SOCCER
Stephen Kenny is facing another striker crisis ahead of this month’s World Cup qualifiers.
Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly have both been ruled out of the games with Serbia and Luxembourg.
Idah may require surgery on a hernia problem, while Connolly has cracked ribs.
Kenny names his squad next Thursday and is already without Darren Randolph, John Egan, James McCarthy and James McClean.
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The new domestic season gets underway tonight.
League winners Shamrock Rovers face Cup holders Dundalk in the President’s Cup.
Kick-off at Tallaght Stadium is at 7.45.
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A Sheffield United press conference is getting underway around now, where it’s expected they’ll confirm the departure of manager Chris Wilder.
Wilder led United to the brink of European football in their first season back in the Premier League.
However, they’re currently bottom and twelve points from safety.
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Newcastle will hope to move four-points clear of the relegation zone tonight.
They host Aston Villa from 8.
RUGBY
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says Jamison Gibson-Park is thriving in international rugby.
The Leinster scrum-half has been picked ahead of the fit-again Conor Murray for Sunday’s Six Nations game away to Scotland.
Elsewhere, Keith Earls replaces Jordan Larmour on the wing, with Cian Healy and Rob Herring restored to the front row.
And Farrell has the utmost faith in Gibson-Park
WP Nel has been handed his first Scotland start since the 2019 World Cup in Sunday’s game.
He comes in for Zander Fagerson, who's suspended.
Meanwhile, Sean Maitland, Sam Johnson and Jamie Ritchie replace Darcy Graham, James Lang and Blade Thomson.
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There’s a 5.45 start to this evening’s Pro 14 meeting of Zebre and Leinster in Parma.
While at 8, Munster welcome Scarlets to Thomond Park with Joey Carbery making his first start in over a year.
GOLF
Shane Lowry is 3-under par, with four holes remaining of his second round at the Players Championship.
Graeme McDowell goes out just before 5.30 from 1-over.
While Rory McIlroy has a job on his hands to make the cut - he tees off from 7-over at 6pm Irish time.
Leader Sergio Garcia goes out from 7-under at 6.
CYCLING
Sam Bennett retains the green jersey after today’s sixth stage of the Paris-Nice.
However, he fell out of contention in the final kilometre of today’s stage which was won by Primoz Roglic.
The Slovenian keeps hold of the leader’s yellow jersey.
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The former chief doctor at British Cycling and Team Sky, Richard Freeman, has been found guilty of ordering a banned substance - knowing it would be given to a rider.
He's always denied getting testosterone in May 2011 on behalf of an unnamed athlete.
Doctor Freeman did admit 18 of the 22 charges against him at a two-year medical tribunal.
