France have been forced to revamp their forward pack for Saturday’s crucial Six Nations title decider against England in Paris following key absences through injury and suspension.

Head coach Fabien Galthie is without Oscar Jegou, who begins a suspension for an eye-gouging incident involving Scotland’s Ewan Ashman.

Anthony Jelonch also misses out after failing to recover from a concussion.

The defending champions must secure a bonus-point victory in the final fixture to retain their tournament crown.

Debut for Matiu in reshuffled pack

Athletic Bordeaux Begles back-rower Temo Matiu has been handed his international debut to fill the void in the pack.

Charles Ollivon shifts from the second row to number eight to accommodate the tactical adjustments.

Toulouse clubmates Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou are paired together in the engine room.

There is also a forced alteration in the backline, with Pierre-Louis Barassi replacing the injured Nicolas Depoortere.

Barassi will partner Yoram Moefana in midfield for the high-stakes showdown.

Title hopes hang in the balance

Les Bleus saw their Grand Slam aspirations evaporate in round four following a heavy 50-40 defeat at Murrayfield.

They were beaten by the English at Twickenham last year, though the visitors have not won on French soil in their last four attempts.

The hosts will know exactly what is required by kick-off, with title rivals Ireland and Scotland meeting earlier on ‘Super Saturday’.

France team to face England

An unnamed Tottenham Hotspur player has reportedly told his teammates he is unconcerned by the club’s relegation battle because he expects to leave this summer.

The north London club find themselves in a deepening crisis, sitting just one point above the Premier League drop zone.

Spurs remain without a domestic victory in 2026 and face a daunting trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

Interim manager Igor Tudor has endured a disastrous start to his tenure, losing all four of his matches in charge since replacing the dismissed Thomas Frank last month.

Squad divisions and mounting frustration

While several squad members remain committed to preserving Tottenham’s top-flight status, they have reportedly voiced frustration over the poor application of certain colleagues.

According to the Athletic, one individual has privately admitted that the threat of Championship football does not bother him due to a guaranteed upcoming transfer.

This internal apathy compounds a miserable week for the club following a humiliating 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Senior stars fail to deliver

The team’s established international players have struggled to provide leadership during this turbulent period.

Argentine World Cup winner Cristian Romero has only recently returned from a four-match suspension, while reports in his homeland suggest he has already decided to depart at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, lightning-fast defender Micky van de Ven was fortunate to avoid consecutive red cards in recent fixtures and is reportedly keen to secure a move that guarantees elite European competition.

Goalkeeping crisis deepens

The goalkeeping department has also become a major source of instability for the struggling outfit.

Regular number one Guglielmo Vicario was dramatically dropped by Tudor for the clash in the Spanish capital amid rumours the Italian is desperate for a return to Serie A.

That managerial decision backfired catastrophically when his replacement, Antonin Kinsky, committed two glaring errors and was substituted just 17 minutes into his first Champions League start.

Regardless of which division they compete in next season, a monumental squad overhaul appears inevitable in north London.

Representatives for Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font have held preliminary transfer discussions with Manchester City executives regarding a future move for striker Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian international remains contracted to the reigning Premier League champions until 2034.

However, speculation over the 25-year-old’s long-term future continues to mount amid uncertainty surrounding manager Pep Guardiola’s tenure at the Etihad Stadium.

Election rival plots marquee signing

Font intends to make the prolific goalscorer his primary acquisition if he defeats incumbent president Joan Laporta in Sunday’s election.

Delegates from Font’s camp reportedly met with City chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Hugo Viana in Madrid on Wednesday.

The two parties are understood to have discussed a clause that would grant the Catalan giants a preferential option to buy the former Borussia Dortmund frontman.

These high-level negotiations took place shortly before City suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat against Real Madrid in their Champions League last-16 first leg.

Financial hurdles and attacking alternatives

Securing a deal for the highly sought-after marksman would prove complex given Barcelona’s well-documented economic constraints.

The La Liga outfit are currently managing a rigid wage structure while simultaneously funding a £1.25bn renovation of their iconic Nou Camp stadium.

Despite these fiscal challenges, current board member Joan Soler recently insisted the club possesses the capability to pursue elite global talent.

“Yes, we could sign players like Julian Alvarez or Erling Haaland. These transfers will pay for themselves within five years, and Barcelona’s finances are ready for it.”

