Winger is strong believer in mental preparation and will not let bike accident affect him if picked against Slovakia

There is, frankly, only one place to start with Anthony Gordon and it is not only because he is handed a pair of stabilisers as a present when he walks in to address the media – a reference to his much talked-about and laughed-about bike crash on Wednesday during England’s recovery day.

It is hard to ignore the cuts and grazes, especially the deep red one in the middle of his chin. There are some on the Newcastle winger’s nose and arms, while they are also all over his hands. When somebody goes to shake with him, he pulls away defensively, which does not suggest he is battle-ready for Sunday’s last-16 tie against Slovakia. It turns out to be wrong. He says he is completely fine. So what happened?

After a fine debut season with Chelsea the winger is unfazed by his late miss on his tournament debut against Slovenia

By the time our 20 minutes with Cole Palmer are up, the England winger has managed to rave about Riyad Mahrez’s first touch, reveal that Austria have been one of his favourite teams at Euro 2024, claim Londoners are way moodier than northerners, talk about getting on for 20 minutes against Slovenia, praise Mauricio Pochettino’s time at Chelsea, elaborate on his relationship with Enzo Maresca and, most importantly of all, correct erroneous reports that he has an obsession with baked beans.

The answers are short, sweet and often pretty illuminating. Palmer does not skip a beat before revealing that his first position was left-back. It was a throwaway comment, but he suddenly looks horrified. He glances at the press officer sitting to his left and wonders if he has put his foot in it. Is Gareth Southgate about to stumble upon the answer to England’s problem position? “I am talking under-10s!” Palmer says. “Under-10s! I have never played left-back since. I was tiny and I just got put left-back. When I was 12 I moved further and further up.”

• 22-year-old is at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands
• Maatsen spent second half of last season at Dortmund

Aston Villa have announced the signing of left-back Ian Maatsen from Premier League rivals Chelsea for a reported £37.5m. The Netherlands international was part of the Borussia Dortmund team beaten by Real Madrid in last season’s Champions League final during a season-long loan move from Stamford Bridge.

Maatsen, who is currently with his country at Euro 2024 in Germany, becomes Unai Emery’s second summer signing following the arrival of forward Lewis Dobbin from Everton. Villa are preparing for Champions League football next season after finishing fourth in the top flight.

England lost to the tournament’s best team in the semi-final and India’s display makes them favourites to win the trophy

A washout in Guyana on Thursday, for the semi-final between England and India, would have been disastrous for this T20 World Cup. It really isn’t ideal that one semi-final, played between South Africa and Afghanistan, had a reserve day and the other didn’t. The ruling that the side that topped their Super Eight group advanced to the final in case of an abandonment is also unconvincing. It must also seem strange to people that India knew before the tournament where their semi-final would be held if they got that far. I’m just glad the match got played.

The conditions on offer were probably the most difficult this England side could have faced. The pitch didn’t suit their natural style of cricket and was more like one you would find in India as opposed to England. Given that India got a score that was 15, possibly 20, runs above par, England were right to go hard in the powerplay. But it is a high-risk policy, and it was unfortunate their shots didn’t come off. Axar Patel was the star man for India, but Kuldeep Yadav bowled beautifully. He has improved so much, particularly in the past two years, with his variations of pace, and Jasprit Bumrah’s wonderful cutter to get rid of Phil Salt set the tone.

Francesco Calzona’s close-knit team have built a formidable rhythm with input from their former star Marek Hamsik

While England scramble around for cohesion, their next opponents have established a throbbing rhythm. Milan Skriniar prepared to offer his perspective on Sunday’s meeting but had to wait while the Slovakia kitman, Marek Kosan, took the floor. The camp had made a deal: if they progressed from the group stage he would have to publicly demonstrate his beatboxing skills. Kosan had no hiding place so played the captain in, accepting both enthusiastic applause and the unexpected consequences of success.

