When asked about the controversy surrounding Premier League ticket prices, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has sounded a note of caution.

"One very important thing for the Premier League is to be concerned with their fans," he said.

"It’s very dangerous to have high prices. It’s an important thing for clubs to have a normal price so fans keep coming." 

Mark Cavendish has won the Tour of Qatar for the second time.

Cavendish won the first of the race’s five stages on Monday, had two second-place finishes behind Kristoff and rode a superb time trial on Wednesday.

Today, Cavendish lost the second photo-finish of the week to his Norwegian rival Alexander Kristoff but his second place in the final stage was enough to seal his second overall win.

Watch our news report as BBC sports editor Dan Roan is told by unnamed athletes that doping is commonplace in Kenya.

James Hardy: Biased but most exciting PL season is 1998/99. Utd & Arsenal battling throughout, ending with an unpredictable treble

Scott Barlow: Exciting season surely 95/96 - King (Cantona) returned, Keegan ranted, United won the double, City got relegated. Plus the white suits.

Daniel Robertson: This one because of the unpredictability of it and Leicester going from relegation favourites to title contenders in a year.

Keep your suggestions coming in, using #bbcsportsday or via the Match of the Day Facebook page.

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The top four face off in the Premier League this Sunday as Leicester travel to Arsenal and Manchester City host Tottenham.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is asked what the best result would be in the other match.

"It is not important for us, we need to focus on our game," he said. "After Sunday, if different results happen nothing changes because there are still a lot of games to be played.

"We need to try to improve and take the three points against Man City. That is the most important thing."

Apart from Kurt Zouma, Chelsea will also be without suspended midfielder Nemanja Matic, and on-loan forward Alexandre Pato, although the Brazilian could feature next weekend when they play Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is regarded as one of the most exciting young managers in football and he has been linked with a move to Manchester United.

Asked what he thinks about Sir Alex Ferguson's comments that the Argentine is "the best manager in the Premier League",, external he replied: "I don't know if it is true or not, he has not called me and I haven't heard it in the media. It is just rumour, I don't know if it is true."

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink says the club have "addressed the insecurities in the team" but must now start winning games.

However, Hiddink adds that "teams have less fear" when they come to Stamford Bridge and that will be something the players "have to deal with".

Chelsea have drew six of the eight Premier League matches since Hiddink returned to the club and the Dutchman says that "while being unbeaten sounds good, everybody wishes we had had more wins".

South Africa are going well in their reply to England's 262-9 in the second Women's ODI at Centurion.

The home side are 122-1 after 31 overs. 

Follow the latest here.

The talk turns to French defender Kurt Zouma, who will miss the rest of the season and the European Championships in the summer after suffering a serious knee injury.

The 21-year-old damaged his anterior cruciate ligament during Chelsea's game versus Manchester United.

"It is a real shame Zouma will be out for so long, especially as he was in good form and the Euros in France are coming up," says Hiddink, who believes his side has enough squad strength to cover Zouma's absence.

"We have no fear of bringing youngsters in," adds the Dutchman.  

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City might have dropped to fourth in the Premier League after losing to Leicester last weekend but manager Manuel Pellegrini is refusing to panic as they prepare to face second-placed Spurs on Sunday.

"Maybe we have a lot of criticism when we don’t play well but I’m happy with the squad over the whole season," he said.

"Spurs are a good team, they are involved in the title with 13 games to go.

“It’s not a decisive game but a very important game - afterwards we will play for another 36 points." 

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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino opens his news conference by giving an update on the injury situation at the club.

Defender Jan Vertonghen and forward Clinton N'Jie are both out of the match against Manchester City, but the rest of the squad is available.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has revealed that striker Diego Costa broke his nose in training yesterday. 

However, the Dutchman adds that Costa will be back later today to do some light training and then join his team-mates in the hotel tonight.

Costa is expected to be available for Saturday's game against Newcastle. Hiddink says the incident was an "accidental one as he challenged for a header".

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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has been asked about the date for City's FA Cup tie against Chelsea which comes three days before City face Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League.

"I thought the correct day was the Saturday as we have to play Kiev on the Wednesday," he said.

"The FA must protect teams playing in Europe as everyone wants good results. I thought it was logical to play one day before.”

England captain Dylan Hartley is in a confident mood before his side's match against Italy, although he admits they will have to stop Italian captain Sergio Parisse

"It is always tight games there and it has always been an arm wrestle," says Hartley.

"They are a strong, proud team at home but we are confident. Parisse is their talisman, a good player, and he is definitely a guy we will be going after.

"We haven't lost to Italy before. You can call it expectation or pressure, I call it expectation and we are confident."

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Simon Stone
BBC Sport

"It is fair to say Louis van Gaal does not have a high opinion of some sections of the media.

"He is adamant stories about his future have been completely made up and should be the subject of no further discussion.

"Whether that is likely or not, he certainly believes it and he won't be changing his mind unless the evidence proves otherwise.

"Yet Van Gaal accepts his future is out of his hands. Finishing in the top four would obviously help."

Saracens forward Maro Itoje is in line to make his England debut after he was named on the bench for Sunday's Six Nations game against Italy in Rome. And England coach Eddie Jones is full of praise for Itoje. Well, sort of.

"He is like a Vauxhall Viva, we want to make him into a BMW," says Jones, who is looking to make gradual improvements to his team.

"When you climb up the ladder, you have to take each step at a time as if you miss one step, you will fall abruptly."

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Off to the other side of Manchester and City manager Manuel Pellegrini has good news and bad news on the injury front.

The good news is that captain Vincent Kompany is available for Sunday's game against Spurs after a calf injury while David Silva is also fit again.

However, the bad news is that Bacary Sagna, Eliaquim Mangala, Fabian Delph, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas, Kevin De Bruyne and Wilfried Bony are out.  

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Van Gaal was also asked whether the team can cope with the pressure of chasing a Champions League place.

"We are doing great under pressure," he says. "We have lost four matches in a row. You see us playing now we are mentally very strong. We can cope with the pressure. We have to improve our consistency. We have to win a lot of matches in a row.

"We don't have to look at our competitors. You have to win  your own matches first. That is why we were so frustrated at Chelsea. We know the top four play against each other. It is sure some competitors will lose points. We have to win first."

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As sure as night follows day, the subject of Louis Van Gaal's future at Manchester United raised its head once again at his news conference ahead of the trip to Sunderland.

The Dutchman denied he needed a statement of backing from the club. "I said it many times," he said. "A lot of media is inventing stories. You don't have to answer."

When asked if he really believed the stories were complete fabrication and invented from nothing, he answered "yes".

And when he was quizzed about whether he would still be at Old Trafford next season if they don't finish in the top four he responded:"It is not a question of me. It is a question of the board of Man Utd. I have a contract for three years."