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      in Soccer

      Chelsea hit by another injury blow as Ben Chilwell is ruled out until DECEMBER with hamstring injury

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      BEN CHILWELL has been ruled out till December following a hamstring injury. The left-back picked up the problem in the final moments of Chelsea’s League Cup win over Brighton last Wednesday.
      Ben Chilwell has been ruled out till December following a hamstring injuryCredit: Rex
      And according to The Telegraph, Chilwell faces at least eight weeks on the sidelines to keep him out to Christmas.
      But it is added the absence could be even longer depending on how the initial steps of his rehabilitation goes.
      The 26-year-old was ruled out of England’s winter World Cup squad last year with a hamstring problem.
      But he returned to playing in February and regained his place in Gareth Southgate’s squad.
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      Chilwell started for England in the Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine last month but faces missing the rest of the Group C campaign.
      The defender – Chelsea’s vice captain – has played in all bar one of the club’s Premier League matches.

      His injury kept him out of a trip to Fulham last night, which the Blues won 2-0 thanks to first-half goals from Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja.
      And Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed a worrying update on Chilwell before the West London derby.
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      Pochettino said: “I think it’s bad news.
      “From what the doctor told me it’s not a good thing, it looks like a bad injury, but we need to assess in the next few days and we’ll see the period that he’s going to be absent from the squad and the team. But it doesn’t look good.”
      It adds to a growing number of first-team Chelsea stars who are currently on the sideline.
      At the back, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana and skipper Reece James are all out.
      Summer signing Romeo Lavia and playmaker Carney Chukwuemeka are also fighting to regain full fitness.
      And Christopher Nkunku is still not back in the fold to give Chelsea a much-needed boost going forward.
      Mauricio Pochettino has a growing list of injured playersCredit: Alamy More

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      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk set for December 23 in Saudi Arabia after heavyweight champs FINALLY agree undisputed clash

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      TYSON FURY’S undisputed heavyweight world title decider with Oleksandr Usyk is DONE for December 23 in Saudi Arabia.The titanic showdown between England’s 35-year-old WBC champion and Ukraine’s 36-year-old WBA, IBF and WBO boss will happen in Riyadh just 48 hours before Christmas.
      Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were on course to dance at Wembley in AprilCredit: Reuters
      But their showdown fell through after Fury repeatedly moved the goalpostsCredit: Getty
      The pair have agreed terms for a historic Saudi showdown on December 23Credit: Getty

      An official fight poster has been released
      Queensbury Promotions, who represent Fury, have confirmed a deal has been signed for the fight to take place in Riyadh.
      Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk also confirmed the news, saying: “I can’t believe that it’s happening but it is. Respect to Tyson for his courage.”
      Saudi minister Turki Alalsikh announced the news saying: “Fury vs Usyk signed.
      “Epic battle to take place as part of Riyadh season.”
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      It will be the first undisputed heavyweight clash in 24 years – since Lennox Lewis fought Evander Holyfield in November 1999.
      And it will go head-to-head with the controversial second-generation grudge bout promoter Eddie Hearn is trying to make between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.