Slovakia hope a similarly pulsating display will break new ground on Sunday. They have never reached a quarter-final but feel rested and well prepared in historic Mainz, away from the crowds but only half an hour from the Frankfurt stadium where two of their previous games took place. The Gutenberg press and gegenpress were both born here: the latter comes to mind when Slovakia arrive to train at Bruchwegstadion, the atmospheric old ground where Jürgen Klopp made his name at Mainz.

• Lando Norris second and Oscar Piastri third
• Horner tries to cool row with Verstappen’s father Jos

Max Verstappen opened the Austrian Grand Prix weekend in confident form once more, claiming pole position for Saturday’s sprint race at the Red Bull Ring. The Red Bull driver was commanding in Spielberg, beating the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri into second and third. Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth and Lewis Hamilton was sixth.

In the truncated sprint qualifying, just one lap in Q3 for each driver was to be decisive, with Verstappen having been quickest in the opening two sessions. Hamilton and Russell led the field out as the clock ticked down, with Russell setting the pace but he was edged out by Norris, before Verstappen once more closed it out with no little control in a time of 1min 04.686sec almost a tenth up on Russell, to claim the Dutchman’s eighth sprint pole.

While many Italians were relieved to squeeze past Croatia, the manager still feels he has more to prove at Euro 2024

To watch Luciano Spalletti speak at the end of Italy’s draw against Croatia felt like being pitched into an alternate timeline. Outside, on the pitch at Leipzig Stadium, there had been joy and relief for the Azzurri after Mattia Zaccagni’s 98th-minute equaliser secured progress to Euro 2024’s knockout phase. Inside, at the press conference, there was the sort of prickly postmortem you might expect after early elimination.

In a series of monologues, Spalletti railed against perceived critics. When one journalist, Dario Ricci, asked whether the decision to change formation to a 3-5-2 had been influenced by a “pact” with players, the manager accused him of sharing leaked information from the changing room.

Everyone is annoyed after three games of football. No one is having a good time. And it is objectively hilarious

When was the moment you thought it was going to be one of those England games? 13min 29sec for me, Clive. John Stones overhits a relatively straightforward crossfield pass to Kieran Trippier. The makeshift left‑back (he’s right-footed in case you hadn’t been made aware) performs the classic “right idea” applause over his head as the ball sails out for a throw-in to Slovenia.

Thirteen and a half minutes is a little impatient. But this quickly became one of those games where you start wondering if you floss enough, or if your pension is invested ethically. This was 13 and a half minutes on top of the 90 against Denmark and at least 45 against Serbia. Game after game of footballing atrophy. Elite players degenerating in front of your eyes.

• Team thrashed by India in T20 World Cup semi-final
• Coach believes he and captain Buttler should keep roles

Matthew Mott insists his leadership partnership with Jos Buttler has been “galvanised” and, given the chance to continue after England’s T20 World Cup mauling by India, believes the team will bounce back “bigger, ­badder and better”.

Having secured the trophy in Australia back in 2022, both Mott, the head coach, and Buttler, the captain, find themselves under pressure, with a lamentable 50-over World Cup defence in India last winter now followed by a spasmodic T20 campaign that saw only associate teams and West Indies beaten before a gory semi-final exit.

• Foden back training after returning home for child’s birth
• Gallagher set to drop out for last-16 tie against Slovakia

Gareth Southgate is giving strong consideration to sticking with his first-choice attack after Phil Foden returned to training on Friday and took part in England’s preparations for their last-16 tie against Slovakia.

Southgate, who has come under heavy criticism for his tactics at Euro 2024, is not expected to do anything drastic against Slovakia on Sunday and is veering towards making only one change, with ­Kobbie Mainoo set to replace Conor ­Gallagher in midfield.

Lacklustre Euro 2024 performances may prompt faddish quick fixes but the real key to success may lie in replacing fear with the fun players felt as 10-year-olds

Sporting success isn’t down to pickle juice, according to a leading sports psychologist. The secret isn’t to be found in the inflatable unicorns England’s players famously mounted to recuperate in the pool. Or the £3,400 electric bikes they pedalled to boost their post-match recovery. It’s not even about the manager.

