We have heard from Watford, now let's hear from their opponents on Saturday, Crystal Palace.

Boss Alan Pardew starts off with some team news. He says: "Gayley (Dwight Gayle) is hopefully available, he's trained this week. Connor Wickham returns after his ban. So it's a little bit better.

"Yannick Bolasie and Bakary Sako should be back next week. They're both running, but not back with the group yet."

There's also better news for James McArthur, who won't need surgery on an ankle injury, with Pardew saying the midfielder could be back in action before the end of the season.

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores has been explaining in more detail his decision to drop captain Troy Deeney to the bench for last week’s defeat at Tottenham in the Premier League.

Tiredness was cited at the time and the skipper is expected to return to the side for Saturday’s match at Crystal Palace.

“The players need to understand we are a group," said Flores. "We don’t have individual targets, we are always on the side of the collective targets and Deeney is the first player in the group who understands.

“Deeney is very important to the team but I need to think about him for the season. It is important not to do a drama when some player is on the bench. We have 25 players; it's unfair when some players are playing and others are not playing. All the players want to play so I understand perfectly the character of the players.”

Image source, Getty Images

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores is aware of Saturday’s opponents Crystal Palace’s recent poor form but still sees them as a dangerous team.

"They are now on a bad run like us but they have a very good coach, they have really good players, we play away so we respect a lot and we need our best performance,” said Flores.

“They are dangerous on set pieces, dangerous on the long balls. It’s a very good team; for sure they will think against Watford it’s a good opportunity (to win).”

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

Watford are waiting on the fitness of defender Miguel Britos before the Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday. The centre-back was taken off with a dead leg at Tottenham last week.

“He received a very hard kick in the muscle in the leg. If he can’t play another player will have a good opportunity,” said boss Quique Sanchez Flores.

The manager rotated his squad last week and will not be afraid to do so again if fatigue becomes an issue with players.

“There has been a lot of matches in the last three months and we need to manage," added Sanchez Flores. "The recovery of the players is not the same for each player: it’s completely different. Sometimes players need more recovery.”

Sunderland Ladies have signed midfielder Krystle Johnston on a one-year deal and defender Rachel Pitman on a two-year contract.

Bury-born Johnston, 31, had been without a club after leaving Manchester City at the end of the 2015 season.

England youth international Pitman, 22, joins following her return from DePaul University in Chicago.

Here's an interesting one...

Cricketers could face punishments similar to yellow and red cards in new plans by the game's law-makers the MCC.

Umpires will not have cards but will be able to dismiss players or send them to a sin-bin in trials that will begin at club, school and university levels.

Image source, Getty Images

"We hear that few people want to become umpires and that some stop because they're not liking the environment," said MCC head of laws Fraser Stewart.

Five club matches were abandoned in the UK last year because of violence.

Read the full piece here

Sam Clarke: Villa pretty reasonable, can usually get some decent deals on family/concessions. Pies alright too. Shame about the football.

billybunter3rd: Best value - how about Birmingham v Bolton, which is £20 & includes a free pie and a free pint. 

Jamie: Carlisle United! £15-£20 for a ticket, scoring and conceding faster than you can count, and the best pitch outside of the BPL.

Keep your comments coming in to us, using #bbcsportsday on Twitter or leave a message on the Match of the Day Facebook page., external

Are Derby County burying their heads in the sand with this one?

The club have not approached former Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson about succeeding Paul Clement as their new head coach, BBC Derby Sport reports.

Image source, Getty Images

Pearson, 52, has been strongly linked with the role following Clement's sacking on Monday.

But the Rams are adamant Darren Wassall, who was appointed on a deal until the end of the season, will be given time to prove his worth.

Pearson was sacked by Leicester at the end of June.

This is something spectacular...

England's Kyren Wilson and Anthony Hamilton have made history by scoring six consecutive centuries in a snooker match.

The pair were playing at the China Open qualifiers in Barnsley, with Wilson beating Hamilton 5-3 for a place at the Beijing finals in March.

Image source, Getty Images

The 24-year-old scored four centuries, while Hamilton, 44, scored two tons to break the previous record of five.

Only two matches had previously gained five consecutive centuries.

Read the full piece here

Taking of Manchester United, Jose Mourinho is the "perfect man" to help the club compete with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City next season, according to former Porto striker Benni McCarthy.

The BBC has learned ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho is in talks to replace Louis van Gaal as United manager this summer.