      The Gypsy King fights MMA giant Francis Ngannou in the same city on October 28, in an exhibition bonanza that is set to be attended by some of the biggest showbiz names on the planet.
      And that mega-money deal has greased the wheels for the undefeated Morecambe showman to face the former undisputed cruiserweight champ and London 2012 golden boy in the kingdom.
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      🥊 Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
      Fury follows Cristiano Ronaldo, Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard in setting up camp in the oil-drenched desert and he told SunSport it is the biggest boxing deal in HISTORY that even makes the boxing billions look like chump change.
      “All the biggest and best sports stars are now Saudi Arabia-bound,” he said. “The country is making big moves in sport and everything else.
      “They are taking over boxing and any other sport that they want.
      “They are paying big money for everything they get involved with.
      “I believe I have just done the biggest boxing deal in the history of boxing.
      “I am not at liberty to talk about numbers.
      “But it’s the biggest boxing deal ever done in history.
      “The big football deals with Ronaldo and Neymar, it blows them out of the water.
      “It’s big, big, big.
      “After all, I am not a prizefighter for brass buttons!”
      Fury and Usyk were due to throw down in a Wembley war in April – four months after their tasty Tottenham face-off.
      But their mouthwatering showdown collapsed after Fury’s constant moving of the goalposts during very public negotiations.
      Fury first put the bout in jeopardy by demanding no rematch clause be placed in their lucrative contract.
      Undefeated Ukrainian Usyk relented in a desperate bid to solidify his status as an all-time great and become the boxing’s first two-weight undisputed champion – a title Terence Crawford claimed in August.
      Tyson Fury faces former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi next monthCredit: PA
      Fury will dive straight back into training camp after his clash with The PredatorCredit: PA
      Fury then demanded he be given the lion’s share of the purse, insisting on a 70-30 split in his favour.
      Usyk agreed to the split but eventually walked away from the deal as Fury continued to try and change the proposed terms.
      Fury’s decision to fight Usyk a mere EIGHT WEEKS after his clash with former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou comes as a surprise as he’s repeatedly shot down the prospect in recent weeks.
      He said recently: “I am not interested in fighting Usyk, he’s a little Ukrainian dosser.
      “That’s all he is to me. No interest in unifying the division. It doesn’t mean s*** to me.
      “All that stuff about unifying and whatever, it really doesn’t mean anything to me.
      “I am looking for the biggest payday. Most of the time, Usyk doesn’t cut it.
      “He’s just a foreign person who doesn’t speak good English, so you can’t really sell him.
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      “I am looking for probably another American.
      “Probably looking to fight Jon Jones in a boxing fight.”
      Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield’s MSG showdown was the last undisputed heavyweight title fightCredit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      We dastardly Americans tried to ruin English football with Super League, you should never sell off 150yrs of tradition

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      BRAD GALINSON has told fellow American owners in football: Don’t mess with tradition.When he bought Gillingham last Christmas they became the 22nd team in the top four tiers under US control or influence.
      Brad Galinson joined a growing number of Americans owning English and Welsh clubs
      Yet Galinson wants to strike a balance between jazzing things up and protecting British football history.
      And he was horrified by the proposed breakaway European Super League some of his compatriots on the other side of the Pond are still hellbent on creating.
      Four of the six Premier League teams that wanted to join — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United — are US-owned while there is significant American investment at Manchester City.
      Galinson said: “It was dastardly Americans trying to ruin the English football pyramid system. It’s a horrible idea.
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      “The big six clubs wanted to get a franchise value that you get in the States. For example, NFL teams that don’t win are still worth three to four billion dollars minimum because they’re in a franchise.
      “But I’d say their profit isn’t worth what you’d have lost, which is 150 years of football tradition.”
      Galinson has been careful not to mess too much with Gillingham apart from improving the business and fans’ experience.
      And he believes fusing the best of how they do things in the States with English football can be a match made in heaven.
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      Manchester United owner Avram Glazer, pictured with Sir Alex Ferguson, wanted to join the breakaway European Super League
      He said: “In American sport there is so much dead time to fill because of time-outs and TV breaks.
      “But realising sport is an entertainment business, it’s important to put on a show during those moments.
      “At the Super Bowl there’s a stage rolled out at half time for a concert. They even have planes flying overhead. 
      “Half-time is only 15 minutes here and you can’t go too overboard or overly Americanise it because that’s cheesy — but a bit of entertainment makes people feel good.”
      Galinson says the Welcome To Wrexham documentary has given the profile of “soccer” a boost on the other side of the Atlantic.
      But the Gillingham owner rejected a chance to follow the Dragons’ Hollywood-star owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney into agreeing to feature his club in a fly-on-the-wall series.
      He said: “You must take your hat off to Ryan and Rob for what they’re doing because it’s raising the audience and profile of League Two.
      “Two things that have hit the psyche of the American people are Welcome To Wrexham and Ted Lasso. Everyone’s watching.
      “Welcome To Wrexham is a great rags-to-riches story and Americans love those and Ted Lasso is heartwarming and funny in that an American has come to the UK.
      “But I wasn’t keen when approached to do a documentary with Gillingham. Having been around television production, the thing I’m concerned about with documentaries, despite the distraction, is they’re not real, they’re scripted. 
      Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds has raised the profile of League Two
      “There’s always a protagonist, there’s always an antagonist, there’s always the jester and there’s always the mean guy.
      “They take clips or have you say things in different ways and it becomes completely different to reality.
      “Although you’ll forget the camera is there, if they want you to say something in a funny way, they’ll literally stop and say, ‘can you re-say that but smiling?’
      “And it’s only after they edit it together, you realise they were just making the guy look like a patsy or whatever and I don’t want to expose Gillingham to that.” 
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      Many of Galinson’s friends and family back home would have been forgiven for thinking he had lost control of his senses when he completed his Gillingham takeover.
      The Kent club were rock bottom of League Two, had only scored six goals and not netted since October.
      They looked like dead certs to crash out of the EFL after 103 years.
      But today they travel to Doncaster top of the division with Galinson declaring: “We want to get into the Championship.”
      The businessman — who made his money through real estate — said: “There was trepidation when we closed the deal — but I always believed in the potential because it’s a pretty big and unique English club.”
      Galinson liked that Gillingham are the only EFL club in Kent, have a catchment area of 1.2million and own their own ground.
      As soon as he got the keys to the Priestfield Stadium from previous owner Paul Scally, he did not pussy-foot about.
      He recruited experienced manager Kenny Jackett as director of football.
      And Galinson also brought in a club legend, former player and two-time boss Andy Hessenthaler, as head of recruitment. Hess was player-boss from 2000-2004 when the club were in the second tier.
      Neil Harris is doing a great job with Gillingham top of League Two
      With former Millwall and Cardiff boss Neil Harris at the helm, he has a formidable senior three-man management team and Galinson said: “In all my businesses I’ve recruited good people who’re smarter than me. They whipped us into shape and saved us from relegation.
      “Gillingham can definitely be a Championship club without doing much differently. Even the stadium today can support a second-tier club.
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      “Can we be a Premier League side? Yes, of course. I point to our giant catchment area. There aren’t a lot of clubs like ours outside the top division.
      “In the top tier, there are teams with smaller catchment areas than ours so the sky’s the limit. But the Championship must be our aim. The club has been there before and can do so again.” More

