Central defender German Pezzella has been ruled out of Argentina's squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru due to injury, the Argentine Football Association said.

The 33-year-old sustained a calf muscle strain while playing for River Plate in Argentina's top flight and failed to recover in time for the Albiceleste's last two matches of 2024, the AFA said.

The entity did not immediately name a replacement for the former Fiorentina and Real Betis player. Pezzella’s absence adds to the loss of Nicolas Gonzalez, who was already ruled out so he can keep recovering with Juventus in Turin.

Alexander Zverev kickstarted his hunt for a third ATP Finals trophy with a commanding victory. The second seed locked in to defeat Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 to open his account at the season finale.

Zverev, who won the title in 2018 and 2021, stood firm in the face of a fast start from Rublev to clinch his Tour-leading 67th win of 2024 in just 72 minutes.

After improving to 7-3 in the pair’s ATP Head-2-Head series, the German will continue his hat-trick hunt against Casper Ruud, who earlier upset third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the John Newcombe Group.

“I thought it was a very solid match from my end. Against anyone here, you have to play your best to have a chance, you have to be solid [and] mentally strong. I feel like I did that today, I felt like I used my chances quite well and I'm obviously happy with this win," Zverev was quoted by ATP.

National team captain Martin Odegaard, who was left out of Norway’s squad to face Slovenia and Kazakhstan citing injury, is now on his way to join the squad after the midfielder returned to action for Arsenal.

According to Norwegian outlet Nettavisen Sport, Odegaard is travelling to join up with his national team and will be a part of the squad but there is a strong chance he will not play in the games. The purpose of this is said to be Odegaard wanting to regain full match fitness, after spending weeks on the sidelines, and it will be his decision whether he feels ready to play.

The Arsenal and national team captain had limped off during Norway's Nations League win over Austria on September 9 after twisting his left ankle. He required the help of physios before leaving the pitch to receive further treatment.

Senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin is looking forward to leaving a mark on Bangladesh's cricket history after joining the side till next year's Champions Trophy.

Salahuddin's contract will align with the tenure of head coach Phil Simmons. He had previously worked with the Bangladesh team as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2010.

With the West Indies Test series up next, the four-time BPL winner coach with Comilla Victorians, Salahuddin, has begun preparations with Test players in Dhaka while the team is in Sharjah for the ODIs against Afghanistan. He will travel to the Caribbean with the Test players on Monday.

Ecuador international winger Gonzalo Plata scored late as Flamengo clinched its fifth Copa do Brasil title with a 1-0 away win over Atletico Mineiro.

The result at Arena MRV handed the Rio de Janeiro giant a 4-1 victory on aggregate, following its 3-1 win in last week's first leg in Rio de Janeiro.

In the opening minutes, Arrascaeta set up Gerson, whose shot forced a sharp save from Everson. The match then leveled out with both teams battling in midfield. At 13', Hulk’s powerful free kick was saved by Rossi in two attempts. Shortly after, Michael fed Gabi, but Lyanco deflected his dangerous shot.

Before the 20th minute, Hulk unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, but Rossi made a superb save. Soon after, Everton Araujo tried from distance, but Everson pushed it out for a corner. At 36', Arrascaeta was fouled by Lyanco, who received a yellow for stopping the counterattack. Atlético-MG had late chances with aerial balls, but Flamengo’s defense held firm to keep it level at halftime.

Odisha FC are braced up for a challenging endeavour as they take on the dynamic Mohun Bagan Super Giant when a clash of attacking firepower and defensive grit unfolds in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

Having secured one win in their previous 11 ISL encounters against the Mariners, Odisha FC, under head coach Sergio Lobera, are keen to leverage their strong home record to reignite their season’s momentum. They have been unbeaten in their previous three encounters at this stadium against the Mariners, winning once, in the first leg of last season’s semifinal, and drawing twice.

An unbeaten 73 from teenaged batter Sam Konstas and 46 not out from Beau Webster helped Australia A beat India A by six wickets in the second four-day game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and win the series 2-0.

Previously, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel gave some hope to India A through a gritty 68 off 122 balls, his second fifty of this game coming under pressure. He was also helped by contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy (38), Tanush Kotian (44) and Prasidh Krishna (29) in stitching a lower-order rearguard act as India A were bowled out for 229 in 77.5 overs.

Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra, on Saturday, announced the start of an exciting new chapter in his career, partnering with Javelin legend Jan Zelezny, who comes on board as his new coach. Jan Zelezny, a three-time Olympic and World champion and the current world record holder, has long been an idol to Chopra.

“Growing up, I admired Jan’s technique and precision and spent a lot of time watching videos of him. He was the best in the sport for so many years, and I believe that working with him will be invaluable because our throwing styles are similar, and his knowledge is unmatched. It’s an honour to have Jan by my side as I push towards the next level in my career, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Chopra, following the announcement.

KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran failed to leave a mark yet again as India A were reduced to 73/5 at the end of day two’s play in the second four-day game against Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Previously, Australia A managed to take a 62-run lead, thanks to opener Marcus Harris making 74 in their total of 223. For India A, fast-bowler Prasidh Krishna took a four-fer while pacer Mukesh Kumar picked three wickets.

In their second innings, India A were in trouble yet again as they went from 31/1 to 56/5. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel will have to stage a rescue act for India A, who lead by 11 runs at the end of day two. Jurel is unbeaten on 19 while Nitish Kumar Reddy is nine not out.

Before the commencement of the T20I series against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said he’s taken the leadership style used by Rohit Sharma in his T20I captaincy career, particularly in terms of handling young players.

"I know how he (Rohit) treats the players, what he wants from them. So that route I have also taken because he's been very successful recently. When I am on the ground, I keep noticing how his body language is, how calm he is under pressure situations, how he talks to the bowlers, how he treats everyone on the field and off the field," said Suryakumar in the pre-series press conference.

"Most importantly, from a leader you expect how much time he is spending with you to have that comfort. I try to replicate that. When I am not on the ground, I try and spend time with my teammates, have a meal with them, travel together."

"These are th