“Instead, what I’m going to say will horrify you,” said Michael Caulfield, who has worked in professional sport for more than 25 years. “Football is – or should be – only about joy.”

Take your mind away from the consequences of your action and focus on the action. Anxiety, fear, stress are projections of the future: concentrate on the present.

Learn how to change your perceived reality. Premier League footballers learn to shut out fans if they feel oppressed by them. This could help people who don’t like public speaking, for example, who can see their audience as more intimidating than they may actually be.

Find a ritual to recover from disappointment that creates positivity.

Learn from those you admire. Stay close to them and be forgiving of their mistakes and failures.

Don’t have top tips, said Caulfield, because by tomorrow someone else will have come up with five other tips and “you’ll be completely confused”. “A good grandparent is better than any tip,” he said. “Turn to grey hair because the chances are they’ve been through a bit. They’re not right or wrong but they’ll ask the right questions and help you sort things out.”

The 37-year-old’s love of tennis and desire to compete has never dimmed – and fighting to the bitter end is a legacy for which he should be revered

On the eve of the Queen’s Club championship nearly two weeks ago, Andy Murray was announced as part of the Great Britain Olympic team for the fifth time in his career. The Olympics have become, in a way, Murray’s one stronghold at the top of professional tennis. He remains the only player in the Open era to win two singles gold medals, which is more than Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer combined.

During his press conference that day, Murray was asked about his success in the Olympics and what his medals have meant to his career. He discussed London 2012 at the All England Club, a narrative-shifting triumph that proved an essential step towards his three grand slam wins, and also his epic repeat at Rio 2016. But Murray spent almost as much time discussing his heartbreaks, from his excruciating cramps in his first round singles loss at Beijing 2008 to his misery in 2021, where he and Joe Salisbury came so close to a men’s doubles medal in Tokyo.

• Manxman currently shares record with Eddy Merckx
• ‘I’m more ready now than I was last year’

Mark Cavendish’s final tilt at claiming a record-breaking 35th stage win at the Tour de France begins in earnest on Monday when he targets victory in the longest day of this year’s race, the 230km haul from Piacenza to Turin.

“I’m more ready now than I was last year,” Cavendish, who currently shares the record of 34 stage wins with the great Eddy Merckx, said on Friday afternoon. “I’m so happy I carried on, actually.”

• Coach to miss first Test against All Blacks next weekend
• ‘Steve Borthwick and the team have been wonderful’

Kevin Sinfield has been granted compassionate leave from England’s tour of New Zealand to fly home and attend his friend Rob Burrow’s funeral next weekend.

Sinfield will miss the first Test against the All Blacks but is planning to return in time for the second Test in Auckland the following weekend.

The 21-year-old is the first European to win the NCAA 100m title but faces a battle to make the Team GB squad for Paris

The last time Louie Hinchliffe competed at the British Championships two years ago he failed to advance from the 100 heats. This weekend he returns to Manchester as one of the Olympic trials’ least likely headline attractions after a shock 9.95sec run when he became the first European to claim the NCAA 100m title in the United States.

The 21-year-old had all but given up on athletics during his first year at Lancaster University, but has excelled since moving his studies across the Atlantic where he is guided by the nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis at the University of Houston, drastically improving his personal best from 10.17sec last year.

Climate groups and anti-war activists say bank using reported £20m deal to ‘hide its multitude of sins’

Wimbledon is facing calls to drop Barclays as a sponsor over the bank’s ties to fossil fuels and defence companies supplying Israel.

Ahead of the 2024 championships, which begin on Monday, climate groups and anti-war activists say the bank is using the event to “cover up its role” in funding the climate crisis and to “hide from accountability for its role in enabling Israel’s war crimes”.