Image source, Getty Images

McCarthy, 38, played under Mourinho during the Portuguese's time at Porto.

"Mourinho is one of those people who knows how to beat Guardiola's tactics," he told BBC Sport.

Read the interview in full here

Manchester United haven't performed up to standards on the pitch, but it's looking good off it. The club have released their second quarter results to 31 January 2016.

• Total revenue £133.8m - increase of 26.6% for the quarter
• Commercial revenue £66.1 million up 42.5% for the quarter
• Broadcasting revenues of £37.3 million up 31.3% for the quarter
• Matchday revenue £30.4m, down 1.6%
• Debt up 6% to £322.1m

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said: "Our strong commitment to investing in our squad, youth academy and the broader club are ultimately underpinned by our financial strength and the hard work and dedication of everyone at the club. 

"Our solid results off the pitch help contribute to what remains our number one priority - success on the pitch.”  

Former British and Commonwealth super-featherweight champion Kevin Mitchell has retired.

The 31-year-old Englishman won 39 of his 43 fights and was due to face Finland's Edis Tatli on 18 March.

Image source, PA

After moving up to lightweight, the Dagenham boxer fought twice for a world title, but lost each time.

"I was in the gym training for the Edis Tatli fight and I just didn't really feel that I have enough to go through the training once again," he said.

Read the full piece here

Image source, Getty Images

2012: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez refused to shake the hand of Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra as the pair faced each other for the first time since a racism storm.

A Question of Sport Teaser

A happy birthday to Australian Neil Robertson.

Today's teaser is: Since 1990, Robertson and which four snooker players have only reached one World Championship final? 

Answers to be revealed later this afternoon.

Image source, Getty Images

2007: After a 5-0 Ashes defeat, England won the one-day international Commonwealth Bank Series 2-0 after clinching victory over Australia in Sydney.

Two-time medallist Sam Ingram will head a four-strong Great Britain judo team for the Rio Paralympics.

The Edinburgh-based 30-year-old won silver in the -90kg category at London 2012, having taken bronze in Beijing in 2008.

"My experiences in London have really spurred me on to Rio," he said.

He will be joined in Brazil by Games debutants Jono Drane (-81kg), Chris Skelley (-100kg) and Jack Hodgson (+100kg).

Other parts of Prince Ali bin Hussein's mandate, as he hopes he will be voted as the next Fifa president on February 26, include...

• Fifa presidents will be restricted to serving two four-year terms (Sepp Blatter was president for 17 years before being suspended in 2015)
• He is open to the idea of an expanded World Cup, but only if clubs, associations and potential host nations agree
• Women's rights and equality in football would be "pushed a lot more"
• More steps taken to end discrimination in the game
• For Fifa to become "transparent" and "ethical"
• To contact the Swiss and US Attorney Generals to offer Fifa's full co-operation into their investigations
• The full 'Garcia Report' (which looked at the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups) to be published.
• Technology to be introduced more and used further in football

Image source, Getty Images

Prince Ali bin Hussein, who could be the next man to lead world football, says he "will accept "responsibility for Fifa's actions" and "help unite the world".

He adds: "The world is cleaning Fifa up, whether Fifa likes it and Fifa can help with a real culture change.

"There are so many good people in Fifa but many feel fear, and with good reason. The 209 members know Fifa is in crisis. Will a small group of Fifa members hold Fifa hostage?

"I want to see football run the right way. Less than a year ago many European countries joined with me to change a president. With Europe's help we can finish the job. I'm there to unite the world. In terms of integrity, responsibility and a proven record, I believe I'm the best person to lead Fifa."

Image source, Getty Images

Steve McManaman - former Real Madrid, Liverpool and England midfielder, born 1972.

Nick Barmby - former Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham and England midfielder, who also played for and managed Hull, born 1974. 

Neil Robertson - Australia's 2010 world snooker champion, born 1982. 

Rafael van der Vaart -Real Betis and Netherlands midfielder, born 1983.

Some more quotes from Prince Ali bin Hussein, who is hoping to be elected as the next Fifa president.

"I believe in what Fifa can do and I'm trying to save the organisation and bring it back on track," says Ali.  

"There is a call around the world to change the organisation and this is our last chance to get it right. February is the most crucial date in history of governance of the sport.

"If things go in the wrong direction then I'm concerned that there will be more of a call to have a different organisation or change Fifa completely. We have wasted a year already and we need to get back in shape and back to serving the sport."

Image source, Getty Images