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Conte: ‘Napoli and Atalanta don’t hold back, ask doctors about McTominay’

Antonio Conte warns Napoli and Atalanta ‘don’t hold back’ for today’s battle, but reacts with irritation to Scott McTominay fitness questions. ‘You’d have to talk to the doctors.’

It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 14.00 GMT (15.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

NAPLES, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Raffaele Palladino Atalanta BC head coach greets Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach before the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Atalanta BC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 22, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

This is a battle for European places, seeing as Conte is eager to shrug off any talk of a Scudetto challenge.

“It will certainly be a match where we need a lot of energy, as these are two teams who don’t hold back,” Conte told DAZN Italia.

“We want to dominate the game, these are sides who don’t sit back in their own half, wait and go on the counter. Inevitably, the duels will be decisive all over the pitch.

“Atalanta have unpredictability in attack too, as Sulemana and Zalewski can be devastating when they cut inside to shoot or go for goal. There are many talented players who can do the same.”

Conte frustrated at on-going Napoli injury crisis

GENOA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 7: Scott McTominay of Napoli (right) celebrates with Antonio Conte, head coach of Napoli, and his team-mates after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and SSC Napoli at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on February 7, 2026 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

The Partenopei are out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, while in Serie A they fought back twice to hold Roma in a 2-2 thriller.

Alisson Santos scored off the bench in that game and is rewarded here with his first start, especially as Scott McTominay, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa are still out injured.

ROME, ITALY – JANUARY 04: SSC Napoli head coah Antonio Conte during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Olimpico on January 04, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Juan Jesus returns from suspension to bolster the defence, but when Conte was asked for injury updates, he looked visibly irritated.

“You’d have to talk to the doctors, because I haven’t seen McTominay training with us at all since he went off against Genoa. He has an inflammation, but we can’t figure out when he’ll be back. You need to speak to the medical staff, not with me, all I can do is say that Scott has not trained with us at all since Genoa.”

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 11: Antonio Conte, Head Coach of SSC Napoli, looks on prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

While De Bruyne is expected back in Naples next week, Conte warns that does not mean we can expect the former Manchester City star on the pitch.

“De Bruyne is a different matter, just look at how much Lukaku is struggling to recover from his serious injury, when the tendon was detached. I think talking about this is pointless now, as these are serious tendon injuries and a very long process for the full recovery.

“You have to hope these things don’t happen, as otherwise you risk losing a player for a whole year. So it’s not about when they return, but how they return.”

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/conte-napoli-atalanta-don-t-134000729.html 

HOUSTON, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 21: Anthony Hernandez reacts after a TKO loss against Sean Strickland in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Toyota Center on February 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Anthony Hernandez sees brighter things ahead after losing via knockout to Sean Strickland in Saturday’s UFC Houston main event.

The loss snapped Hernandez’s eight-fight win streak, which dated back to 2020, and also bumped him back in the UFC middleweight title picture for now. Hernandez aimed to score a big win over a former champion, but it was Strickland who commanded the majority of the action before putting Hernandez away with strikes in the third round.

Following the defeat, Hernandez took to Instagram to release a statement.

“First things first, thank you guys so much everyone who came out,” Hernandez said in an Instagram Story. “Showing me a lot of love, that was f*cking awesome. Players f*ck up. I mean, I was on an eight-fight win streak. Felt like things were going smooth until I got hit with a f*cking body shot. Shit happens. Part of the game. Took six years for someone to finally beat me. I’ll be back.”

Hernandez also shared a post giving Strickland credit for the win.

Thank you for the love Houston ! the [sic] engery was unreal. Congratulations to [Strickland] he was the better man tonight much respect. I’ll be back better then ever

Despite some fiery words being exchanged in the lead-up to the contest, Strickland and Hernandez showed each other respect during the bout, and afterwards Strickland praised Hernandez in his post-fight interview. Instead, Strickland directed his ire towards undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, calling him out to accept a title challenge.

Hernandez has to wait for his turn after suffering his first defeat in almost six years. Dominant wins over Roman Dolidze, Brendan Allen, and Michel Pereira had “Fluffy” on the championship track, but bad luck struck this past October when injury forced him out of the UFC Vancouver main event opposite Reinier de Ridder. An impressive performance against de Ridder (who went on to lose to replacement Allen) might have made Hernandez the No. 1 contender, but instead he finds himself with a rare loss and possibly a long journey back to the front of the line.

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ufc-houston-main-event-loser-133941241.html 

Motorsport photo

Formula 1’s 2026 technical regulations are pushing teams to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, favoring innovative solutions.

