That is it from us this week. Stay on the website for all the FA Cup first-round action and a whole lot more.

Sportsday will be back on Monday.

Tune into BBC Two at 19:30 GMT for live coverage of Salford City FC v Notts County in the first round of the FA Cup.

BBC Radio 5 live kicks off with the Weekend Football Preview show from 19:00 GMT.

Ian Kennedy
Reporter, BBC Radio Merseyside Sport

It's been a tough week of travelling for Liverpool - first to London to play Chelsea, then to Russia to face Rubin Kazan - so we may learn a lot more about Jurgen Klopp’s ability to inspire his players to even greater efforts on Sunday. Crystal Palace are going well and have been a constant thorn in Liverpool’s side in recent seasons. 

Klopp will hope Philippe Coutinho is fully fit, and there may other changes too. That said, Jordan Ibe has again shown what great potential he has and might be a difficult player to leave out after another great showing against Rubin.

Image source, AFP

England rugby league coach Steve McNamara has told BBC Radio 5 live that Sam Burgess "could've been one of the greats" at international level in union had he been given more time.  

He said he was unsure whether the cross-code star was "ever given a chance" to succeed, having switched to join Bath last year. "It’s up for debate that one," said McNamara.

Burgess has now moved back to Australian side South Sydney Rabbitohs, and the England coach admitted he could select him for the next year's Four Nations if he is fit.

The England keeper, 27, could return for Southampton before the new year - four months ahead of schedule.

He is recovering from patellar tendon knee surgery suffered in the Premier League victory over Burnley in March.

The 2015-16 FA Cup proper begins this weekend, with the opening match of the first round broadcast live on the BBC.

Notts County, winners in 1894, kick off the action on Friday on BBC Two against Salford City FC, who are part-owned by five former Manchester United players (squint and you can spot them below).

Following six rounds of qualifying, 32 non-league clubs remain and they are two victories away from a potential meeting with a Premier League club. Full BBC coverage detailshere.

Nick Hope
BBC Sport, Olympic Sport reporter

British record-breaking weightlifters - Commonwealth gold medallist Zoe Smith and European Youth champion Rebekah Tiler - will go head-to-head for the first time in their careers at the World Championships in Houston, USA, later this month.

Smith, 21, usually competes at -58kg, with 16-year-old Tiler at -69kg, but both will trial the -63kg division ahead of a bid for the Rio Olympics next year - where only one is likely to have the chance of being selected.

Image source, PA

British music great, and former Watford chairman, Sir Elton John has revealed to BBC Sport how much of a fan he is of the website.

You can read about how Sir Elton is helping up and coming young sports stars.

Image source, PA

Neil Warnock is disappointed for Chris Ramsey after his sacking at QPR. 

Warnock recently returned to Rangers in an advisory role but is now back in charge while the Hoops hunt for a new boss.

Rangers are languishing in 13th in the Championship ahead of Warnock's first game back at the helm, at home to Preston on Saturday.

The 66-year-old told the club website: "I am going to do my best. This is a club that is special to my heart. When I got a chance to come back and help I was really pleased.

"I'm disappointed for Chris. I spoke with him the other night and he wished me all the best. 

The FA Cup first round kicks off on Friday night with live BBC TV coverage of Salford City - part-owned by a clutch of ex-Manchester United players - against Notts County.

It's that stage of the competition where the word "magic" gets liberally used - and with good reason. So, we're asking you to tell us what your best memory of last year's competition is. 

Tweet us at #bbcsportsday or post on the BBC Match of the Day Facebook, external page.

Image source, .

Every team has some kind of FA Cup heritage, it seems. 

Salford City walk out against Notts County on Friday night as the competition proper begins, but what about their first appearance in the cup? Well that came in 1990 against Warrington Town.

Watch a great video of that fixture - grey suits, car phones, Austin Montegos, the whole nine yards - right here.

The Football Association has published details of the moment Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho approached referee Jon Moss at half-time during the match against West Ham United on 24 October.

Mourinho was consequently given a one-match stadium suspension with immediate effect and fined £40,000 for his actions.

Below is an extract from referee Moss's match report:

Ireland will play the Springboks three times in June 2016 during their first tour of South Africa in 12 years.

They will play the Boks in Cape Town (11 June), Johannesburg (18 June)  and Port Elizabeth (25 June).

Ireland have not toured South Africa since 2004 and never won a Test match there. 

Wasps have lost their appeal against the length of the three-week ban imposed on stand-off Jimmy Gopperth.

Gopperth, 32, was banned after pleading guilty to a late hit on Leicester captain Mathew Tait in Sunday's 24-16 Premiership defeat at Leicester.

But the appeal against the ban, which runs until 24 November, was dismissed by a second three-man RFU disciplinary panel.

World athletics governing body IAAF has cancelled this month's World Athletics Gala in Monaco.

The BBC understands that IAAF president, Sebastian Coe, did not want the event to go ahead while his predecessor, Lamine Diack, remains under investigation by French prosecutors.

The authorities suspect the 82-year-old of receiving money in 2011 in return for deferring sanctions against Russian athletes who failed drug tests. Diack himself is yet to comment on the allegations.

The BBC understands that Lord Coe asked the IAAF's own charitable foundation to cancel this year's gala - which included conversations with the Foundation's honorary president, Prince Albert of Monaco. The Foundation runs the Gala, meaning it was their decision to make - not the IAAF's.

The voting for male and female Athlete of the year will still take place, with the winners announced online. Their achievements will then be celebrated either at the World Indoor Championships in Portland in March, or at the Rio Olympic Games.

Image source, Getty Images

Suspended Fifa president Sepp Blatter is undergoing stress-related health checks but is not in hospital, a spokesman said on Friday.

"He is under medical evaluation, the doctors took him out for a few days, the doctors expect to him be back around Thursday or Friday of next week," Blatter spokesman Klaus Stoehlker said of the 79-year-old.

"He is under tremendous pressure from so many sides and perhaps this is a little bit difficult for a man who is not the youngest."

The Swiss led soccer's governing body for 18 years and was provisionally suspended for 90 days in October amid the worst corruption scandal in Fifa's history. 

The FA Cup first round gets under way tonight as Salford City host Notts County and you can listen to live commentary from our local radio stations of this fixture and many of the rest of the games over the weekend here.

Image source, Reuters

Besiktas striker Mario Gomez has been recalled by Germany for the friendlies against France and the Netherlands. 

Schalke teenager Leroy Sane and Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Kevin Trapp have been called up for the first time. 

Gomez last played for Germany in September 2014 in a friendly loss to Argentina. 

Coach Joachim Low did not pick Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil or Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.