Colorado Avalanche star defenceman Cale Makar will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday because of injury.
Head coach Jared Bednar has listed the elite blueliner as day-to-day as he continues his recovery.
Despite skating on Monday and Wednesday morning, the Norris Trophy finalist did not participate in Tuesday’s practice session.
Multiple injury concerns
Sources indicate the 25-year-old is managing more than one physical issue during this gruelling postseason run.
However, a specific injury sustained and re-aggravated during the previous series against the Minnesota Wild is the primary reason for his absence.
Jack Ahcan will be drafted into the lineup to replace the defensive anchor, although he is only expected to play a limited role.
‘You can’t replace him’
Fellow Avalanche defenceman Sam Malinski acknowledged the immense challenge of playing without their talisman.
“Obviously, it would be great to have him out here,” Malinski said.
“You can’t replace him, and we’re going to miss him out there. Yeah, hopefully we can still get it done without him.”
The standout skater has been a crucial component of a Colorado side that boasts an impressive 8-1 record in the playoffs.
Across nine postseason appearances this year, the offensive defenceman has registered five points and 18 blocked shots, while averaging almost 25 minutes of ice time per game.
Positive news elsewhere
While losing their star player is a significant blow, the Avalanche will welcome back Artturi Lehkonen and Malinski to the active roster.
Both players missed the final two games of the second round against Minnesota but are fully expected to feature on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Bednar has confirmed that Scott Wedgewood will start in goal as Colorado aim to take an early series lead.
Aston Villa have made a substantial transfer offer to sign Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara as manager Unai Emery prepares his squad for a return to the Champions League.
The 26-year-old has emerged as a primary target for the Midlands club following their recent qualification for Europe’s premier club competition.
Emery’s side secured a top-five Premier League finish by defeating Liverpool 4-2 at Villa Park last week.
Galatasaray standout attracts heavy English interest
The Brazilian playmaker is no stranger to the English game, having spent two impressive years with Norwich City before transferring to the Turkish Super Lig in 2024.
Since arriving in Istanbul, the former Championship midfielder has amassed 87 appearances, contributing eight goals and 15 assists across all competitions.
Turkish sports journalist Süleyman Rodo claims the pursuit of the player is advancing rapidly behind the scenes.
“Aston Villa’s offer for Gabriel Sara is quite serious. At the end of this process, Gabriel Sara is expected to most likely be heading to England.”
Süleyman Rodo
Champions League football provides crucial advantage
The promise of top-tier European fixtures could prove decisive, with rival suitors Newcastle United and Everton both missing out on elite continental qualification.
The Magpies are facing a bottom-half finish, while the Toffees sit on identical points and require highly favourable final-day results to secure a lesser European spot.
Villa are guaranteed at least fifth place and will conclude their domestic campaign against Manchester City on Sunday.
Despite his consistent club form, the dynamic midfielder was recently omitted from Carlo Ancelotti’s upcoming Brazil squad for the World Cup.
Securing a prominent Premier League role could provide the perfect platform for the South American to reignite his international ambitions.
Chelsea are preparing a £35m player-plus-cash bid involving Tosin Adarabioyo to sign Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix this summer.
The Blues are actively planning for a new era under incoming manager Xabi Alonso following a challenging Premier League campaign.
Interim boss Calum McFarlane currently has the side sitting eighth, with Europa League qualification remaining a possibility heading into the final weekend.
Search for ready-made experience
The Stamford Bridge hierarchy recognise an urgent need for immediate first-team reinforcements to complement their recent strategy of acquiring youth.
According to recent reports, the West London club intend to use Tosin as a makeweight to test Palace’s resolve.
The French centre-back is understood to be open to the switch in hopes of elevating his profile for the national team.
Oliver Glasner has been vocal about his admiration for the player’s recent performances.
He has been outstanding.
Eagles hold strong negotiating position
The former Wolfsburg man has thrived with added responsibility at Selhurst Park since Marc Guehi departed for Manchester City.
It remains to be seen whether a part-exchange offer will persuade the south Londoners to lower their £52m valuation.
The Eagles boast a strong hand at the negotiating table with the commanding centre-half firmly contracted until 2029.