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      in Soccer

      Anthony Joshua’s Christmas showdown against Deontay Wilder up in smoke as Saudi boxing chief makes damning claim

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA’S Christmas cracker with Deontay Wilder is going up the chimney in smoke.The 33-year-old London 2012 legend turned down a December fight with Tyson Fury because his promoter Eddie Hearn told the world the Saudi Arabia showdown with the Bronze Bomber was “locked in”.
      Anthony Joshua’s hopes of facing Deontay Wilder this year appear to be overCredit: Reuters
      The Brit has been in talks to fight the Bronze Bomber in DecemberCredit: AP

      The overdue shootout was planned for Boxing Day 2023 – with Hearn working with Saudi promoters Skills Challenge – but then worryingly nudged into January.
      But now Hearn admits they are having to explore other options as none of the plans and promises seem to be coming to fruition.
      And now Turki AlShikh – minister at the Royal Court and the chairman of general authority for entertainment that is helping host Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou – has claimed that any big Saudi fights only go through him and the rest are rumours.
      At the launch press conference for the October 28 Riyadh bout between the WBC Gypsy King and the former UFC heavyweight champ, His Excellency said: “There is an important thing I want to say about this fight and the future.
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      “There are a lot of rumours in the market and I hope boxing fans don’t listen or care about rumours until they have something official from our side.
      “There are a lot of people talking about fights in Saudi Arabia or meeting me but I never met anyone except Frank Warren and Bob Arum (Fury’s joint promoters) and Tyson Fury and Ngannou’s teams.
      “Any other surprises we want to do, you will hear about at the right time.”
      The red-carpet rant from the hugely powerful figure looks devastating for the clash fight fans have been hoping for.
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      Super-salesman Hearn has been flogging Joshua vs Wilder as a dead cert for months.
      But the deafening silence on a definite date makes it look like AJ will have to find another opponent for December.
      Hearn said: “Our fight with Wilder hasn’t changed in the last three or four days since we sat down. 
      “From my position, we want to just try and nail the Wilder fight. 
      “The Wilder fight is the one we’ve been talking about for a few months now and we want to try and progress it.
      “AJ Wants to fight, he’s really enjoying the activity. If he can’t fight in January I think I think you’ll see him in December.
      “But still, our intention is to close the Wilder deal.” More

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      in Soccer

      Captain Neymar issues final boarding call to bag spot on his luxury cruise ship as it gets set to sail over Christmas