Soler added that the Spanish heavyweights must still remain careful about future commitments regarding their strict wage limits.

The club is actively assessing its forward options with veteran striker Robert Lewandowski approaching the end of his current contract in June.

Despite the Polish international’s advancing years, Laporta has publicly indicated his desire to retain the 37-year-old for a further season.

Mercedes driver George Russell has accused Ferrari of being selfish by blocking proposed FIA changes to the Formula 1 starting procedure ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

The British driver claims the Italian constructor is deliberately preventing an alteration that would resolve severe battery depletion issues on the formation lap.

A quirk in the current regulations caught out several teams during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, leaving drivers on the front half of the grid with a distinct launch disadvantage.

Protecting a competitive advantage

Despite ultimately securing a one-two finish in Melbourne alongside team-mate Kimi Antonelli, both Mercedes cars suffered sluggish getaways when the lights went out.

Conversely, the Scuderia enjoyed exceptional launches, allowing Charles Leclerc to seize the early lead while Lewis Hamilton rapidly advanced through the pack.

Closing this regulatory loophole requires a super majority agreement from the grid, which the 28-year-old insists is currently being strategically withheld.

“Unfortunately, sometimes when you’re trying to make changes for the good of the sport, if a team has a competitive edge – like Ferrari at the moment with the race starts – they wouldn’t wish to see anything changing,” Russell told Sky Sports F1.

Navigating unnecessary complications

Speaking to the written media in Shanghai, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director labelled the resistance as slightly absurd.

“The FIA was looking to potentially adjust that, but as you can imagine some teams who were making good starts didn’t want it, which I think is just a little bit silly,” he explained.

The former Williams racer remains confident that his engineering team can successfully mitigate the battery drain now that the underlying cause is thoroughly understood.

“I don’t think their gain is coming from this issue. Now all the teams know the problem, we’ll just drive around it.”

However, the regulatory dispute adds an extra layer of political tension as the paddock prepares for the first Sprint weekend of the 2026 campaign.

Charles Oliveira earned a $2.28m payout after dominating Max Holloway to win the BMF title via decision at UFC 326.

The Brazilian submission specialist utilised a grappling-heavy approach to secure the victory and avenge his 2015 loss to the same opponent.

Holloway defended valiantly against relentless submission attempts on the canvas but ultimately failed to mount any significant offence.

This decisive triumph provides redemption for the former lightweight champion following his title fight defeat to Ilia Topuria last year.

Record-breaking payouts for main event stars

The main event clash proved incredibly lucrative for both competitors despite the one-sided nature of the bout.

The newly crowned BMF champion walked away with $2,282,000, dwarfing the earnings from his previous unsuccessful title challenge.

His Hawaiian opponent still secured a substantial $1,542,000 purse for his efforts inside the octagon.

The BMF belt itself remains a symbolic honour, having been first introduced by the promotion in 2019 when Nate Diaz faced Jorge Masvidal.

Substantial bonuses awarded across the card

Further down the card, Caio Borralho emerged as the next highest earner by taking home $561,000 for defeating Reinier de Ridder.

De Ridder received a respectable $460,000 following his defeat in the middleweight encounter.

Performance of the Night honours were awarded to Gregory Rodrigues after he secured a first-round knockout over Brunno Ferreira.

Rodrigues was one of four fighters to earn a $100,000 bonus alongside Drew Dober, Rodolfo Bellato, and Alberto Montes.

The bonus structure proved especially transformative for Montes, who effectively quadrupled his initial $28,000 guarantee.

Action-packed preliminary results

Elsewhere on the card, the event featured a notable victory for rising prospect Raul Rosas Jr against veteran Rob Font.

Experienced lightweight Dober also delivered a highlight-reel finish with a devastating knockout win over Michael Johnson.

Overall fight payouts ranged drastically from the multi-million dollar main event purses to preliminary competitors taking home just $16,000.

David Moyes will look to derail Arsenal’s Premier League title charge on Saturday as his resurgent Everton side take their formidable away record to Emirates Stadium.

The Toffees have won more matches on the road than any top-flight team except their upcoming opponents since the 62-year-old returned to Merseyside 14 months ago.

They remain unbeaten away from home since mid-December.