Having initially secured the defender for just under £16m, accepting the proposed package would still represent a significant financial profit.
Ecuador’s Jhonatan Narvaez sprinted to his third stage victory of this year’s Giro d’Italia by edging out Enric Mas at the end of a 195km route to Chiavari, while Afonso Eulalio retained the overall lead.
The UAE Team Emirates XRG rider outpaced Movistar’s Mas to the line after the pair broke clear of their fellow escapees on the final climb.
Italian Diego Ulissi finished in third place to complete the podium on a demanding day in the saddle.
Mas falls short despite late attack
Making his debut in the Italian Grand Tour, Mas launched a blistering attack on an uncategorised climb just before the finish.
However, the three-time Vuelta a Espana runner-up was unable to distance his South American rival on the ensuing descent.
“Mas was the strongest in the climb and I knew I had to play my game, I just tried to defend myself on the uphill.”
“I was scared because when he did the sprint he almost closed me on the barriers and I was on the limit, but it was full gas racing all day, because we don’t race just in the uphills, we race on the downhills also.”
Eulalio maintains advantage over Vingegaard
The main peloton safely crossed the line more than three minutes behind the breakaway duo, ensuring no significant changes at the top of the general classification.
Bahrain Victorious rider Eulalio successfully defended his 27-second advantage over pre-race favourite Jonas Vingegaard.
The Portuguese cyclist will continue to wear the coveted pink jersey during Thursday’s stage 12.
The upcoming route features a relatively flat 175km journey from Imperia to Novi Ligure, which is widely expected to favour the remaining sprinters in the field.
Tennis players competing at the French Open are planning to limit their pre-tournament media duties this Friday in a coordinated protest against their share of the prize money.
A collective of competitors is targeting the upcoming clay-court Grand Slam after alleging their revenue portion has been reduced to just 14.3 per cent.
This figure sits in stark contrast to the 22 per cent share typically offered at other ATP and WTA events throughout the season.
Threats of a Grand Slam boycott
Top-ranked stars including Aryna Sabalenka and world number four Coco Gauff have previously voiced strong concerns regarding the ongoing financial dispute.
The high-profile pair even threatened a potential boycott of the sport’s major tournaments earlier this month if compensation levels failed to improve.
According to French newspaper L’Equipe, many participants intend to restrict their interactions with reporters to a strict 15-minute window during the traditional media day.
Organisers express disappointment
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has expressed profound regret over the planned action in a formal statement to The Associated Press.
“This initiative penalises all stakeholders involved in the tournament: the media, broadcasters, federation staff and the entire tennis community that enthusiastically follows each edition of Roland Garros.”
Tournament organisers recently announced a roughly 10 per cent increase in the overall prize pot, bringing the total compensation to 61.7 million euros (£52.5 million).
However, competitors argue that their underlying share of tournament revenues will actually diminish despite the headline funding boost.
Demands for structural reform
The Belarusian world number two Sabalenka and Italian men’s world number one Jannik Sinner were among a group of leading athletes who issued a critical statement in May.
Beyond immediate monetary remuneration, the athletes are actively advocating for enhanced representation, improved health provisions and better pension schemes.
These broader welfare demands are aimed at all four majors, encompassing the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open alongside the Paris event.
The FFT has affirmed its commitment to ongoing dialogue and confirmed that a critical meeting with player representatives will take place on Friday.
Uefa will introduce a two-tier qualification process for the 2030 World Cup, ending uncompetitive fixtures between major countries and minor nations such as San Marino and Gibraltar.
Critics have campaigned for years to restructure the international calendar in order to eliminate severe mismatches during qualification cycles.
Under the newly ratified rules, the top 36 European teams – determined by the 2028 Nations League standings – will compete in League 1.
The remaining 18 lower-ranked countries will participate in a separate League 2 tournament, creating a fairer environment with a greater chance of positive results.
Swiss model replaces traditional group stage
Qualification for the premier tier has been radically revamped to mirror the new Champions League format.
Instead of the traditional home-and-away group stage, all 36 teams will be drawn into three large groups of 12.
Every nation will play six matches against six different opponents, comprising three home fixtures and three away ties.