Read Also:

Explained: Audi’s unique approach to its movable F1 rear wing flaps

Audi has worked on this front and changed its philosophy from the Barcelona shakedown: its rear wing flap now goes down like Alpine’s.

The hybrid-imposed energy management limitations have made aerodynamic efficiency a key area, with the new rules granting engineers greater freedom in design, particularly regarding active aerodynamics, which is used on virtually every straight. This contributes to reducing drag on the straights, and consequently energy consumption.

Multiple rear wing configurations were observed in pre-season testing. Ferrari’s 180-degree rotating wing is a prime example, as a new concept that pushes the limits of imagination. It is the most extreme interpretation of the rules thus far, but other interesting solutions include Alpine’s, with the wing rotating on the leading edge, and Audi’s, which initially opened obliquely.

Audi R26 rear wing

Audi R26 rear wing

Alpine was the first team to take a completely new conceptual path compared to what DRS was allowed to be, pushing other squads to carefully evaluate its benefits and limitations.

Audi adopted this solution during the second week of the Sakhir test, tweaking the actuator that controls the mobile wing.

In Audi’s original concept, the system raised the first element, while the second remained passive and followed the main flap’s movement. Now, similarly to Alpine, the opening occurs in the opposite direction: the actuator acts on the second element, pushing it downward, while the first remains passive.

This was made possible by the wing rotation pivot being placed on the first flap, not the second – even on the initial concept. Thus, the way the wing opens can be tweaked.

Audi R26 rear wing comparison

Audi R26 rear wing comparison

This solution offers some aerodynamic advantages, notably in the transition phase, ensuring greater stability in early braking, but it also introduces significant challenges that teams must carefully manage.

While the DRS opened at relatively low speed and returned to its initial position under the pressure of air, Alpine’s and Audi’s rear wing experiences the opposite situation. The actuator must exert significantly greater effort to overcome drag and move the flap.

Alpine’s solution is quite complex, with multiple attachment points, while Audi’s appears simpler, based on a single attachment to the upper flap. An interesting choice, which once again shows how the 2026 rules are stimulating engineers’ creativity.

Read Also:

Alpine: Rivals “can protest” Mercedes engine but F1 “regulations are crystal clear”

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/audi-switches-alpine-style-rear-133826229.html 

Rallying from 15-points down to grind out a gritty win over Wales demonstrates Scotland’s growth as a team, according to back-row star Matt Fagerson.

The Scots’ Six Nations challenge was hanging by a thread as they trailed 20-5 with half an hour to play at the Principality Stadium, but they scored three tries to snatch a 26-23 victory.

A criticism of Scotland in recent times has been their inability to come through difficult situations, something they did impressively in Cardiff.

“I think the second half especially, the belief was always there,” number eight Fagerson told BBC Scotland.

“We spoke about how we were going to get up and put ourselves in positions to score.

“Once we got into that finish zone, we had a try disallowed off our trick play and that was a bit frustrating.

“The mental fortitude for the boys to then go back and put points on the board to put us into the lead, that’s a massive growth in this team.

“There’s plenty of years gone by that you’ve probably watched that we probably wouldn’t have done that – that’s a big positive.”

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gritty-win-over-wales-shows-133734984.html 

Aberdeen’s search for a new head coach has been delayed by “unforeseen circumstances”, with chairman Dave Cormack stressing the club “mustn’t rush or compromise” an appointment.

Peter Leven has been in interim charge since the departure of Jimmy Thelin on 4 January.

The Dons sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership, having lost five of the six league games overseen by Leven.

However, the Scottish Cup holders have progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition with wins over Raith Rovers and Motherwell.

How badly do ‘depressing’ Aberdeen need a manager?Dundee overcome 10-man Aberdeen in Pittodrie epic

Eirik Horneland was strongly linked with a move to Pittodrie after losing his job at French Ligue 2 club Saint-Etienne at the end of January.

But the return of former assistant manager Tony Docherty on 13 February suggested a permanent appointment is still some way off.

Cormack says sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel had talks with “several strong candidates from both the UK and overseas”.

The chairman went on to explain that “most candidates were not available to begin work immediately”.

Via a statement, he said: “Increasingly, coaches want a full pre-season to properly implement their ideas and philosophy, particularly those relocating from abroad.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances the final stage of the process is taking longer than we expected.

“Make no mistake, we are determined to secure the right head coach, someone who can provide stability and long-term success for Aberdeen FC.”

