyne potentially leaving, we'd need to replace them too, hopefully with 3/4 players - as we won't be selling them cheap!

Donk Richardson: Wolves.. Need to keep Afobe and Dicko.. Looks like Sako has already left as his contact has expired.. We need a decent winger to replace him.. Maybe a new defender and holding midfielder.. We need some experience in the midfield to help our young players.

Cavendish wins again in California

Mark Cavendish sprinted to his third-stage win on a rain-soaked fifth leg of the Tour of California.

The Briton won the 154km race from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita in three hours, 51 minutes, 37 seconds

Zico Waeytens finished second while third-placed Peter Sagan earned bonus seconds to reduce Toms Skujins' lead in the overall standings to 18 seconds.

Welbeck out

News coming through from Arsene Wenger's press conference. Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck is out of Sunday's match against his old club Manchester United at Old Trafford.. Welbeck is therefore denied the chance to show Louis Van Gaal what he's missing.

Predict the results

Can you call who is going to get relegated, make the Europa League or lift the FA Cup.

Have a go at our Predictor and predict the scores for all the remaining ties in the Premier League and the FA Cup final.

See how your guesses fare against other supporters and pundit Mark Lawrenson, plus get feedback from BBC Sport's team including Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

On this day

Getty Images

It is 11 years since Arsenal earned the tag 'invincible' after going through the 2003/04 season unbeaten in the Premier League. A 2-1 victory over Leicester at Highbury on 15 May 2004 completed the achievement.

Get Involved

Mitch: Chelsea should sell Cuadrado and FIlipe Luis, bring youth team players into the squad, maybe one big signing like Bale

Allan Martin: Arsenal: In - Benteke Schneiderlin & if pos Sterling + bring back Joel Campbell. Out - Walcott Arteta Sanogo Diaby

Jamie Wilson: St Mirren need to bring in a new board, a new manager, a new squad, new admission prices and maybe they'll get the fans back!

"No players are safe" - Pochettino

Some strong words from Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino who has warned nobody is safe at the club as he looks to build a side capable of finishing in the top four of the Premier League next season.

Spurs have missed out on Champions League qualification as they sit sixth, 10 points off fourth with two games remaining.

"Nobody is sure that they are staying at the club." said Pochettino.

Alberto Contador suffers dislocated shoulder

AFP

Race leader Alberto Contador suffered a dislocated shoulder in a crash as German Andre Greipel won stage six of the Giro d'Italia.

Spaniard Contador, 32, said he was "optimistic" about his chances of continuing in the race, but would "wait until right before the start" of Friday's stage to make a decision.

He retained the race lead from Astana's Fabio Aru by two seconds.

Lotto's Greipel beat Matteo Pelucchi and Sacha Modolo in a sprint finish.

Sharapova into Italian Open quarter-finals

Russia's Maria Sharapova eased into the Italian Open quarter-finals by defeating Bojana Jovanovski 6-3 6-3 in Rome.

Czech Petra Kvitova beat Jelena Jankovic 6-3 6-2 while Romania's Simona Halep overcame Venus Williams 6-2 6-1.

Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro played for more than three hours to beat Eugenie Bouchard 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 7-6 (9-7).

Sharapova will play Belarus' Victoria Azarenka this evening at 20:30 BST.

McIlroy five shots off the lead at Quail Hollow

Getty Images

World number one Rory McIlroyshot a two-under-par 70 to lie five shots off the lead after the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship.

McIlroy, 26, carded six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey at Quail Hollow, North Carolina.

USA's Robert Streb fired a seven-under 65 and leads by one from compatriots Patrick Reed and Kevin Chappell.

McIlroy tees off in the second round at 16:00 BST.

Clear-out at Bolton

Championship side Bolton Wanderers have announced that 13 players will leave the club this summer.

The players leaving the Macron Stadium are: Matt Mills, Craig Davies, Andrew Lonergan, Jermaine Beckford, Keith Andrews, Chris Lester, Georg Iliev, Luke Woodland, Glenn Matthews, Ryan Sellers, James Ball, Carl Kennedy and Kieran Nolan.

The Trotters also say they are in talks over contract extensions with Darren Pratley, Adam Bogdan, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Emile Heskey.

Gerrard's Liverpool career in stickers

BBC

17 seasons and only one haircut

Steven Gerrard is one of the ultimate one-club players and as QPR's Joey Barton pointed out yesterday on Twitter, he has only had one haircut in all his time at Liverpool.

As he prepares for his final Anfield game before his move to the MLS we have looked back over his Liverpool career in stickers.

Managers face the media

Coming up we will be hearing from Premier League managers at their Friday news conferences. Steve Bruce will have plenty of questions to answer as his Hull side battle relegation, Arsene Wenger and Louis Van Gaal will discuss the big match at Old Trafford on Sunday while there may be one or two Steven Gerrard tributes.

Hull (all times BST 0830), Arsenal (0900), West Brom (0900), Liverpool (0930), Stoke (0945), Palace (1230), Man City (1245), Chelsea (1400), Swansea (1400), Sunderland (1400), Manchester United (1600)

Get involved #bbcsportsday

It's almost the end of the season and the rumour mill is about to go into overdrive as we approach the opening of the transfer window on 1 July.

Most managers have one eye on what players they want to bring in and who they want to ship out.

So we are asking who does your club need and who hasn't cut the mustard.

Get involved: Tweet us with your suggestions #bbcsportsday or text via 81111 (UK) or via the Match of the Day Facebook Page.

"Pietersen's new hope"

Daily Telegraph

We couldn't go a day without taking about Kevin could we. This week Pietersen has scored 355 not out, been exiled by England, got injured and ruled out of the IPL and flown to Dubai. After all of this the Daily Telegraph say there is still hope for the controversial batsman.

They report there could be a way back into the England side if captain Alastair Cook stands down or loses the captaincy.

"£80m Bale out plan"

Daily Star

Yet more Manchester United and Gareth Bale rumours in the Daily Star who say Louis Van Gaal will try and talk Real Madrid president Florentino Perez into selling him Gareth Bale for £80m.

"United go for Kane"

Daily Mail

Tottenham striker Harry Kane is the latest name to be linked with Manchester United according to the Daily Mail. Louis Van Gaal has lined up a £45m bid for the England international.

"Bale in, RVP & Di Maria out"

Mirror

Manchester United dominate today's back pages with their summer transfer plans. The Mirror report that the Old Trafford club will sell Angel Di Maria and Robin van Persie to fund a move for Real Madrid's Gareth Bale.

Good morning

AFP

Good morning and welcome to Friday.

It's almost the weekend and that means a full Premier League fixture list to get your teeth into.

We will be hearing from the managers as we look ahead to the weekend's games and an Anfield farewell to Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.

But first the back pages where a certain Gareth Bale and Manchester United feature heavily...