Hosts ponder whether to start Füllkrug up front with potential for a stormy night against unfancied Denmark

First, the insects. There has been an infestation of mosquitoes at Germany’s training camp in Herzogenaurach in Bavaria, one that has claimed numerous victims, with a fortnight of humid weather rendering the squad’s outdoor viewing garden – which sits right next to a forest – almost unusable in the evenings. “I have already been bitten two or three times,” the striker Maximilian Beier admitted. “But if that’s the biggest problem, then fine …”

Then, the thunder. The DWD, Germany’s equivalent of the Met Office, is warning of severe thunderstorms, torrential rain, large hailstones, hurricane-force winds and perhaps even tornadoes across the west of the country on Saturday: perfectly timed to coincide with the crunch last-16 clash against Denmark in Dortmund.

The Canadian towers over his opponents, even in a sport for the very tall. But his attributes may not suit the modern game

For those of you out there who might describe yourselves as “tall,” meet Olivier Rioux, the 18-year-old high schooler who just signed on to play for the University of Florida in the fall. Rioux is absurdly tall – 7ft 9in (for now) to be precise. Whether playing alongside his high school-age teammates or surrounded by them in the huddle, the 300lbs beanpole looks for all the world like one of those adults who passes themselves off as a teenage player just for the thrill of beating up on kids. The only thing about Rioux that’s not tall are his tales.

Rioux has been on a rapid growth curve for some time now: 5ft 2in in kindergarten, 6ft 1in by the time he was eight. By the time he was 12, and 7ft, he would have made the 6ft 9in LeBron James look undersized. Around that time, highlights of him dominating his tragically ill-equipped competition began making the social media rounds, an optical illusion to rival the dress meme. (Are the other kids six feet or six years old?) Four years ago, Guinness World Records pronounced the then 14-year-old Rioux as the world’s tallest teen at 7ft 5in. That would have put Rioux a notch above the 7ft 4in NBA rookie of the year, Victor Wembanyama. He even looms head and shoulders above legendary NBA leviathans such as Gheorghe Mureșan (7ft 7in), Yao Ming (7ft 6in) and Sim Bhullar (7ft 5in). “People see his size,” Canada national team assistant coach Michael Meeks said of Rioux, “and their expectations are pretty high.”

• News and analysis before first knockout games in last 16
• Power rankings: verdicts on the 24 group-stage teams
• Get in touch! Email Rob | Our Golden Boot interactive

Just taking over from Daniel for a short while. We await news from the England camp. In the meantime, isn’t this stuff getting a bit silly?

What were you doing at 16?

Former France international has dedicated himself to his adopted country and now faces last-16 clash with Spain

It was known long before the press conference Willy Sagnol gave before Georgia’s game against Portugal that the French manager did not suffer fools gladly. What was not so well known was his remarkable command of colloquial English. “Twats,” he said of those who had criticised his team selection back home (more about which later). Then he said it again, with impeccable timing, before apologising – after a fashion – for the “tone” of his answer. The smile that accompanied the apology left no doubt.

Perhaps it was to be expected from a man who had to survive – and flourished – in the environment of Bayern Munich at the height of their “FC Hollywood” era, when he was an automatic starter at right-back for the team that won the Champions League, five Bundesliga titles and four German Cups between 2001 and 2008. “I played nine years for a club where punches were regularly thrown in the dressing room,” he once said. “That didn’t prevent us from winning a lot of things.”

• Fears rise for open-water swimming and triathlon events
• Organisers insist dry July weather will solve issues

The river Seine is still failing water quality tests one month before the Paris Olympics when it is scheduled to host the open-water swimming competition and the swimming leg of the triathlon, results revealed on Friday.

The latest tests, completed last week and released by the Paris mayor’s office, showed levels of the E Coli bacteria – an indicator of faecal matter – are far above the upper limits imposed by sports federations.

Six impairment-specific finals take place this weekend, including Everton against Portsmouth in the Amputee Cup

“Football Your Way” is the name of the Football Association’s three-year plan to improve disability football at every level. Its impact will be clear this weekend at St George’s Park, where Sean Jackson’s way from Sunday league football on the Isle of Man to an FA Disability Cup final with Everton reflects a sport on the rise.