Visit our Aberdeen page for all the latest news, analysis and fan viewsGet Aberdeen news notifications in the BBC Sport app

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/unforeseen-circumstances-delay-aberdeen-boss-133636249.html 

T20 World Cup, Super 8s Group 2, Pallekele

England 146-9 (20 overs): Salt 62 (40), Jacks 21 (14); Wellalage 3-26,

Sri Lanka 95 (16.4 overs): Shanaka 30 (24); Jacks 3-22

England won by 51 runs

Scorecard. Tables

A superb bowling performance breathed life into England’s T20 World Cup campaign as Harry Brook’s side beat co-hosts Sri Lanka by 51 runs in their opening match of the Super 8s phase.

England remained unconvincing with the bat in posting 146-9 but their bowlers took full advantage of a tricky surface to knock over their hosts for 95.

Jofra Archer dismissed key batter Pathum Nissanka and fellow opener Kamil Mishara but even more impressive were the three wickets for all-rounder Will Jacks inside the powerplay.

Jacks, who has struggled with the ball at times in this tournament, removed Kusal Mendis and Pavan Rathnayake in consecutive deliveries and added the scalp of Dunith Wellalage as Sri Lanka crumbled to 34-5 under the pressure of a chase.

After Kamindu Mendis chipped back a catch to Liam Dawson and Dushan Hemantha hit his own wicket, Jacks combined with Tom Banton to complete a fine relay catch on the boundary to dismiss Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s captain and the last recognised batter, for 30.

That England’s batting remains far from perfect is pushed to another day. Jos Buttler made a tortured seven from 14 balls, Jacob Bethell fell to a wild slog and Tom Banton ran himself out.

Phil Salt’s 62 and 21 from Jacks, who was the next highest scorer in a fine all-round display, were crucial.

England play Pakistan on Tuesday and New Zealand on Friday in their remaining Super 8s matches.

Two wins would guarantee a semi-final place. One may be enough.

Jacks delivers again for England

Salt and Jacks dragged England to a score but Sri Lanka still appeared favourites at halfway.

Though England defended 128 on this ground in a series before the World Cup, Sri Lanka chased 182 with two overs to spare to beat Australia here in the group stage.

This surface was trickier than that one. Its sticky nature and decent turn offered assistance to the spinners and Jacks capitalised.

After conceding four from an accurate first over, Jacks got one to grip to take the leading edge of Mendis. Rathnayake charged him a ball later and was caught skying a hideous swipe.

Credit must also go to Brook, who kept Jacks in the attack for a third over which tempted Dunith Wellalage to charge and hit to mid-on – another wretched stroke.

Brook also used Archer for three consecutive overs at the start.

Archer bowled at high pace and had Nissanka, who scored a brilliant hundred against Australia, caught at deep square leg before finding the edge of Mishara.

Hemantha’s dismissal – he hit his stumps with his bat flapping at Jamie Overton – summed up a poor Sri Lanka batting display, not that England will care.

After nervy wins over Nepal, Scotland and Italy in the group stage, they are closing in on a place in the last four.

Salt and Jacks salvage England’s innings

Still we wait for England’s batting to truly fire at this tournament.

With his feet stuck and best form seeming distant, Buttler missed three deliveries and toe-ended another before being pinned in front by Wellalage’s left-arm spin on the reverse sweep.

Only 37 runs came from the powerplay, with Bethell caught at short third trying to hit Maheesh Theekshana over mid-wicket.

As the pressure to score rose, Banton took on a single that was never there and Brook was trapped tentatively on the crease for 14.

The highest partnership of the match was 26 between Salt and Sam Curran. Battling cramp from the ninth over, Salt did not find top gear and Curran holed out at long-on

Jacks targeted the off side smartly and struck four important fours and Overton clubbed a six in the last over.

There remains room for improvement but England’s tactic of favouring batting depth – Jacks was at number seven and Overton nine here – is proving to be smart as the top order struggles.

T20 World Cup: England complete convincing win over Sri Lanka – as it happenedIs Buttler’s form a worry? England’s T20 World Cup so far analysed

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/england-bowlers-secure-crucial-win-125055713.html 

🚨 BREAKING: Forest and Liverpool name XIs for PL match

Nottingham Forest host Liverpool on Sunday in Vítor Pereira’s first Premier League game in charge at the City Ground. 

Forest will look to build on a commanding 3-0 Europa League win at Fenerbahçe as the Midlands club aim to pull clear of the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Liverpool return to action following a 1-0 victory at Sunderland and Arne Slot’s outfit can go level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea with a win.

Here’s how the two teams line up this afternoon.

Who will come out on top at the City Ground?

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/breaking-forest-liverpool-name-xis-124600236.html