The squad travels to north London boasting a phenomenal record of four victories in their past five away fixtures.

Chasing European qualification

This remarkable transformation on their travels has lifted the club to eighth in the Premier League table.

They now sit just five points adrift of fifth place and potential Champions League qualification.

Securing European football would complete a monumental turnaround for a team recently plagued by points deductions and relegation fears.

While the new Hill Dickinson Stadium is built for grand European nights, it is their resilience outside of Liverpool that has propelled this sudden climb.

Conquering the toughest grounds

The Scottish manager has masterminded victories at some of the most intimidating venues in English football this season.

His squad secured a rare 1-0 triumph against Manchester United at Old Trafford in November despite a red card for Idrissa Gueye.

They followed that up in January by halting Aston Villa’s 11-match home winning streak across all competitions.

A recent away victory at Newcastle United further cemented their reputation as fearless travellers.

Blowing the title race wide open

A shock victory for the visitors this weekend could have massive implications for the championship battle.

Manchester City could close the gap on the league leaders to just four points if they beat West Ham United on Saturday night.

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman insists all the pressure rests squarely on the table-toppers.

“I think in the past, you go there and you’re a little bit worried and hope you might be able to get a result,” Osman said.

“This year it’s a bit different.”

“You’re going to the team seven points clear at the top of the table but I think it’s Arsenal that’ll be more worried.”

“I think they will be nervous going to this game knowing that they have to keep on winning all of the games and realising that this isn’t a pushover.”

Lewis Hamilton has praised Ferrari’s development push as their innovative rotating rear wing, dubbed the ‘macarena’, prepares to make its competitive debut at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Scuderia caused a stir during Bahrain testing last month when they unveiled the unique aerodynamic design on their SF-26 challenger.

Instead of the traditional method where the top element flattens to reduce drag on straights, the new design rotates into an upside-down position.

Although omitted from the season-opening race in Australia, the radical component has been spotted in the pit lane ahead of this weekend’s sprint event in Shanghai.

Accelerated development timeline

The Shanghai International Circuit features a massive 1.1km straight, providing the perfect proving ground for the drag-reduction concept.

Hamilton expressed gratitude for the accelerated engineering effort that allowed the part to arrive earlier than initially planned.

“It’s great to see that the team are fighting, the team are pushing and chasing and really working overtime back at the factory to be able to bring upgrades, because that’s the name of the game.”

The seven-time world champion added that bringing rapid improvements to the track is the essential nature of modern motorsport.

Testing the radical concept

Reflecting on his previous campaign, the British driver admitted he did not experience his team’s full potential regarding in-season upgrades as resources had already shifted toward future cars.

The veteran confirmed Ferrari completed a full day of running with the new element during pre-season testing.

When asked if he could feel a tangible difference from the cockpit during its initial trials, his response was highly pragmatic.

“Unfortunately, it did the same, we just see it in the mirror.”

Despite the lack of a noticeable sensation behind the wheel, he noted that he is eager to see how the component performs under intense racing conditions this weekend.

Arsenal have submitted a bid for Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez as manager Mikel Arteta seeks an upgrade on summer signing Viktor Gyokeres.

The Gunners currently hold a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

However, their striking options have come under intense scrutiny following a 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Seeking European pedigree

Swedish international Gyokeres has scored 15 goals in 39 appearances since arriving in north London.

Despite those respectable domestic numbers, the striker struggled to make an impact in Germany on Wednesday night.

He completed just 11 passes and failed to register a single shot before being substituted after 64 minutes.

Kai Havertz eventually rescued a draw for the English side with a controversial 89th-minute penalty against his former employers.

Targeting a World Cup winner

With Havertz managing persistent injury issues and Gabriel Jesus lacking prolific form, Arsenal are pursuing elite attacking reinforcements.

The club have firmly turned their attention to Alvarez after monitoring him closely across several recent transfer windows.

The Argentine attacker has established himself as a vital asset under Diego Simeone since departing Manchester City.

He is extraordinary.

Those were the words of international team-mate Lionel Messi when discussing the young forward’s abilities following their World Cup triumph.

The former City star already possesses invaluable experience of winning the English top flight.

Arsenal are now understood to be leading fierce rivals Tottenham in the race to secure his lucrative signature ahead of the summer window.