Sportsday - rolling sports news

1. Liverpool hope to hire Klopp by Friday
2. England drop Burgess, Slade and Nowell start
3. Tax charges against Messi dropped
4. Rio 2016 team make cutbacks of up to 30%
5. Which sports star would you bake a cake for? #bbcsportsday

Sportsday Live

That's it for Sportsday Live for Tuesday.

You can follow the end of Canada v Romania at the Rugby World Cup via the BBC Sport website.

Coming up on 5 Live at 19:00 is 5 live Sport, followed at 19:30 by Road to Rio, looking ahead to next year's Games in Brazil.

On the programme are Danielle Waterman – England Women’s World Cup winner and 7s player as well as Adam Peaty, David Smith and Mark Lewis-Francis

Then at 21:00 there is a special documentary - The Blind Faithful - about the experiences of being blind and a fan of sport.

Sportsday will return on Wednesday.

Japanese player banned for gambling

A pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants, Japan's most popular baseball team, has been suspended for betting on games, including those involving his own team. 

Satoshi Fukuda bet on 10 Nippon Professional Baseball games and 10 major league games in an attempt to win back more than $8,000 (£5,270) he lost gambling on high school baseball games. 

Gambling is a violation of NPB's charter and the Giants have also suspended pitcher Shoki Kasahara, who introduced Fukuda to an employee at a tax accounting firm who enticed him to bet on games. 

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Brown hits back

England full-back Mike Brown has his say on the one-game ban given to Australia's Michael Hooper after the flanker was banned for one game after a dangerous tackle on him at Twickenham last Saturday.

Plastic bag anyone?

You can't accuse of Hull City's Curtis Davies of not having business acumen...

Cruyff criticises Mourinho behaviour

Johan Cruyff believes Jose Mourinho is setting a bad example to young people with his behaviour. 

"He's controversial," the former Ajax and Barcelona manager told Sky Sports News. 

"What I like about him is he's always capable of creating good ambience within the players and what I don't like is that he always puts himself on the first row. He should be on the second row. 

"I don't think he is educating children to play football or educating for life. He should behave better because he will be in the press all over the world." 

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Djokovic brothers win in China

Novak Djokovic opened his new partnership with younger brother Djordje in triumphant style as they won their first ever doubles match at the China Open on Tuesday. 

The pair chest-bumped and high-fived their way to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (6-8), 10-5 victory over the China-New Zealand pairing of Gong Mao-Xin and Michael Venus. 

While Novak is the world number one, Djordje, eight years his junior, is ranked at 1,502. 

EPA

Icardi drops agent for wife

The Daily Mirror reports that Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi has reportedly fired his agent of a decade - and hired his wife Wanda Nara in his place.

Businessman Abian Moreno represented Icardi for more than 10 years, but broke the news in a radio interview.

Nara married the 22-year-old in 2014, but she was previously married to his former team-mate Maxi Lopez.

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JPT on tonight

There's no international break for English lower-league clubs. Tonight is Johnstone's Paint Trophy second-round night. A few local rivalries on show, including Oxford v Swindon and Plymouth v Exeter.

BBC

Racking up the air miles...

"There will be much Juventus around the world," reads this tweet from the Italian giants, who have done a handy little map to show fans where their players are in international action action over the next few days.

Gillet becomes spot-kick hero

Mechelen goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet was the hero of the hour, saving three penalties from three different players to help his side draw 1-1 at Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday.

You can watch how Belgian veteran Gillet, 36, earned the plaudits after saving spot-kicks from Dennis Praet, Stefano Okaka and Youri Tielemans.

Spanish prosecutor in Messi verdict

Spain's public prosecutor has recommended a jail sentence totalling 18 months and fines of more than 2m euros (£1.4m) for Lionel Messi's father Jorge in a tax fraud case. 

The prosecutor reiterated that Lionel Messi should not have to face charges for allegedly defrauding the state of 4.2m euros (£3.1m) for the years 2007-2009 as his father was in charge of his finances, documents published on Tuesday showed. 

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Wanyama keen to focus on Saints

According to the Daily Echo, Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama wants to forget he ever pushed for a move to Tottenham Hotspur and is only interested in playing for Saints.

Wanyama wanted to link up with former St Mary's boss Mauricio Pochettino but Ronald Koeman told the Kenyan that he was not for sale and would not be moving anywhere.

"Yes, sure, now I’ve forgotten what happened," he said. "I’m now progressing on my club and it’s been good, so I’m looking forward to putting in good performances."

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Care delighted with selection

England's Danny Care is pleased with his selection for Saturday's final World Cup pool game against Uruguay in Manchester.

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NI would regret Euro qualification failure

Former player Keith Gillespie has told BBC Sport that he believes Northern Ireland's current stars would regret it for the rest of their lives if they did not reach the Euro 2016 finals.

Michael O'Neill's side need two points from their last two qualifiers - against Greece and Finland - to guarantee a place in France next summer.  

PA

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Oh, you guys! The Cameron bantz keeps on coming...