St George’s Park is staging the largest disability cup competition of its kind on Saturday and Sunday with the eighth edition of the FA Disability Cup. There will be six impairment-specific cup finals – amputee, blind, cerebral palsy, deaf, partially sighted and powerchair – each broadcast live on TNT Sports with highlights on Channel 4. For the England and Everton defender Jackson, the event and the exposure demonstrate how far the sport has come in the seven years since he started playing.

Road to international status has not been easy but Hull KR star hopes England debut on Saturday is ‘not the pinnacle’

It is only a few years since Elliot Minchella would discuss the fortunes of the England rugby league side with the people he worked with on a building site in West Yorkshire. This weekend, however, those former colleagues will watch him fulfil a childhood dream after taking an unconventional route to the Test arena.

While so many of the men who will line up alongside Minchella in Toulouse on Saturday evening have had a straightforward journey to England honours, the 28-year-old’s story wasn’t quite the same. He made a try-scoring debut for Leeds Rhinos as a 17-year-old but an off-field incident saw his initial progress stutter, before eventually being let go by the Super League club.

Tbilisi’s Liberty Square swaps anti-government protests for fan parties, but factional divides remain

It is perhaps the feelgood story of Euro 2024. Georgia, the lowest ranked team in the contest and making their first appearance at a major football tournament, will face Spain in the round of 16 after defeating Cristiano Ronaldo’s fancied Portugal team 2-0 to qualify from their group.

The protesters who had filled Tbilisi’s Liberty Square over the last four months to voice their anger over the Georgian government’s alleged re-alignment with Moscow gave way to delirious football fans on Wednesday night.

• Stuart Pringle says profits are ploughed back into event
• £629 for four-day grandstand tickets

The managing director of the British Grand Prix, Stuart Pringle, has issued a staunch defence of the ticket pricing for this year’s race, emphatic that the money made from the event is ploughed back into the circuit and British motorsport, after criticism from Lewis Hamilton and fans that the cost of attending was too high.

Last week the seven-time Formula One world champion Hamilton, who has a record eight victories at Silverstone, praised the event which is just over a week away but warned its prices might be untenable for families due to the cost of living crisis, an opinion that has been echoed by fans on social media.

• Late takeover bid for women’s team falls through
• Fifth tier is best case but whole set-up could be closed

Reading have requested to withdraw from the Women’s Championship, after an 11th-hour bid to take over the women’s arm of the club fell through, and the entire women’s and girls’ programme could soon be closed down.

Multiple age-group teams were told on Friday they would not be continuing and staff are understood to have been informed in a series of meetings that there were no guarantees of funding for any women’s and girls’ teams for next season.

Jordie is heading to Leinster. Beauden is back from Japan. Scott is All Blacks captain. And next up is England for the unique siblings

New Zealand rugby has had some talented families – the Whettons, the Brookes, the Clarkes – but nothing to match the brilliant Barretts. Kevin and Robyn Barrett have eight children and three of them will be wearing All Black jerseys against England in Dunedin next weekend. Beauden already has 123 international caps, Scott is his country’s new captain and Jordie is among his deputies.

Rugby-wise there are few peaks unscaled by one sibling or another, which may explain why Jordie has bucked the trend of All Black sabbaticals by signing a six-month contract with Leinster, starting in December. One of the planet’s most impressively versatile and impactful players is looking forward to heading north to see how the other half lives.

Slovenian has taken over the sport since double Tour winner Vingegaard suffered horror crash in April

If the defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard overcomes both the lingering aftermath of a horror crash in April that hospitalised him for 12 days, and the rampant form of a seemingly invincible Tadej Pogacar, his will be one of the most remarkable wins in the race’s history.

The double Tour winner starts this year’s race, which begins in Florence on Saturday and ends in Nice on July 21 in extremis, his embattled team beset by illness and injury, his form uncertain.

• Murray in line to face world No 38 in men’s singles
• Swiatek handed tough draw against Kenin in round one

Andy Murray has been drawn to start against the world No 38 Czech Tomas Machac in the men’s Wimbledon singles draw if he can prove his fitness in time.

