William Fox-Pitt has posted a Christmas video message on YouTube , external- the first time he has been seen since a serious accident in mid-October.

In the video, he thanks everyone for their support and - after he is filmed riding a horse - says it’s his first time back in the saddle since the accident.

Image source, YouTube/Fox-Pitt Eventing News

Fox-Pitt, 46, was placed in an induced coma after falling from Reinstated at the World Young Horse Championships in Lion D'Angers on 17 October 

Juliette Ferrington
BBC Sport

And back to Sunderland...

Sam Allardyce also discussed the topic of Jeremain Lens, who was quoted this week saying he may have to leave the club in January after failing to break into the first XI.

"He is back in the squad, trained with the team today. He has been through our disciplinary process, it's finished with and on we move," said Allardyce.

"'If he comes to me and tells me what club are going to buy him then we'll probably look at it and maybe come to a mutual agreement."

And Allardyce admits he's looking to add two new faces in January with Younes Kaboul out for a number of weeks with a hamstring injury.

Keep your festive poems coming please...

Mark Sapsford: Good King Arsene Wenger smiled as we beat Man City. Now the title's on again, and that's my Christmas ditty

Ben: One season wonder? You must be insane. Think he'll keep scoring? He's called Harry Kane!

Yusuf: From bottom of the league to top of the table, this Leicester love story is better than Mary n Joseph in a stable.

Juliette Ferrington
BBC Sport

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce was irate with the Premier League for switching their midweek game at Swansea back 24 hours to Wednesday, 13 January.

"It's hugely disappointing but I think I will cover that nearer the game," he said. "I will produce the evidence on why Richard Scudamore is totally wrong in this decision, and I mean totally wrong. I'll explain exactly my dissatisfaction with that decision.

"We are the ones that have been wronged.'"

Image source, Juliette Ferrington

Bowler Liam Plunkett is clearly gutted not to have made either the England one-day or Twenty20 squads for the tour to South Africa.

Image source, Getty Images

Carlos Carvalhal is boss of Sheffield Wednesday. But there's lots of speculation that he might be wanted by Swansea.

Asked about that during a press conference today, the Owls gaffer gave a standard reply, saying: "I can't talk about rumours".

Carvalhal went on to say that it was no surprise to be linked to the Swansea job because of how well his team are playing.

We asked for your Christmas poems and here's the first. Take a bow Ian Mac.

'Stoke score three, we score two.

Louis watcha gonna do?

With a nic-nac paddywhack give a dog a bone,

LVG is heading home'

Can Tottenham win the league? Yes. Yes, they can. And manager Mauricio Pochettino agrees, although he has tried to play down any expectation...

"Can we win the title? In football, all is possible.

"The last 10 games are very important and it's how you arrive there to attack different objectives or achieve important things. It's important how we arrive in the last 10 games."

He also added praise for his side - something he feels they have not had enough of in recent weeks.

"People don't realise the effort we make and how hard our players work because we are the youngest squad in the Premier League," Pochettino said.

"Sometimes they deserve more praise for the position they have. Maybe the team deserve more praise than we have so far."

Image source, AFP

Some delayed news from the Tottenham news conference now... Unfortunately, it is not good news for Spurs fans as striker Clinton Njie looks likely to be out for two to three months with a knee injury.

Njie underwent surgery after sustaining the injury in Spurs' Europa League victory over Monaco two weeks ago and manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters: "You never know because every day it's about how the knee responds but maybe two months or a little bit more [he will be out]."

Image source, PA

On the back of Alistair Mann's epic effort, send us your Christmas poems for your club - using #bbcsportsday. 

Obviously yours will need to be 140 characters, not 400 words.

Alistair Mann
BBC MOTD commentator

It’s Christmas Eve in Carrington and darkness has descended

While for others long since home, their working day has ended,

A man sits down he’s deep in thought, his coat says “LVG”

For him so much to ponder, is it time for 4-3-3?

People say it's crisis point, that things have all gone wrong

He feels that he can turn it round, he’s resolute and strong.

A career that has been glittering, in Spain and Holland too,

But now he sits there wondering exactly what to do.

Then suddenly a flash of light, a ghostly vision nears

A blast of hairdryer heated air, a sagely man appears.

“Come on son, now’s not the time to brood and moan and grieve

Instead be sure and confident and in yourself believe.

It’s not a time for fairytales, Scrooge or Mary Poppins

You need a change of fortune son, for me it was Mark Robins!

Things turned round dramatically with Giggsy, Becks and Scholes

We didn’t deal in goalless draws, just bulging sacks of goals!

So now’s the time to gamble son, you have your latest mission

Remember the United way cos we’ve a strong tradition.

The lessons from the past are clear, whenever you look back

For us the best form of defence, attack, attack, attack!”

With that another bang and crash, and standing in his place

Another apparition with a most familiar face.