Glasgow City target Euro success

Glasgow City manager Scott Booth is hoping the club's European experience can give them an edge over Chelsea when the sides meet in the first leg of the last 32 of the Women's Champions League on Thursday.

"Our players are looking forward to this challenge," said Booth before meeting the newly crowned Women's Super League champions at Wheatsheaf Park.

"We have great experience in the dressing room and the value of that is huge in this type of competition."

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Hull pair leave

Fleetwood appoint Pressley as boss

A little meat on the bones to the story we bought you a short while ago, League One Fleetwood Town appointing Steven Pressley as their new manager.

Pressley was sacked by Coventry in February after almost two years as Sky Blues boss, after a seven-game winless run left them in the relegation zone.

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The 41-year-old replaces his former Scotland team-mate Graham Alexander, who was dismissed on 30 September.

He recently rejected the chance to talk to Scottish side Dundee United about their vacant managerial position.

Pressley has been doing coaching work for the Scottish Football Association, and had just agreed to look after the Scotland Under-17s team on a one-off basis for a three-match round of qualifiers.

Get Involved

Remember David Cameron's quote in our entry at 16:02 ... "I was there on the great night when Mo Farah won gold twice. I've witnessed some great sporting triumphs," the Prime Minister said.

Well, good point made by one of our Sportsday readers...

Indeed. Mo only won one gold on the night. Wonder if we can get Mr Cameron to respond and explain his comment? David, if you're reading this, feel free to tweet. Remember to use the hashtag #bccsportsday. Thanks.

Canada v Romania teams

The teams are in for the game in Leicester...

Canada: Harry Jones, Jeff Hassler, Ciaran Hearn, Nick Blevins, DTH van der Merwe, Nathan Hirayama; Hubert Buydens, Ray Barkwill, Doug Wooldridge, Brett Beukeboom, Jamie Cudmore (capt), Jebb Sinclair; John Moonlight, Aaron Carpenter.

Replacements: Benoit Piffero, Djustice Sears-Duru, Jake Ilnicki, Kyle Gilmour, Nanyak Dala, Phil Mack, Conor Trainor, James Pritchard.

Romania: Catalin Fercu, Madalin Lemnaru, Paula Kinikinilau, Florin Vlaicu, Ionut Botezatu, Mike Wiringi, Florin Surugiu. Mihaita Lazar, Otar Turashvili, Paulica Ion, Valentin Popirlan, Johan Van Heerden, Valentin Ursache, Viorel Lucaci, Mihai Macovei (capt).

Replacements: Andrei Radoi, Andrei Ursache, Alexandru Tarus, Daniel Carpo, Stelian Burcea, Valentin Calafeteanu, Adrian Marian Apostol, Csaba Gal.

World Cup latest

Tuesday's opening game at the Rugby World Cup sees Canada play Romania at the King Power Stadium in Leicester at 16:45 BST.

Both sides are bidding for their first win of this tournament with Canada emerging victorious in the previous two World Cup meetings between the nations in 1991 and 1995.

You can follow the latest via the BBC Sport website.

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Blatter and Platini claim

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Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa counterpart Michel Platini could face suspension within days after new claims over a £1.35m payment, claims The Sun.

Fleetwood name new boss

Confirmation of some news we bought you earlier in the day...

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Saville makes Millwall loan return

League One side Millwall have signed Wolves midfielder George Saville on a 28-day loan deal.

This season the 22-year-old, who had a brief spell on loan at Millwall in 2012-13, has been limited to only two appearances for the Championship club.

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Can anyone beat Brian's score so far? You can find our Predictor game here.

Cameron denies he is a 'jinx'

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Now then, here's a good story.

Prime Minister David Cameron has denied he is a jinx for England sports teams, after the rugby union, cricket and football teams each crashed out of World Cups in the group stages.

In an interview on LBC radio, the PM was asked by host Nick Ferrari whether there was a "curse of Cameron" affecting English teams. 

He replied: "That annoys me so much. That's nonsense. Who was Prime Minister this summer when we won the Ashes, thank you very much? I was Prime Minister when we had the best ever haul of Olympic medals.

"I always support England and we don't always win. Shock, horror, surprise. I shouldn't let these things annoy me but I was there on the great night when Mo Farah won gold twice. I've witnessed some great sporting triumphs."

Royals fine reduced

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Reading have been issued with a reduced fine of £40,000 - down from £100,000 - following the club's appeal against a charge of misconduct regarding supporter behaviour.

Their 2015 FA Cup quarter-final replay with Bradford at the Madejski Stadium in March was marred by fans invading the pitch at the end of their 3-0 victory.

Objects, including a smoke flare, were thrown towards the away fans.

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Pennetta battles to victory

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In the women's event in China, US Open champion Flavia Pennetta of Italy rallied to advance to the third round with a 3-6 6-0 6-4 win over Brazilian Teliana Pereira.

Eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark defeated Chinese wildcard entry Wang Qiang 7-5 6-0.

Nadal progresses ... just

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Rafael Nadal had his serve broken four times by one of his former ball boys before progressing to the second round of the China Open.

The world number eight beat China's 230th-ranked Wu Di 6-4 6-4 in his first match since being knocked out in the third round of the US Openlast month.