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      CAPTAIN Neymar is issuing a final boarding call in his wacky new role fronting a luxury cruise over Christmas.The Brazilian’s on-pitch career is all at sea as he waits to discover who will be Finding Neymar if he leaves PSG.
      Cruise the daddy – Neymar is promoting an amazing tripCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      The legend hopes he’s put together a winning liner-upCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      Neymar has 124 Brazil caps but not one captain’s hat, so he might want to borrow this one as he promotes a trip of ‘contagious joy’Credit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      The PSG forward has produced fireworks on the pitch and the 72-hour cruise is planning similarly spectacular events on-boardCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      Guests setting out from Brazil can look out for a superstar-board as its ambassador is one of the country’s most famous facesCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      The cat’s out of the bag over a voyage fronted by NeymarCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      But the legend is happy to be a buoy wonder as he as he promotes a voyage labelled “72 hours of daring and joy on board with one of football’s greatest idols”.
      Neymar is the ambassador for an extravagant cruise named ‘Ney Em Alto Mar’, which means Ney on the High Seas.
      The trip from December 26 to 29 – perfectly timed for the Xmas sails – is due to start and finish at Santos.
      That’s the coastal area in the state of Sao Paulo where the 31-year-old launched his playing days.
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      The cruise will make stops at Buzios, a holiday resort on an ocean peninsula east of Rio de Janeiro.
      Organisers say “the planning of the rest of the itinerary will be established close to the departure date”.
      They are clearly pumped up by having their country’s most famous current footballer at the helm.
      Their excited message states: “You are our guest for the first edition of Ney em Alto Mar, a cruise that was already born being historic.
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      “Neymar Jr, always daring, led the idea with a star team and gave life to this project that – for sure – will be a success.
      “It will be 3 days and 3 nights of daring and joy, celebrating everything that our Ney likes the most off the pitch.
      “Unmissable attractions and unforgettable shows are coming, emulating every movement of our No.10 on the pitch.
      “Get ready for 72 hours of fun on the high seas – only those in the mood to play are invited!
      “How about bringing the contagious joy that only our idol has on the pitch to the ocean?”
      In contrast, Neymar’s next port of call as a player is uncertain.
      The former Barcelona striker is under contract at PSG until 2025 but there’s every indication he’s willing to jump ship.
      Lionel Messi has already moved from Paris to Inter Miami.
      And while it’s all hands on Dec in England as the race for Rice hots up, Premier League giants are also putting their oar in for Neymar.
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      Arsenal are narrow favourites to pip Manchester City to West Ham skipper Declan Rice.
      But it’s mainly Manchester United and especially Chelsea who have been mentioned in connection with Neymar.
      It’s looking nautical but nice for the cruise over ChristmasCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      No expense appears to be spared inside the floating palaceCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr
      Neymar’s not known for his aerial prowess but he might like this shot from above as organisers try to fill the luxury shipCredit: YouTube / Neymar Jr More

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      in Basket

      NBA Christmas Day Games 2022: What to Know

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      The N.B.A. brings out its stars on Christmas. This year, there will be some new rivalries, too.The N.B.A. showcases its stars on Christmas Day, and this year there will be some big names to watch, like LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid.There will also be a new face in the mix (Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is playing on the holiday for the first time) and a familiar one missing (Golden State’s Stephen Curry is out injured).In each of the five games, there is something to look forward to, from young players trying to make their mark to older foes avenging playoff losses.Here’s what you need to know.All times are Eastern, and all games will air on ABC and ESPN. The statistics were current entering Friday night’s games.Philadelphia 76ers at Knicks, noonJames Harden missed several games for the Sixers with an injury, but he’s back and helping them stack up wins.Matt Slocum/Associated PressAfter rocky starts, these teams are finally clicking. The Knicks surged up the Eastern Conference standings on the strength of a recent winning streak, while Philadelphia was compiling a streak of its own.They met on Nov. 4, with the Knicks winning, but Philadelphia didn’t have its two best players: center Joel Embiid and guard James Harden. That makes Sunday’s game the teams’ first true matchup. The Knicks have played on Christmas more often than any other team, but this is the first time they will have Jalen Brunson, their big free-agent signing of the off-season.Brunson, a guard who spent his first four seasons in Dallas, leads the Knicks in assists and is the team’s second-best scorer, behind forward Julius Randle. For the first quarter of the season, the Knicks struggled to string together wins. But then December hit, and they found their stride.That’s when fortunes improved for the Sixers, too. Harden had missed more than a dozen games with a foot injury but returned this month to produce several impressive games with double-digit assist totals. The Knicks will, of course, have to watch out for Embiid as well. Last month, in a game against the Utah Jazz, he had this wild stat line: 59 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 blocks.Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m.Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is in his fifth N.B.A. season but has already been named to the All-Star team three times.Emil Lippe/Associated PressFans can seemingly always count on seeing the Lakers on Christmas — this is the 24th year in a row — but nothing else about the team has been that consistent.Even as LeBron James, who will turn 38 on Friday, continues to defy reason with his youthful play, minor injuries keep tugging him to the bench. Then there’s the major injury to center Anthony Davis, who is out indefinitely with a sore right foot. Other ailments have rippled through the roster, and the Lakers’ sub-.500 record reflects that. But it also reflects an aging team that got off to a terrible start (0-5) and hasn’t settled into a high-performing rhythm since then.All of that is to say: The Lakers have been a little bit all over the place.Dallas has been, too. Luka Doncic is playing and scoring more than last season, but the Mavericks are losing to bad teams right after beating good ones. The Lakers could fall into either category on Sunday. At the very least, it should be a fun game, with Doncic and James battling to see who can put on the best show. They are both capable of making even the earliest risers hold off on a midday nap.Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, 5 p.m.Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to the N.B.A. finals last season and has followed that up with high-scoring play this season.David Butler II/USA Today Sports, via ReutersBoston’s Jayson Tatum has responded to his disappointing appearance in the N.B.A. finals last season in the best way: by playing better than ever before. He’s leading the league in minutes per game (37.2), and he’s putting them to good use, averaging a career-best 30.6 points per game by making about half of his shots.The Celtics will face a Bucks team with a not-so-shabby star of its own in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Last season ended in playoff disappointment for him, too, with Milwaukee falling to Boston in seven games in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Sunday will be his first chance for a little revenge.The Bucks and the Celtics are jockeying for first place in the East, though they are fighting with different strengths. Boston has the league’s second-best offense, while Milwaukee has the third-best defense. The postseason is still a ways off, but it would be a surprise not to see one of these teams in the N.B.A. finals. Their Christmas matchup should help each team see what it needs to work on to make sure it’s the one playing for a title.Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State, 8 p.m.Ja Morant has made the Grizzlies one of the most exciting teams to watch in recent years. Brandon Dill/Associated PressNo one can argue that the Grizzlies haven’t earned this, their Christmas debut.Point guard Ja Morant is the speedy, soaring, confident heart of the team, but Memphis is more than its brightest star — and Morant would be the first to say so. He’s averaging a career-best 7.8 assists per game as he and his teammates keep the Grizzlies near the top of a tightly contested Western Conference.They finished last season as the No. 2 seed in the West and could have made a run to the conference finals if Golden State (and injuries) hadn’t gotten in their way in the second round. Sunday will be the teams’ first meeting since then.Both teams have dealt with their share of injuries this season, but Golden State has an especially big one: Stephen Curry has been out since he hurt his shoulder against Indiana on Dec. 14, and it’s not clear when he will return.Golden State is currently ranked in the bottom half of the West, but the intensity of last season’s playoff series with Memphis should carry over and make Sunday’s game a good contest nonetheless.Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets, 10:30 p.m.Denver’s Nikola Jokic won the Most Valuable Player Award the past two seasons.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThe last game on a long day of basketball is easy to overlook. But Denver’s Nikola Jokic is sure to make at least one pass that will make staying up late worth it. That’s kind of his thing: One minute he has the ball, and then the next his teammate on the other side of the court does, and no one is quite sure how it happened. The Suns are a top-10 defensive team, but some things just can’t be stopped.Phoenix is also the league’s best on offense, which could be a challenge for the Nuggets, who are among the N.B.A.’s worst on defense. Suns guard Chris Paul is one of the best ever at getting the ball to his teammates. Paul led the league in assists last season, his fifth time doing so, and is averaging about nine per game this season.If this game’s late start isn’t a deal-breaker, it should be a nice chance to see some excellent passing and skilled shooters making good on the assist. More