Donned in stripes of red and white, he says,” The name is Hughes,

I hear our game this weekend you can’t afford to lose!

This fairground ride we’re sitting on it never seems to stop,

Off went Rodgers, Advocaat and on came Sam and Klopp.

So I’ll be waiting Saturday with Bojan and Shaqiri.”

Then he laughed, began to fade, the atmosphere was eerie.

There then emerged another flash and bang his face had gone

And standing there a different man, “I am the special one.

Only a few months ago I achieved the double,

Then a string of bad results and boy was I in trouble!

Instead I sit here menacing but not to poke or tease,

But I’ve just heard Old Trafford might be going Portuguese!

It could be me, or maybe not, just don’t fail at Britannia,

Instead a Pep talk could be next, e Viva its España!”

Then suddenly the Dutchman woke, it was a crazy dream,

And United after all still remained his team.

“Ah,” he sighed, “all these reports, they’re just a cruel joke,

There’s no way my fate depends just on the match at Stoke.”

……….or does it?

And if you want to watch that Petr Cech interview...

Image source, Getty Images

...then you can do so right here.

Image source, Getty Images

A little more from the interview Petr Cech has given to Football Focus (see 09:47).

"We've been through the season with plenty of problems," the Arsenal keeper said.

"Everything isn't going as smoothly as we would like it to. We can't avoid injuries - sometimes you have more, sometimes you have less - but we showed that even with the unlucky injuries at the moment that we manage to win games.

"I believe we will benefit from players coming back into the team, once they are fit.

"The season is long and anything can happen. But if we stay where we are until March or April, then we have the chance to win the league."

Earlier, we told you about skier Marcel Hirscher getting hit by a drone during a slalom in Italy. Well, the international ski federation is banning camera drones from its World Cup races following the incident.

FIS men's race director Markus Waldner says that drones will be prohibited "as long as I am responsible... because they are a bad thing for safety".

The unmanned flying object carrying a TV camera came down and shattered on the icy slope just behind Hirscher during Tuesday night's race in Madonna di Campiglio. The four-time overall champion was unhurt and continued his run, finishing second behind Norwegian winner Henrik Kristoffersen.

The company responsible for the camera drone, sports marketing agency Infront, says in a statement "the circumstances leading to [the crash] are currently being examined".

You can watch video of the drone crash here.

Northern Ireland will take on Slovenia in a Belfast friendly in March as part of their Euro 2016 preparations.

The game at Windsor Park on Monday, 28 March will be the second of two friendlies that month.

Slovenia were beaten in the Euro 2016 play-offs by Ukraine, who are among Northern Ireland's group opponents in France.

"Slovenia are a great choice. While they lost 2-0 in Ukraine they drew 1-1 at home and played well. They're a good side," said NI boss Michael O'Neill.

Michael O'Neill is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment after leading Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 qualification, their first major tournament in 30 years, and was named coach of the year at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year show.

And he expects to put pen to paper on a new four-year deal as Northern Ireland manager in the coming weeks.

"We're well down the line, discussions have been very positive to date," he told the Belfast Telegraph., external "I don't envisage everything being signed and sealed before Christmas but we haven't hit any stumbling blocks yet. I'd imagine it'll come to a conclusion some time in the New Year."

Image source, Getty Images

Barack Obama. Now there's a cool man. Not content with being the leader of the free world and hanging out surviving in the wild with Bear Grylls, he's also pretty handy with a golf club in his hands.

Checks out this video of the 44th US President sinking a 40-foot chip, external from the fringes of the 18th green at the Mid-Pacific Country Club. Like a true politician, he saves his best stuff for the cameras.

Image source, Reuters

Louis van Gaal getting sacked. Jose Mourinho replacing him. It is the rumour that is taking over the back pages at the moment (and we're not helping by continually referring to it here). However, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has spoken out for LVG..., external

When asked about the rumours, Wenger responded: "I do not want to go in a world of speculation. I personally have a huge respect for Louis van Gaal and I think what is going on there is disrespectful. 

"This guy has worked for 30 years in football and has delivered unbelievable quality of work. I think it is a bit disrespectful what is going on there.

"Of course he deserves more time."

Image source, Getty Images

Manuel Pellegrini also says that striker Sergio Aguero is working towards full fitness and is unlikely to play 90 minutes against Sunderland, or in the two games after that (heads up for fantasy football players).

He was also asked about the title race, to which he responded: "The important thing is to be involved near the top of the table at the end of January. You never win the title in December."

The pre-match Premier League news conferences continue to come thick and fast. Next up is Manchester City. And Manuel Pellegrini has some injury news, which is sure to be a boost after their defeat at Arsenal on Monday...

"The injury situation is better. Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Fernando are all fit and training normally," he says, before adding: "We’ll see the starting XI on Saturday - I have not decided on the team for the game yet. Only Samir Nasri is not fit."