Sport

A former Liverpool captain’s managerial prowess is being sought in Newcastle. What the papers say Newcastle have reportedly looked north in their search for Rafael Benitez’s successor, with the Daily Mirror reporting Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has been approached by Magpies owner Mike Ashley. United have been looking for leadership since Benitez’s contract expired and the Spaniard signed with Chinese club Dalian Yifang. But former Liverpool captain Gerrard has apparently rebuffed Ashley’s offer, after only managing the Glaswegian side for...

Rangers midfielder Greg Docherty is confident they will be ready for their first Europa League encounter on Tuesday. The Ibrox side’s trip to Gibraltar to face St Joseph’s was brought forward by two days because of a fixture clash in the British overseas territory. Manager Steven Gerrard was forced to cut the time some of his first-team players got in Sunday’s 5-0 friendly win over Oxford as a result but Docherty believes hard work done on a pre-season camp in...

Gabriel Jesus was sent off as 10-man Brazil lifted the Copa America for the ninth time with a 3-1 victory over Peru. The Manchester City striker was dismissed for two bookable offences either side of half-time, having earlier set up Everton’s opener and then scored the second himself after Paolo Guerrero had levelled with a penalty at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. His premature departure left Brazil to fight out a tense conclusion during which substitute Richarlison struck...

El Khadra are yet to concede a goal at the tournament. Riyad Mahrez scored a wonderful goal as Algeria underlined their status as one of the favourites for the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 win over Guinea which booked their place in the quarter-finals. The Manchester City winger’s superb control and composed finish in the 57th minute put his side two goals up after Youcef Belaili’s 24th-minute opener in Cairo. And Algeria sealed their progression as substitute Adam...

Kamara warns Elephants against making mistakes in Mali match Serge Aurier and his Ivory Coast team-mates take on Mali on Monday. Ivory Coast coach Ibrahim Kamara has warned his players they cannot afford to make mistakes if they are to find a way past Mali and reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. The sides meet in Suez on Monday with a place in the last eight at stake, and are only too aware of the price of failure. Kamara...

Marvin Compper was conspicuous by his absence as Celtic sent their best wishes to a series of departing players. German defender Compper left for Duisburg last week after making one first-team appearance during an 18-month stay in Glasgow. But he was left out of a list of 19 first-team and reserve players who were wished well for the future in a story on Celtic’s official website. It read: “Dorus De Vries has announced his retirement from football, having spent three...

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has warned potential suitors of Alfredo Morelos to move quickly or not at all. Morelos was not among the 23 players who featured in a 5-0 Ibrox friendly win over Oxford on Sunday, but he watched from the stands and Gerrard revealed the Colombian would be in his squad for Tuesday’s Europa League opener against St Joseph’s in Gibraltar following a minor groin injury. The striker signed a new contract until 2023 in March, but speculation...

Chancel Mbemba’s late header took the tie to extra time. Yannick Bolasie missed from the spot as Africa Cup of Nations debutants Madagascar beat DR Congo in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to reach the quarter-finals. Marcel Tisserand had already skied his attempt over the bar when Bolasie followed suit to hand the Barea a 4-2 shoot-out victory in Alexandria, with the game having finished 2-2 after extra time. Madagascar took a ninth-minute lead in spectacular style when wide man Ibrahim...

Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has committed his future to Fulham in the wake of relegation from the Premier League by signing a new contract. The 24-year-old Serbia international, who scored 11 top-flight goals last season, has put pen to paper on a deal which will keep him at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2024. A statement on fulhamfc.com read: “The club is absolutely delighted to announce that Aleksandar Mitrovic has committed his future to Fulham. “Our number nine has agreed...