The good news for the Scot is that he was drawn in the opposite half to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and would therefore start on Tuesday rather than Monday, giving him an extra day to try to recover from back surgery on a spinal cyst.

It is not just the caterers who will miss Scotland after they were eliminated – they gave meaning to a cultural festival

These days, I sit in the stadium every day and experience an intense time. It makes me realise what football does and how its folklore is part of overcoming the many problems of our time.

That brings us to the Scots. They did everything right. They marched through Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart singing. Even in cities where they weren’t playing, they infected everyone with their good humour. Scottish fans really wanted to play a match against my home club, FT Gern. It took place the day after the opening game and afterwards everyone sat together in the clubhouse until late at night. They used this tournament to celebrate with others. They want to be part of Europe. It’s not just the caterers who will miss them. I’ve been asked what bothers me most about this Euros. I said that the Scots have already gone home.

Have people forgotten the pre-Southgate tournament record across a long period – including defeat by Iceland?

Time for an excursion. Time for Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland to live a little. The group stage’s done, the draw has opened up, the path to the final in Berlin is kind. Clearly, it’s time for them to step outside England’s secluded Blankenhain base, check in with the local tourist board and find out what the state of Thuringia has to offer.

A trip to the nearby city of Weimar is one option. But the bigger city of Erfurt, home to England’s press pack during Euro 2024, also has its charms. Here we find a medieval tour, quite a bit about the outspoken 16th-century monk Martin Luther and, continuing with the religious vibe, the amazing spectacle of Erfurt’s Old Synagogue, an 11th-century site that somehow avoided destruction by the Nazis.

The first knockout stage has several intriguing matches, including Spain against Georgia and France v Belgium

Italy are unbeaten against Switzerland in 11 games stretching back to qualifying for the 1994 World Cup but they look vulnerable here. They were worryingly open against both Albania and Spain and the switch to a back three against Croatia only seemed to make them flatter going forward. In goal Gianluigi Donnarumma has had a fine tournament, but a lack of creativity and the absence of a top-class centre-forward are major issues.

England’s next opponents are dangerous, as Belgium found out in the group stage, but they have a weakness up front

England’s opponents in the last 16 are Slovakia, the team ranked 45^th in the world and making their second appearance in the knockout stage of a European Championship. They generally impressed in qualifying from Group E, with some standout performers, but are not without their vulnerabilities. Here, we look at how they break down and what England should watch out for.

Authenticity in Germany is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the behemoths dominating their domestic leagues

Over breakfast at a cafe in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district, three English visitors could be heard discussing the next Premier League season. It felt like a yellow card offence to anyone fully absorbed in this summer’s spectacle, but some things are best let slide. The question: who would be relegated? Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester, came the consensus. Nobody could quibble with the rationale that new arrivals to the division have the odds stacked more firmly against them than ever.

Perhaps they hopped west on the U-Bahn that afternoon to see Austria, hitherto underwhelming on the big stage, leave Olympiastadion breathless with an exhilarating win over the Netherlands that propels them into genuine contention for a return on 14 July. Hopefully they were sitting somewhere comfortable, or downing shots of chacha in appropriate company, the following night when Georgia ripped up the rulebook with a daring, emotional victory against Portugal.

The rise of the extreme entourage for leading players means even Wimbledon is struggling to make space for everyone

As she took her first timid steps as a professional tennis player 21 years ago, one of the most important early decisions Victoria Azarenka made was to invest in her own fitness coach. Having enjoyed an outstanding junior career, Azarenka already knew she wanted to be a top tennis player for as long as she could and that beginning to build a formidable team around her was a priority in order to achieve it. Back then, though, not everyone did.

“I think when I started, when I was a young player, I was one of the few players who travelled with a fitness coach,” says Azarenka, smiling. “And now it’s fitness coach, physio, psychologist, videographer, manicurist and everything … It’s sometimes exaggerated but tennis has become more professional.”