Top seed Novak Djokovic improved his perfect record in Beijing to 25-0 by beating Italian Simone Bolelli 6-1 6-1.

His winning run started in 2009, when he won the first of five China titles.

Pitcher suspended for gambling

A pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants, Japan's most popular baseball team, has been suspended for betting on games, including those involving his own team. 

Satoshi Fukuda bet on 10 Nippon Professional Baseball games and 10 major league games in an attempt to win back more than $8,000 (£5,270) he lost gambling on high school baseball games. 

Gambling is a violation of NPB's charter and the Giants have also suspended pitcher Shoki Kasahara, who introduced Fukuda to an employee at a tax accounting firm who enticed him to bet on games. 

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The Blind Faithful

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Nice view

Bit of a tenuous link but speaking of Messi, check out this photograph taken before Barcelona's last La Liga game.

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As views of a footie match go, this lad's not got a bad one.

Messi charge dropped

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Prosecutors in Spain have dropped tax charges against Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi but will pursue a case against the star's father.

If convicted, Jorge Messi faces 18 months in prison and a £1.6m fine.

Both Messi and his father were accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of more than £3.1m.

Prosecutors allege that Jorge avoiding paying tax on his son's earnings by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay between 2007 and 2009.

Safe hands

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'World Cup for legends'

Rex Features

A World Cup for legends will take place in Mexico at the start of 2017.

The tournament will be comprised of 12 teams: four from the Americas, six from Europe and one each from Africa and Asia.

The hosts will be coached by Mexico’s legendary and flamboyant goalkeeper, Jorge Campos.

“I want to see big players - Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos," said Campos.

“Everybody wants to see Diego Maradona but he can’t play. He’s too old.”

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Whiley collects MBE

It's a big day at Buckingham Palace for British wheelchair tennis star Jordanne Whiley...

Reading pitch invasion fine reduced

Reading have had an appeal upheld to reduce a fine for failing to prevent a pitch invasion during the FA Cup quarter-final replay against Bradford at the Madejski Stadium in March.

The Championship club were initially fined £100,000 for disturbances at the game, but the sanction has now been reduced to £40,000.

Cheap shirts for sale

This is what happens when you get dumped out of your own World Cup...

England Rugby

England rugby's website - 40% off sale. Oh dear, this was not the plan...

Giggs for manager - Beckham

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David Beckham thinks his former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs can become the Red Devils manager in the future.

Giggs is now Louis van Gaal's assistant boss.

"I have always said that Giggsy has this streak running through him that you see in top managers," Beckham said. 

"I saw him as a player, he is so determined and when you have someone who is from this part of the world and from this club, that means so much to the fans.  

"I hope at some point that Giggsy does take over. It might not be for five years or 10, but I hope he does."

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'I'm happy at Bath' - Ford

Bath head coach Mike Ford also said he would probably turn down the England job if offered it.

"I've got the best job in the world at Bath - a fantastic owner who is unbelievably ambitious, who backs me and the coaches," he said.

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"I can't walk away from here because I've made commitments to players to stay with me for the next four years, and we'll keep carry on doing what we are doing and getting better every day.

"I can't walk away, I've not won anything yet. I want to leave a legacy at Bath and this is the best place for me.

"In four years' time, 2019, who knows. But at this moment in time this is an unbelievable place to work."

Burgess will be a flanker

Bath head coach Mike Ford has been talking to BBC Radio 5 live about the fallout of England's World Cup failure and said some interesting things.

Ford, former England and Ireland assistant coach, said Sam Burgess is committed to rugby union and would play as flanker on his return to Bath - a position Burgess wants to play for England in the Six Nations.

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"I always knew Stuart Lancaster would use him as a centre. Stuart was lacking a leader in the backs and he wanted Sam to be that person," said Ford.

"But Sam knows he's a six and I know he's a six in the way we play at Bath. The next time he gets in the England squad it would be as a six. He's very, very happy with where he is at Bath, there are no dramas there."

Schalk signs for Ross County

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Ross County have signed former Netherlands Under-21 striker Alex Schalk until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

The 23-year-old arrived on trial with the Dingwall club last month following his release from Go Ahead Eagles in the second tier of Dutch football.

England v Pakistan A latest

Play has finished in England's warm-up match against Pakistan A in Sharjah.

Sad news from Stoke

Roy expects Robbie in Dublin

And here are some more good quotes, this time from Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane after the news that Robbie Keane's wife Claudine has given birth to the couple's second son in Los Angeles.

Robbie missed training in Dublin on Tuesday but Roy poured very cold water on speculation that the birth may mean the striker could miss Thursday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Germany.

"Why wouldn’t he be [here]? He didn’t have the baby, did he?” said the former Manchester United captain. 

"Unless he’s breastfeeding. Robbie’s had a game and has been travelling." 

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Lennon in trouble

Rex Features

We told you a bit earlier that Bolton boss Neil Lennon has been charged by the Football Association for misconduct.

Here are the quotes that angered the FA. 

After Saturday's 4-3 defeat at QPR, he called referee Darren Drysdale an "absolute disgrace".

"I've never seen a more biased performance from a referee in a long time. He gave QPR everything he possibly could, I was so frustrated with that."

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Wales turn to Burns

Birmingham City winger David Cotterill has been ruled out of Wales' games against Bosnia and Andorra, so in comes 20-year-old Bristol City man Wes Burns.

They need one point to reach Euro 2016.

Get Involved - Bake a cake

It's the final of the Great British Bake-Off tomorrow. So which sporting star would you bake a cake for and why?    

Lennon charged by FA

Bolton manager Neil Lennon has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over comments he made following his side's defeat by QPR.

Get Involved - Bake a cake

It's the final of the Great British Bake-Off tomorrow. So which sporting star would you bake a cake for and why?      

'Mr Motivator'

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC

Borussia Dortmund academy coach Gary Gordon has worked with potential new Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

The Englishman, who has worked in Germany for 15 years, told Mark Chapman on the Monday Night Club: "I believe in Klopp. 

"He is like a Mr Motivator. He will be able to open up some of the players' eyes and bring them to the next level."

Sabotage?

South Korean Chung Mong-joon says he is under investigation by the Fifa ethics committee which has "sabotaged" his presidential candidacy.

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Chung, 63, said he was told he violated six articles from world football governing body's code of ethics.

He said it stemmed from his "support" for his country's 2022 World Cup bid and his proposal for a Global Football Fund. Chung denies all claims.

Bound by confidentiality, Fifa has not made a statement on Chung's case.

Get Involved - Bake a cake

It's the final of the Great British Bake-Off tomorrow. So which sporting star would you bake a cake for and why?  

England Women announce autumn series

England Women will play France and Ireland in an autumn international series next month.

The reigning world champions will face France away in Martigues on 7 November.

They will then host Six Nations winners Ireland at the Twickenham Stoop on 14 November.

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South African duo join Bath

AP

Team Bath have signed South Africa pair Karla Mostert, who plays at goal-defence or wing-defence, and goal-shooter Lenize Potgieter. 

The pair represented South Africa at the 2015 Netball World Cup in Australia, where they finished fifth.

Eubank fight announced

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Chris Eubank Jr is to fight America's Tony Jeter at the Sheffield Arena on 24 October.

The 26-year-old middleweight, on the undercard of Kell Brook's IBF welterweight title defence against Argentina's Diego Chaves, is fighting for the first time since joining promoters Matchroom.

Victory will likely lead to a fight against Ireland's Spike O'Sullivan on 12 December.

Get Involved - Bake a cake

It's the final of the Great British Bake-Off tomorrow. So which sporting star would you bake a cake for and why?

'We were beaten by the best side'

England head coach Stuart Lancaster: “Clearly you’re in a dark place. You want to finish a game and brush off the result. But you try as a leader to give players a sense of direction and purpose.

"Internally, I'm determined the team stays together. We played brilliant rugby for 12 to 18 months. We've won a lot of games. 

“We lost the Wales game having been 22-12 up - we should have not have put ourselves in a position where we lost the game. The Australia game – the last 10 minutes was not reflection of the game.

“I had one-to-ones with the boys yesterday. They said Australia were one of the best teams we played against in the last four years. We were beaten by the best side."

'We need to leave a good impression'

More from England head coach Stuart Lancaster's news conference: "They are hurting. We had a good chat and talked about a few things - the responsibility to put in a performance for their country.

"The last impression you leave is an important one. It's very important we put a positive and attacking display together.

"We can win major honours. We didn’t win this but I 100% believe the group of players at the Six Nations will be same as what is out there."

'Owzat!

Neymar will stay 'for life'

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Brazilian forwardNeymarwill remain at Barcelona "for life," according to the club's technical director Roberto Fernandez.

The 23-year-old, who scored 43 goals, last season is tied to Barca until June 2018 but the club already want to offer him a new and improved deal that would reportedly make the player the second highest paid at the club after Lionel Messi.

"We are currently working on Neymar's contract extension and I don't think there will be any type of problem," Fernandez told Spanish paper Marca.

"I have no doubt in my mind that Neymar will spend the rest of his life at Barcelona."

Bale back and ready to go

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Gareth Bale says he is "ready to go" for Wales' Euro 2016 qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Andorra after recovering from injury.

Real Madrid's Bale hurt his calf on 15 September, but came on as a substitute in the 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid.

The 26-year-old said: "I have prepared well for the last couple of weeks with my rehab. We are all on board, ready to go. The calf is OK and it was a nice 20 minutes against Atletico to get the legs going for the next two games."

Wales need one point to qualify for the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup.

I'll never get over it - Lancaster

England head coach Stuart Lancaster: "We scored four tries in the first game and played well. But in the other two we didn't.

"I'll never get over it. We are the host nation but we are out of the World Cup and that hurts deeply."

Get Involved - Bake a cake

Right, stop being so lazy and get involved if you would.

Tomorrow - as any self-respecting baker will know - it is the final of the Great British Bake-Off.

So we want to know this... Which sporting star would you like to bake a cake for and why?

Send us your ideas now to #bbcsportsday and we'll publish the best.

Hooper banned for one match

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Hooper was cited for an alleged act of foul play during Saturday's 33-13 victory over England.

The incident occurred towards the end of the first half when the 23-year-old cleared Mike Brown out at a ruck.

BreakingHooper banned for one match

Australia flanker Michael Hooper has been banned for one week and misses the Wales match.

Lancaster on changes for Uruguay game

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England coach Stuart Lancaster wants his side to end their tournament on a high in Saturday's game at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester.

"This is an opportunity for us to finish the tournament with a strong performance against Uruguay and a chance for the likes of young players such as Jack Nowell and Henry Slade to play in a World Cup," he said.

"We owe it to ourselves and the supporters who have been brilliant throughout. This is an important game for rugby in the north of England and we want to give those people who have been looking forward to this game something to cheer about."

We'll be hearing more from Lancaster shortly.

Not giving much away

England name team to face Uruguay

The England team in full is: Alex Goode, Anthony Watson, Henry Slade, Owen Farrell, Jack Nowell, George Ford. Danny Care; Mako Vunipola, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Geoff Parling, James Haskell, Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter.

Replacements: Jamie George, Joe Marler, David Wilson, George Kruis, Tom Wood, Richard Wigglesworth, Jonathan Joseph, Mike Brown.

England name team to face Uruguay

Exeter pair Henry Slade and Jack Nowell will make their Rugby World Cup debuts against Uruguay along with scrum-half Danny Care and full-back Alex Goode.

In the pack, Mako Vunipola starts in place of Joe Marler while James Haskell and Nick Easter replace Tom Wood and Ben Morgan.

George Ford starts at fly-half with Owen Farrell at inside centre.

Fleetwood to appoint Pressley

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League One club Fleetwood Town are about to name Steven Pressley as their new manager, according to Sky Sports News.

The 41-year-old was sacked as Coventry City in February  

Fleetwood dismissed previous boss Graham Alexander at the weekend.

BreakingBurgess dropped by England

Sam Burgess has been dropped for England's final World Cup game against Uruguay on Saturday.

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Arsenal fan are we perchance?

Palace bid for A level student

Press Eye

Ballymena United have revealed that they have turned down a bid from Crystal Palace for their 16-year-old striker Matthew Shevlin.

The A-level student had a trial with the Premier League club in September.

"Palace suggested they were keen to get a deal tied up quickly but their offer wasn't really one we would entertain," chairman John Taggart told the Ballymena Times.

"We don't want the young lad to be held back, but at the same time we have to look after the interests of Ballymena United."

Second son for Keane

Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane has got a good excuse for missing training with the rest of the squad on Tuesday morning ahead of their Euro 2016 qualifiers...

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Wright the new skipper

Luke Wright has been named Sussex's new club captain in all formats following Ed Joyce's decision to resign.

Wright had been the favourite to succeed the Irishman in all three formats, after leading the county to the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast this summer.

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Big Wes visits Forest

Nottingham Forest FC

American Wesley Hall, from Atlanta, who became a Nottingham Forest fan after he was mistaken online for former Forest player Wes Morgan, has said it was "a dream come true" to attend his first game.

The pair are both known as Big Wes and Mr Hall's Twitter handle is @bigwes, leading to Forest fans mistakenly tweeting him four years ago to congratulate him on Morgan's 400th appearance for the club.

He knew nothing about football at the time, but is now a diehard Reds fan and attended his first Forest game on Saturday.

No reward

Sounds like a gruelling couple of hours for England in the heat of the United Arab Emirates...

England, remember, made 286-5 declared on the first day of the opening match of the tour.

Get Involved - One-sided

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A fine choice. The Dutch wheelchair tennis player won 22 grand slam tournaments between 1999 and her retirement in 2013.

'More power to him'

McIlroy also spoke in support of Paul Casey, who will miss next year's Ryder Cup if he does not renew the European Tour membership he gave up in January.

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"Some things matter more to people than others and I'd say family would always come first before any golf tournament, no matter what it is," McIlroy said.

"So if that's Paul's decision more power to him for doing that. The way he's playing it would be a bit of a blow for the European Ryder Cup team.

"But I feel like we've got enough strength in depth that even if Paul isn't on the team we'd still be able field a really strong 12 guys."

In the air

Think it's all excitement and glamour and non-stop fun being a golfer. Think again.

Rory McIlroy spent a fortnight in the air flying to and from tournaments in the past year, touching down at nearly 120 airports along the way, and was so fed up considered resigning from the European Tour to ease his schedule.

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"I've definitely contemplated it," the 26-year-old said. "You know, getting sick of the travel, getting sick of having to cross back and forth between tours."

But the Northern Irishman added: "Would I actually (quit)? Probably not. I feel like I owe a lot to the European Tour, they gave me a lot of opportunities at the start of my career. I will always be grateful for that."

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Not sure Barca and Real Madrid would agree but take your point Jon...

Farrell denies nepotism claims

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC

England backs coach Andy Farrell reacted tersely to suggestions he had been swayed by family loyalty during the World Cup.

Asked whether it had played a part in his son Owen being picked at fly-half for the defeats by Wales and Australia, he said: "The head coach makes the final decision. That is that."

Speaking on the Monday Night Rugby Club with Mark Chapman, South African World Cup winner Bob Skinstad also dismissed the accusation, saying: “Sure, it's a family member, but he's got a job and a duty to a role in the greater rugby community. 

"What the journalist is insinuating is pretty hard for Farrell. I think he got away with murder there.”

Monday Night Rugby Club podcast

Mark Chapman, Mike Tindall, Matt Burke and Bobby Skinstad debate where it all went wrong for England, and ask what next following a pool stages exit from their own World Cup.

Download the podcast here.

Get Involved - One-sided

We'll forward that to the Liverpool board immediately, they will surely want to take it into consideration when making the next appointment...

Signeul names Scotland squad

Scotland women's coach Anna Signeul has named her latest squad... 

Frustrating

Hamstring injury set to rule out Mbabu

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The Newcastle Chronicle reports that Swiss defender Kevin Mbabu is facing a spell on the sidelines after damaging his hamstring during his side's defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

The 20-year-old was chasing back to Sergio Aguero in an attempt to prevent the Argentine scoring the third of his five goals when his hamstring went.

He is set to undergo a scan to assess the damage done but hopes he will be out for weeks and not months.

Today's teaser

A Question of Sport Teaser

Which six NFL teams played at Wembley in the 2014 season?

Get your thinking caps on, we'll give you the answer later.

Get Involved - One-sided

Rooney documentary

Monday night's Wayne Rooney documentary on BBC One put the spotlight on the Manchester United and England international.

BBC Radio 5 live's Afternoon Edition want to hear from you if you watched it...

Worth waiting for

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Good news for James Ward - he has won his first match since Wimbledon, ending a run of 11 consecutive defeats.

Seven weeks before Britain contest the Davis Cup final against Belgium, the 28-year-old beat John-Patrick Smith in the first round of the Mons Challenger ... which also happens to be taking place in Belgium.

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Hardaker wins top honour

SWPix

Leeds Rhinos full-back Zak Hardaker has been named Super League's Steve Prescott Man of Steel.

The 23-year-old was adjudged by his fellow players to be the man to have made the biggest impact on Super League XX, beating team-mate Adam Cuthbertson and St Helens forward Alex Walmsley to the honour.

"I'm overwhelmed with the accolade. I didn't expect it," he said. "I was really happy and made up that I got the nomination and to go an extra step and get this award is something else. 

"This is my best year up to date. I've improved year on year with Leeds and hopefully I can do that again next year because that would be tremendous. But it's the team that has enabled me to play that much better."  

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Some of your comments at #bbcsportsday

The Blind Faithful

BBC

There is what sounds like a fascinating programme on BBC Radio 5 live tonight (21:00 BST) about the experiences of being blind and a fan of sport.

Part of the documentary features Arsenal supporter Wayne Busbridge, who has been a season ticket holder for the last three decades, despite losing his sight 13 years ago.

You can catch the documentary, called The Blind Faithful, tonight - in the meantime, here's a teaser for the show.

Shaw returns to training ground

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The Manchester Evening News reports that United defender Luke Shaw has returned to the club's Carrington training ground for the first time as he steps up his recovery from a broken leg

The 20-year-old has been receiving treatment at home with the help of United's medical team since being released from hospital following the injury he suffered against PSV Eindhoven which is expected to keep him out for six months.

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You are taking this seriously Dominic aren't you?

Folau doubt for Australia

Australia full-back Israel Folau could miss Saturday's final World Cup group game against Wales at Twickenham.

The 26-year-old came off in the 66th minute of the Wallabies' 33-13 win over England last weekend with an ankle problem and missed training on Tuesday while wing Rob Horne is almost certainly out with a shoulder injury.

"We'll see how Issy pulls up," said assistant coach Stephen Larkham. "We're focusing internally rather than the problems the other team has."

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Meet the boxer who likes Picasso

"The boxing beat is a trip through the sublime and the ridiculous and everything in between. One day it's a fighter dressed as Batman, gleefully admitting he's a psychopath and roaring in your face; the next it's a sober chat about Picasso and Basquiat with a 17-stone super-heavyweight. What a mind-bending trip it is."

So starts a rather splendid feature by BBC Sport's Ben Dirs, about this chap...

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That is Joe Joyce, the man with the greatest celebration in boxing.

Read the full article here.

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Too soon Morgs, too soon...

Breaking his silence

Heard about the Liverpool fan who, on 24 May, vowed not to tweet again until Brendan Rodgers was sacked?

He stayed true to his word and on Monday, 133 days later, returned to Twitter with the post:..

It's had 4,436 retweets thus far...

Malik returns to Pakistan Test side

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Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has been recalled to face England in the upcoming Test series in the United Arab Emirates, five years after his last Test match. 

The 33-year-old middle order batsman's excellent limited-overs form saw him added as the 16th member of Pakistan's Test squad for the three-match series which starts on 13 October. 

Since his recall to limited-overs cricket in May this year, Malik has scored 500 runs at an average of 100.00 per innings in 11 one-day matches. 

The last of his 32 Tests was against England at Edgbaston in 2010.

Get Involved

A few of your comments today to #bbcsportsday on the situation at Liverpool.

Fixture list

No Premier League this coming weekend. Boo.

But there are a raft of international fixtures taking place. Hoorah.

Here's the full list, with Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland and the Republic, facing crunch games.

1

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'Chelsea players are bored'

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC

Discussing Chelsea’s poor start to the season as part of Mark Chapman’s Monday Night Club, journalist Neil Ashton claimed Jose Mourinho’s players were “bored” of his tactics.

He said: “These players don’t want to play in this tactical straightjacket. The players, I believe, get bored with the way they are playing. They want to play with more flair, more freedom and more panache.”

BBC Radio 5 live pundit Steve Claridge, meanwhile, said Mourinho needed to find a way to get his players back onside, adding: “Clearly this side are not playing for him.”

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton questioned Mourinho’s decision-making, adding: “You don’t get a key player [Nemanja Matic] back onside by putting him on at half-time and then subbing him.”

'I'm not Thierry'

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The Sun: Manchester United's French striker Anthony Martial has warned fans he is not the new Thierry Henry.

Squad 'not good enough'

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Former West Ham and Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is to be offered the manager's job at Sunderland, according to the Mirror.

But Dick Advocaat, who resigned as Black Cats boss on Sunday, says the squad he would inherit is "simply not good enough".

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What, you mean Nani?

Farrell denies claims

The fall-out from England's miserable World Cup campaign continues apace, with backs coach Andy Farrell denying he had undue influence on tactics and team selection during the side's World Cup failure.

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Media reports suggested some players in the squad felt Farrell - rather than head coach Stuart Lancaster - was deciding game plans and line-ups. 

"The head coach makes the final decision. That is that," said Farrell.

Farrell's son Owen replaced George Ford at fly-half for the defeats by Wales and Australia as England crashed out.

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Keep your nominations for most one-sided awards and competitions coming please...

Rio - what will be affected

• Opening ceremony - approximately three and a half hours long - budget cut. Now estimated to be 10% of the cost of that of London 2012
• All promotional videos must now be made in-house
• Online lottery for tickets scrapped and all on open sale with the option to pay by instalments
• More tents and fewer structures at Olympic events
• Infrastructure at test events scaled back
• Volunteer programme, which includes English lessons for participants, likely to be cut from 70,000 to 60,000.

Big cutbacks for Rio

Next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are making major financial cutbacks as organisers bid to avoid going over budget.

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Protests surrounded last year's Fifa World Cup in Brazil as the country's public were angered by the cost of staging the event, and Rio 2016 officials are determined to avoid a repeat

"The days of lavish spending are over," said Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrada. "We need to be creative in the way we find these savings."

The BBC understands a crisis meeting has been held in the last few days and organisers plan cutbacks of up to 30% to avoid going over the £2.38bn budget.

'Mourinho was going to Chelsea' - Sir Alex

However, other comments made by Sir Alex during the documentary suggest that perhaps David Moyes was perhaps not the number one choice...

"Jose Mourinho was going back to Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti was going to Real Madrid, Jurgen Klopp had signed a contract with Dortmund, Louis van Gaal was staying with Holland for the World Cup," says Ferguson.

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Ferguson also reveals that he went for dinner with former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola in September 2012 - when he had "no idea" he was going to retire - and told the Spaniard: "Give me a call and tell me what you're going to do."

He adds: "I was just trying to think way ahead. But I didn't get any answer and then he goes to Bayern Munich."

Full story here.

'Moyes the right choice' - Sir Alex

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Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester United did not make a mistake hiring David Moyes.

Ferguson defends the appointment of former Everton boss Moyes - who was sacked after eight months - in Secrets of Success, a documentary to be screened on BBC One on Sunday.

"We did the best under the circumstances we were in," the 73-year-old insisted. "We picked the right man."

Ferguson ended his 26 years as United manager in 2013, recommending fellow Scot Moyes as his successor.

Lunch break

Monday Night Club podcast

BBC Radio 5 Live

Mark Chapman is joined by Chris Sutton, Steve Claridge and journalist Neil Ashton to discuss Liverpool sacking Brendan Rodgers, and ask if Jurgen Klopp is the perfect replacement.

Download the podcast here.

Remembering two greats

Get Involved - One-sided

So with Bale cleaning up, we want to know this...

What awards or competitions are one-sided?

It can be from the world of professional sport - or maybe that annoying bloke who's won the doubles tournament 17 years in a row at your local tennis club.

Let us know your nominations now at #onlyonewinner or post at the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Bale cleans up

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Real Madrid's Gareth Bale has done the treble at the Football Association of Wales (FAW) awards.

Bale was named Welsh player of the year for a record fifth time - and also won the players' player and fans' player of the year awards.

Wonder if the other Welsh lads ever get a bit sick of him?

Then again, he certainly deserves it. Bale's six goals in Euro 2016 qualifying have put Wales on the brink of their first major finals since 1958.

And Mr Bale's achievements leads us on to today's talking point...

Moeen strikes again

Good stuff from England over in the United Arab Emirates...

Stop subbing me

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If Arsenal are still after a striker in January, then they may be interested in comments made by Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

The 27-year-old, who was monitored by the Gunners over the summer, says he is "fed up" of being continually substituted.

According to the Independent, the French striker has been taken off in five out of his six La Liga starts and said: "It's true that the electronic board always shows the No.9. Ask Benitez why that is."

More needs to be done

In a fascinating interview with the BBC, Clarke Carlisle says that some sports are "failing to address" the issue of mental health.

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He praised cricket and rugby league for "investing heavily" in support for players and staff but said sports such as boxing and American football have not given mental and physical health the same importance.

But talking to the Victoria Derbyshire programme, Carlisle, 35, did say that sport in general had progressed from "ignoring mental health to at least acknowledging it exists" - but added more needed to be done.

Former Burnley and QPR defender Carlisle tried to take his own life in December 2014 while severely depressed.

Full story here.

Talking a good game

Stuart Lancaster isn't the only coach talking today.

Representatives from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, South Africa and Australia will also be holding news conference.

Again we'll have it covered and will bring you them as they happen.

Lancaster faces the media

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It is fair to say that it hasn't been a great couple of weeks for England and Stuart Lancaster.

In fact, that's an understatement. It's been blinkin' awful.

Today - at 13:00 BST to be exact - the England coach will face the media as he names his team for the deadest of dead rubbers against Uruguay and gives his thoughts on the World Cup.

It should be interesting to say the least, we'll bring you the best of what is said.

As you've never seen him before...

Miss Monday night's BBC documentary in which England captain Wayne Rooney revealed he writes poetry ('Roses are red, violets are blue, Wayne loves Colleen, and Louis van Gaal too') and proposed to Mrs R at a petrol station?

BBC Sport

Don't fret, you can watch it here now.

It's good stuff and also features interviews with Rooney's parents, as well as David Beckham and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cricket

Wow, like buses...

Man down

Hang on, good news - there's been a wicket...

Play under way

Some early cricket news as the second and final day of England's opening tour match in the United Arab Emirates has begun.

We'll bring you regular updates courtesy of our colleagues at Test Match Special.

Jonny Bairstow (66) was one of four men to pass 50 on the opening day - along with Yorkshire team-mates Joe Root (59) and Adil Rashid (51 not out), and captain Alastair Cook (53).- as England made 286-5.

 The two-day game in Sharjah is one of two warm-ups for the three-Test series with Pakistan, starting on 13 October.

Klopp fits the bill

Mark Lawrenson

BBC Radio 5 live and former Liverpool defender

Liverpool need a manager who is big enough to handle the pressure, without thinking he is bigger than the club.

Whoever it is will have to buy into the mindset of the American owners - they want success, but their model is to try to get that by signing younger players they can train up and, sometimes, sell on.

Jurgen Klopp is the favourite to get the job and he would fit the bill.

At Borussia Dortmund he built a team that were in your face, with good players that he was making better but he also knew he would have to sell one or even two every year.

'It has been an honour'

Brendan Rodgers has issued a statement to say he is "incredibly disappointed" his three-and-a-half-year tenure at Anfield has come to an end. 

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"It has been both an honour and a privilege to manage one of the game's great clubs," said the Northern Irishman, who was sacked an hour after Sunday's 1-1 Merseyside derby draw at Everton.

"I have worked every day to represent the club to the best of my ability, to develop both individual players and a team that the club's magnificent fans can be proud of.

"There have been some very memorable moments during my time at Liverpool and I would like to thank all of the players for their hard work and commitment."

Klopp in by the end of the week?

Straight to Liverpool then and the latest on their search for a new boss.

It is looking increasingly likely that Jurgen Klopp will be the man to replace the departed Brendan Rodgers, with Liverpool - so the BBC understands - hopeful of appointing the German by the end of the week.

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Talks with Klopp's representatives are "progressing well" and the club want a new manager in place to prepare for a visit to Tottenham on 17 October.

The 48-year-old former Borussia Dortmund coach is the overwhelming favourite to take over, though ex-Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti remains a contender.

Full story here.

Tuesday's back pages

Independent

Tuesday's back pages

And a couple of England rugby stories to finish, with a suitably moody looking picture of England backs coach Andy Farrell...

Daily Telegraph

Tuesday's back pages

A spot of Chelsea in The Mirror...

The Mirror

Tuesday's back pages

Times

Tuesday's back pages

Guardian

Tuesday's back pages

Express

Tuesday's back pages

No surprise who is the main talking point in the papers...

The Sun

Klopp for the Kop?

Will this man be in the Anfield dugout by the end of the week?

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And will his fingers still be superglued to his ear?

We'll have more on the situation at Liverpool (and Sunderland too), the day's breaking news, the best of what's on social media... in other words, don't go anywhere, we've got everything covered.

All you have to do is sit back and read.

Welcome to another Sportsday, first the papers...