The best-ranked teams in each League 1 group will secure automatic progression to the global showpiece, with the remaining places decided via a play-off system.
European football’s governing body has yet to confirm the exact breakdown of automatic qualification slots for the tournament.
Ceferin highlights competitive balance
The 18 teams relegated to League 2 will effectively consist of the current League C runners-up and below, alongside all seven countries in League D.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin outlined the reasoning behind the dramatic shift in policy.
“The new formats will improve competitive balance, reduce the number of dead matches, offer a more appealing and dynamic competition to fans, while ensuring a fair qualification chance for all teams and without adding any additional dates in the international calendar.”
The Slovenian official’s remarks underscore a shift towards prioritizing competitive tension over traditional geographical or seeded group draws.
Nations League restructuring
In addition to the World Cup changes, the Nations League will also undergo a significant restructure starting in 2028.
The tournament will be streamlined into three divisions of 18 teams, with each division split into three groups of six.
Participating sides will still play six matches against five different opponents, drawing from three separate seeding pots.
The familiar semi-finals, finals, promotion, and relegation mechanics will remain central to the competition’s identity.
Heart of Midlothian have formally written to Scottish football authorities seeking clarity over the premature conclusion of Saturday’s Premiership title decider following a pitch invasion by Celtic supporters.
A 3-1 victory secured another top-flight crown for the Glasgow giants.
The disruption occurred in stoppage time when Callum Osmand’s goal sparked a mass incursion onto the Celtic Park playing surface by the home crowd.
Play did not resume following the late strike.
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) subsequently insisted the match had concluded before fans entered the field.
Troubling precedent fears
The Edinburgh club strongly dispute the official timeline of events.
A statement released on Wednesday expressed deep concern that the actions of supporters effectively halted the fixture rather than the referee’s whistle.
The Tynecastle side warned this scenario establishes a highly problematic template for the sport.
We have also written to the SFA and SPFL setting out our observations and questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the premature ending of the match.
Police investigations continue
The Premiership runners-up confirmed they are actively assisting Police Scotland with ongoing enquiries into the weekend’s disorder.
Club officials also strongly condemned public remarks made this week that appeared to defend the fans who encroached onto the grass.
Those remarks carry dangerous implications, and we call upon the football authorities to ensure that this matter is addressed with the seriousness it demands.
Wait for historic triumph goes on
Saturday’s defeat extinguished the visitors’ dream of breaking the long-standing Old Firm monopoly.
No team outside of Glasgow has lifted the top-tier trophy since Aberdeen achieved the historic feat in 1985.
The reigning champions have now claimed 14 of the last 15 domestic titles.
Former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick has been elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee after securing 92% of the vote on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old began his premier class career under immensely difficult circumstances in 2001, unexpectedly stepping in to replace the late Dale Earnhardt.
Over two decades at the highest level of stock car racing, the California native established himself as an all-time great.
A staggering legacy on and off the track
The 2014 series champion amassed 60 race victories, conquering all four crown jewel events at Daytona, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Darlington.
He also boasts an incredible 121 combined wins across the sport’s three national divisions.
“Even though you’re expecting the call, it’s still somewhat weird to get the call.”
Harvick said.
Beyond his driving accolades, the former racing star has successfully transitioned into a broadcasting role with Fox Sports.
‘The complete package’
The newly minted Hall of Famer also serves as a championship-winning car owner, track partner and management company executive.
Fellow NASCAR legend Tony Stewart praised his former driver’s immense versatility and mental toughness.
“He’s definitely deserving, for sure. The thing that I learned firsthand working with Kevin and driving his cars, he is the complete package.”
Stewart said.
Stewart emphasised that statistics only tell a fraction of the veteran driver’s story.
Reflecting on a remarkable journey
“People don’t realize how good he is. There is nobody that can do what he does.”
Stewart added.
Reflecting on his journey from racing go-karts in rural fields, the newest inductee admitted the recognition felt surreal.
He noted that waiting for the voting results in his pickup truck felt slightly uncomfortable, not wanting to appear arrogant.
“To be amongst the best that have ever done it in our sport, it’s pretty rewarding.”
Harvick concluded.