Gawain Jones won the English Open after a playoff with Michael Adams while the former Russian Elmira Mirzoeva is the women’s champion

Experienced grandmasters won both the Open and women’s English championships at Kenilworth last weekend, but teenage talents made significant advances and even reached the prize list in both events. Pre-teens also narrowed the gap to the established stars.

GM Gawain Jones, 36, won the open title after a speed playoff with the top seed and favourite, GM Michael Adams, 52, who had led until the final round and was also winning the tie-break until a spectacular own goal allowed checkmate in one.

After a dismal defeat to Panama, Monday’s game against Uruguay may be the coach’s last chance to save his job

It may seem harsh that Gregg Berhalter’s job as USMNT head coach is in acute jeopardy because one of his players decided to smack an opponent in the head.

Then again, in the US’s last big tournament test before it co-hosts the 2026 World Cup, a coach expected to reach at least the quarter-finals is staring at a group-stage exit in the Copa América, barring what seems an improbable triumph against one of the favorites, Uruguay, in Kansas City on Monday.

• England outplayed by India in semi-final rout
• Buttler wants to carry on as captain despite defeat

After being outplayed by India in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup, Jos Buttler admitted he needed a break. Not, he soon clarified, to consider his future as England’s white-ball captain, rather some time and space to review what was a hugely disappointing exit.

In a capricious format such as Twenty20 cricket, reaching the knockout stage was widely considered the requirement for England after a poor showing in the 50-over World Cup last winter that cast doubt on Buttler and the head coach, Matthew Mott, as a leadership pairing. And so, in that regard, they met the benchmark.

José Fajardo beat backup goalkeeper Ethan Horvath in the 83rd minute to give Panama a 2-1 victory over the US at the Copa América on Thursday night, putting the Americans in danger of elimination if they don’t beat Uruguay in their group-stage finale.

In a chaotic game that saw the two sides combine for 22 fouls, the US played for most of the match a man down. Timothy Weah was shown a red card in the 18th minute after he struck Panama defender Roderick Miller away from the ball.

Water quality testing by campaigners shows levels up to 27 times acceptable limit for bathing as rowers told to take precautions

Harmful E coli bacteria have been found at very high levels at Henley, days before elite rowers compete in the international regatta there.

Water quality testing in the Henley Mile, part of the regatta course outside the Oxfordshire town, has revealed mean levels of 1,213 E coli colony forming units (CFU) per 100ml of water, across 27 tests. Where E coli levels are above 900 CFU/100ml, the water quality is deemed poor, according to bathing water designations, and is a threat to public health.

• First father-son duo to play on same team
• LeBron set to be a free agent this offseason

LeBron James and his son Bronny James will become the first-ever father-son duo to share the floor for the same NBA team. It was the dream that LeBron James first floated a few years ago, the notion of playing in the NBA alongside one of his sons.

And it’s now a step closer to reality.

England rank 20th out of 24 in attempts on goal but third in passing accuracy and first in crossing accuracy

None of the 81 goals scored in the group stage were scored directly from a direct free-kick. At Euro 2020, there was only one free-kick goal, scored by Mikkel Damsgaard against England in the semi-finals. Euro 2016 had four, with Gareth Bale scoring two – more (so far) than in the next two tournaments combined. This is in line with domestic trends: in Europe’s top five leagues, the amount of free-kicks in the final third that are shot at goal has dropped from 24.6% in 2008-09 to 18.8% in 2022-23.

• Players’ relatives caught up in Southgate protest
• ‘It wasn’t nice. My brother was hit, a few others’

Ezri Konsa has revealed England’s players had to check on family members who were drenched with beer thrown by supporters at the end of the team’s goalless draw with Slovenia.

On a night that ended with plastic beer cups being thrown in the direction of Gareth Southgate, relatives and loved ones of the players also found themselves in the line of fire. Konsa, who said that the atmosphere in that part of the stadium was “not nice” after a draw that secured top spot for England in Group C, said his brother was among those showered with drinks. The defender added that the abuse of Southgate had not been a conversation topic in the dressing room.

The Spain forward on defying the critics at Euro 2024, his super-sub role and what he thinks of his teenage teammate

This is getting serious. Well, sometimes. Ferran Torres is sitting at the home ground of tiny SV Aasen 1928 laughing about how Lamine Yamal should be illegal, playing darts with Phil Foden and being David Villa when he is asked about the man about to stand before him and his Spain teammates. “If the last one had to go in off the post, the next one’s going to need three lots of curl on it to beat ‘Mama’,” he says. “You have to visualise it, believe it. You need a clear chance too; we were watching him last night and he’s amazing.”

Mama is Giorgi Mamardashvili, the 6ft 6in Georgia goalkeeper who has made more saves than anyone. Torres’s goal, bent past Albania’s Thomas Strakosha, completed a perfect group stage for the selección, nine points from nine and no goals conceded, although it was also the only one they’ve scored themselves since half-time in their opening game, and the margins are getting finer. “We’ve been the best team in the group phase, and that gives us confidence,” he says. “But things change now. We gave Italy a going over? In the semi-final last time we gave them a going over and we still went home then, a thorn in our side still. You can play well or badly, but now you have to win.”

At least six dead in crash at railway crossing near Nové Zámky, which involved Prague to Budapest service

At least six people have been killed and five others injured after a passenger train and bus collided at a railway crossing in southern Slovakia, rescuers have said.

The crash occurred just after 5pm (3pm GMT) near the south-western town of Nové Zámky, the CTK news agency reported. The railway spokesperson, Vladimira Bahylova, told AFP the Eurocity train had been heading from Prague to Budapest.

• India 171-7; England 103. India win by 68 runs
• Spinners Patel and Yadav take three wickets each

It was a scene witnessed on countless Test tours to the subcontinent but one played out in the semi-final of the men’s T20 World Cup in steamy Guyana. England were spun out in dramatic fashion for a crushing 68-run defeat that booked India a date with similarly unbeaten South Africa in Saturday’s final at Kensington Oval.

As Rohit Sharma’s side amassed 171 for seven either side of an 80-minute rain break it became apparent that the slow, low surface at Providence Stadium would make any chase tough going. The target was three runs more than the one England vaporised during that one-sided semi-final in 2022 but Adelaide this was very much not.

An incoherent national team always seem a surprise but why? There is no English coaching school, no coaching culture, nothing to pass down

Here’s a phrase you might not have heard since 1934. Hey, Austria look good. This is a new thing in many ways. What do we think of, traditionally, when it comes to Austria and international football? Indeterminate makeweights. The pre-war Wunderteam. A prosperous strudel repository. The Surrey of greater Germania. The 1990s pomp-rock target-man stylings of Toni Polster.

And now? Modernity. Energy. Grooved patterns. Austria finished top of a group that includes the teams ranked second and seventh in the world. They have been coherent, joined-up, even vibrant in a mannered kind of way, the only team in the final round of group games to score three goals, en route to a first victory against the Netherlands in 34 years.

• Authorities cracking down on hidden motors on bikes
• ‘This is a way to show that we really take this seriously’

The head of world cycling’s governing body has revealed his organisation will pay whistleblowers to come forward with evidence of hidden motors being used in the Tour de France and other major races. Hidden motors and electromagnetic wheels, costing about £200,000, are suspected to have been used in the professional peloton for several years.

David Lappartient, the president of the UCI, supported by the former US Homeland Security investigator Nick Raudenski, the UCI’s new head of the fight against technological fraud, is ramping up efforts to detect cheats.

• Boulter beaten 6-1, 7-6 (0) by Jasmine Paolini
• Raducanu loses 6-2, 6-2 to Daria Kasatkina

Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu were denied another all-British semi-final showdown before Wimbledon following comprehensive defeats at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.

The British No 1 Boulter, who registered a last-four win over Raducanu 11 days ago en route to retaining the Nottingham Open title, slipped to a 6-1, 7-6 (0) loss against the French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini.