Lewis Ludlam has edged Billy Vunipola in the battle for England’s number eight jersey for Sunday’s World Cup clash with Japan.

Vunipola has completed his two-match suspension for a dangerous tackle against Ireland last month but the hard-carrying Saracen is limited to a bench role only for the Stade de Nice showdown.

Instead, Ludlam has been rewarded for his defensive masterclass as a replacement in the 27-10 rout of Argentina on Saturday by filling the hole in the back row created by Tom Curry’s suspension, also for an illegal challenge.

Ben Earl switches from number eight to openside to accommodate the return of Ludlam, who played every minute of this year’s Six Nations and has been one of England’s most consistent performers of recent times.

The Northampton skipper’s elevation above the less mobile Vunipola is a nod to Japan’s high tempo tactics, which assistant coach Kevin Sinfield has compared to Barcelona’s tiki-taka style of football.

Two further changes in personnel have been made in the front row where Kyle Sinckler and Joe Marler displace Dan Cole and Ellis Genge as starting props.

Sinckler has recovered from the pectoral injury that limited his game time during the warm-up Tests and prevented him from facing the Pumas in the Pool D opener in Marseille.

Steve Borthwick has retained the same backline that featured against Argentina with George Ford given another opportunity to argue his case for being viewed as first choice fly-half.

Owen Farrell completes his four-match ban – once again for a dangerous tackle – versus Japan and becomes available for the last two group matches against Chile and Samoa, forcing Borthwick to make a difficult call at 10.

England will march on to a place in the quarter-finals if they topple Japan, who are not the dynamic force that captured hearts and minds at the last World Cup when they reached the knockout phase for the first time.

Having risen to tier-one status, they have now slipped to 14th in the global rankings but at least opened the tournament with a thumping 42-12 victory over Chile.

“It was both pleasing and important that we were able to start our World Cup campaign with a good win against Argentina last Saturday,” Borthwick said.

“It was incredible to see so many of our supporters in the stadium in Marseille. Their support means a great deal to the team. We hope that we were able to provide the supporters both here in France and at home with some great memories, and we are setting out to do the same again this Sunday in Nice.

“After another good week’s preparation in Le Touquet, we are looking forward to the challenge of playing a Japan side that will be full of confidence following their comprehensive win over Chile in their opening fixture of the competition.”

Steven Naismith feels “nothing changes” behind the scenes ahead of his first match as Hearts head coach.

Naismith was given the new title during the international break after being made technical director in the summer as Frankie McAvoy took on the head coach role.

The move was designed to meet UEFA requirements for coaching qualifications for managers in European competition, and Hearts simplified the coaching structure after exiting the Europa Conference League.

Naismith, who was appointed caretaker manager late last season, said ahead of Saturday’s visit of Aberdeen, said: “Nothing has changed behind the scenes from the seven games we took over to now, to be honest.

“It will be much more of the same. I think it’s more a paper thing than anything else.

“All along I have been comfortable with, internally, how I am valued. Everything is the same.”

Naismith accepts that fans will now know the buck stops with him.

“That probably is clearer but internally nothing changes,” he said. “In terms of the buck stopping with me, I personally felt that when I was a player and when I was a coach and when I took the team last season. Nothing really changes in that front as well.

“I will work as hard as I can with the guys who are part of the squad, part of the coaching team, the support staff, to try and bring success to the club and that’s probably been our motivation from the time we took the team.”

Defeat by Motherwell before the international break made it four losses in a row and left Hearts in eighth place, but sitting above fellow European qualifiers Aberdeen and Hibernian.

Naismith, who feels Hearts have struggled to deal with fatigue levels after European games, said: “The break probably came at a good time for us.

“Our performance levels at times this season have been really good. We have looked a threat, but then when you throw in the number of games that we have had in a short space of time, I don’t think we have dealt well with that.

“We have given up cheap goals from that and that then puts you in a difficult position, but then we just haven’t shown that bit of magic in those times when you need to dig really deep.

“For me, that has been the biggest thing, but in the last two weeks we have been able to do some really good work on that. Making sure that we play with a freedom, and we don’t think twice about playing certain passes.”

Hearts suffered a blow during the break with defender Alex Cochrane facing a spell on the sidelines.

“Alex Cochrane took a knock on his ankle in training while blocking a shot, so he is likely to be looking at six weeks or maybe longer,” he said.

Andy Murray battled past Davis Cup debutant Leandro Riedi in a three-hour epic in Manchester to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead over Switzerland.

The former world number one had only lost three of his previous 35 singles matches in the competition and never to a player ranked as low as world number 152 Riedi.

But the big-hitting 21-year-old produced a performance well above that and, after failing to take his chances in the opening set, Murray needed all his nous to grind out a 6-7 (7) 6-4 6-4 victory in three hours and 10 minutes.

It was another demonstration that, for all his frustration at being unable to get back in the mix at grand slams, the competitive fire still burns brightly within Murray and to get over the line in an important match for his country undoubtedly meant a lot.

The 36-year-old said: “It’s obviously incredible to get through that one, it easily could have gone the other way. It was ridiculous the shots he was pulling off, amazing, amazing returning. I kept fighting and tried to stay focused and managed to turn it round.”

Having seen his gamble to play debutant Jack Draper and Dan Evans handsomely pay off in Wednesday’s victory over Australia, captain Leon Smith made use of his options by naming Murray and Cameron Norrie as his singles players here.

Evans’ 0-5 record against Stan Wawrinka may have played a part in his thinking along perhaps with caution not to over-play Draper given his physical fragility this year.

Murray played singles against Kazakhstan at the same stage last year but only once Britain were already eliminated, making this his first live singles rubber in the competition since 2019 and only his second in seven years.

Switzerland also sprang a surprise by picking Riedi ahead of their number two Dominic Stricker, and Murray admitted that had thrown him having prepared to face a left-hander.

After negotiating an 11-minute first game, the Scot broke serve immediately and had a chance to open up a 4-0 lead.

He could not take it, though, and Riedi worked his way into the contest, beginning to cause Murray increasing problems with his big forehand and aggressive tactics.

They earned him a break back when the Scot served for the set at 5-3, and Murray was then unable to take two set points in the tie-break, Riedi converting his first opportunity with his 22nd winner.

The young Swiss, who had never previously beaten a top-50 player, had his tail up and Murray kicked his bag in frustration after failing to break in the third game of the second set.

He finally made the breakthrough at 3-3 when Riedi double-faulted only for the 21-year-old to leave his opponent rooted to the spot with a series of blistering returns.

Undeterred, Murray engineered another break and this time held onto it with trademark grim determination to level the match.

The Scot has been in similar situations hundreds of times during his career and ultimately experience won out, although it was still nip and tuck, with Murray slamming his racket to the court after handing an early break back in the decider.

He broke again to lead 3-2, though, and quashed Riedi’s hopes of a comeback by taking his first match point with an ace.

Napoli manager Rudi Garcia has backed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to return to form ahead of a busy period for the club.

Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia scored 14 goals last season to help the Serie A title return to Naples, but a calf injury has restricted his involvement during the new campaign.

Kvaratskhelia played twice for Georgia during the international break and Garcia knows he can count on the attacker when Napoli travel to Genoa on Saturday night for the start of a sequence of seven matches in 23 days.

“Kvara has played 180 minutes (for Georgia). He struggled a bit in the first match and was a bit better in the second, but I am not worried for him,” Garcia told a press conference.

“He was a bit unlucky in the second half against Lazio. He will score and assist again. He could not play for 90 minutes against Lazio, but two full games with Georgia are good news for us.

“We have seven games in 23 days. It will be like a marathon and we must start well having all the group available.”

Last season’s Scudetto winners suffered their first loss of the campaign before the international break when Lazio won 2-1 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 2.

Garcia admitted he will be forced to make changes to his starting line-up for that match and goalscorer Matteo Politano could be on the bench.

Politano trained separately this week with a knock but could still be included on the bench for the trip north.

Garcia added: “Many players were tired yesterday and some are not 100 per cent fit, but I am happy that there are no injuries.

“Matteo Politano should be with us, even if he can’t play for 90 minutes.

“Kvaratskhelia has only started one Serie A game so far this season but is getting back in shape.

“Those who deserve it will play but the starting line-up won’t be the same as against Lazio.

“We must be more efficient up front. It would be important to keep a clean sheet, like against Sassuolo.

“We must be confident because we have a tidy playing style, which must bring us to scoring more goals.”

Dawid Malan pushed himself into pole position to open for England at next month’s World Cup, carrying the side with a superb century in the final ODI against New Zealand.

With Jason Roy once again missing due to back spasms, Malan continued to make the most of his unexpected opportunity at the top of the order with 127 off 114 balls in a total of 311 for nine at Lord’s.

The 36-year-old, who became a father for the second time last week, also made 96 at the Kia Oval on Tuesday and 54 in the series opener in Cardiff.

Only a matter of days ago Malan was being talked about as a potential fall-guy should Harry Brook be parachuted into the final 15 for the tournament in India, but he has picked his moment expertly and instead appears to have built a compelling case to gatecrash the first XI.

Roy, meanwhile, was left kicking his heels in the dressing room once more and may now be sweating over his own place on the plane. He was one of the stars of England’s 2019 triumph but his fitness issues have emerged at the worst possible time and captain Jos Buttler admitted at the toss that England may look to add him to the second-string side that takes on Ireland next week in a bid to get him back in the saddle.

Malan played his part outstandingly, scoring 14 boundaries and three sixes as he occupied the crease for 40 overs and displayed a combination of touch and timing that eluded his team-mates.

Along the way he eased past 1,000 ODI runs in his 21st appearance – a joint record alongside Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. He has now reached three figures five times in that period, averaging 61.52 at strike-rate of 96.52 – a formidable track record by any reckoning.

England rested Ben Stokes after the exertions of his record-breaking 182 on Tuesday evening and his presence was missed in the middle order, Brook stepping in at number four but failing to crank up the pressure on Roy any further.

He was dismissed for 10 when he hit a Rachin Ravindra drag down straight to mid-on and boasts a modest 37 from his three outings this series. Joe Root’s struggle for rhythm also continued, twice dropped in single figures before losing his stump for 29 aiming a slog sweep at Ravindra, who finished with four for 60.

Buttler was the best of the rest, chipping in a lively 36, with New Zealand taking five for 68 in a busy final 10 overs.

Tom Marquand is concentrating on the result rather than the occasion ahead of his bid to carry the royal colours to Classic glory in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.

It is 46 years since Dunfermline provided the late Queen with the last of her five British Classic wins in the Town Moor showpiece and optimism is high that Desert Hero can end the long wait for another victory by adding his name to the roll of honour on Saturday.

The William Haggas-trained colt brought the house down after giving the newly-crowned King and Queen their first taste of Royal Ascot success in the King George V Stakes in June and he has since enhanced his Leger claims by landing the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

Marquand has ridden multiple Group One winners at home and abroad, including a first Classic win with Galileo Chrome in a behind-closed-doors Leger three years ago – but in his view Desert Hero’s victory in Berkshire three months ago tops the lot.

“I’d be lying if I said anything other than I didn’t even give it a thought beforehand, as a jockey you don’t. There’s only one thing that matters and that’s winning and everything else pales into insignificance unless you win,” he said.

“It was an absolutely incredible day and an extremely special one that will probably rank up right up there for the rest of my days riding.

“Honestly, it’s probably the highest. Obviously you’ll have higher profile wins in higher grade races, but as an Englishman the opportunity to ride the King’s first Royal Ascot winner, with them there and seeing the excitement and the pleasure both the King and Queen got from it, was incredible.”

Following the Queen’s death 12 months ago, there were genuine concerns the royal patronage of the sport might fade. Marquand feels Desert Hero’s Ascot win went some way to allaying those fears.

“For racing it’s extremely important and gratifying that the passion for the sport that we all love so much is there,” he continued.

“I think that’s what made the occasion so special, that it was so clear for everyone that was there and watching on the TV as well the joy the King and Queen got from that winner.

“I didn’t think that I’d get a Classic-winning opportunity for them so soon after obviously, but that Royal Ascot will be hard to topple off top spot.

“It was great, but to have that line of progression from Desert Hero to the point where he’s going into the St Leger as one of the main chances in the race is fantastic for everyone.”

Given the expectation, Marquand will have plenty of pressure on his shoulders when he heads out onto the Doncaster turf on Saturday afternoon, but he is keen to treat it like just another race.

He said: “I’m looking forward to it, it’s a big day and an important one with pretty special circumstances, obviously. It’s great.

“Obviously we’re very appreciative to be in the situation we are going into the weekend with him, but we kind of put that to one side going into the racing scenario as it’s all insignificant unless his head lands in front in the right place.

“It doesn’t matter who owns him or who is involved or whatever if that doesn’t happen, so first and foremost the main priority is to give him the best opportunity to win that we can and after that hopefully we’ll have a bit more to worry about!

“It’s all insignificant if he doesn’t win, so there’s not much point spending time thinking about it.”

Desert Hero finished only eighth when favourite for Newbury’s London Gold Cup on his seasonal debut, but Marquand insists he was far from despondent.

He said: “He didn’t disappoint us all at Newbury. It was a mile and a quarter, it was obviously his first run of the year and things didn’t quite go to plan as I ended up making the running, so I actually came back in extremely happy with him.

“I just thought he’d been a bit slow and he’d love going up to a mile and a half and the progression from there has been massive.

“Ascot was obviously a huge performance, but he went and cemented that at Goodwood up in Stakes company and on very different ground as well.”

One question Desert Hero will have to answer is whether his stamina will last out over a mile and three-quarters, but Marquand is as hopeful as he can be the longer trip will not be an issue.

“He’s shown how appliable he is to different things and different conditions. He’s got a different trip to contend with this time, but I think it’s fair to say he’s shown the trip shouldn’t be an issue and on breeding it shouldn’t be an issue, so we’re hoping it’s not going to be,” he added.

“Until you run over it, it’s still a question mark, but I think it’s one of the question marks going into a race like this you don’t mind having. If the trip is the only problem we have then fantastic!”

Marquand knows Desert Hero will not have things all his own way, with a clutch of talented rivals lying in wait.

Frankie Dettori bids for one final Classic win before his retirement aboard Arrest, while Continuous and Gregory renew rivalry after finishing first and third in the Great Voltigeur at York last month.

Further strength in depth is added by the supplemented Middle Earth and Chesspiece, who was only a neck behind Desert Hero at Goodwood in early August.

Assessing the field, Marquand said: “It’s a race where there’s a lot of strength in it, but there’s no standout horse that needs to disappoint for something else to win. It makes it interesting.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity and I know William and the team at Somerville Lodge are thrilled they’ve found a horse like him this year for the King and Queen – it’s given everyone a huge amount of pleasure to be in this position.

“Whatever happens, they’ve done a fantastic job with him and everyone has enjoyed the ride so far.”

Adrian Meronk insisted he has accepted being overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card as he threatened to outscore all 12 members of the European team in the BMW PGA Championship.

After an 80-minute delay due to early morning fog, Meronk added a second round of 68 to his opening 67 at Wentworth to share the clubhouse lead with Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura.

Former winner Tyrrell Hatton was the best-placed of the Ryder Cup dozen in the early wave on seven under, with Jon Rahm and Matt Fitzpatrick both a shot further back.

Meronk said last week he was “shocked, sad and angry” not to receive a pick from Europe captain Luke Donald, especially after winning his third DP World Tour title in the space of 10 months in May’s Italian Open at the Ryder Cup venue on the outskirts of Rome.

“I have accepted it,” the 30-year-old Pole said at Wentworth.

“The first couple of days after were tough, but I have moved on and am focused on my game. I want to finish the season strongly and that is my only goal now.

“I know it’s easy to say, but it’s like having a bad round and letting it go. This one was a little bit tougher to accept because it wasn’t based on me and someone else made that decision.

“I definitely think it is wrong. I feel I’ve deserved it. I feel I’ve shown in the last two years that I’ve played really good on the DP World Tour. If you look at the results and the numbers, I thought it was enough, but there’s nothing I can do now.

“But I have been pretty good at accepting things in my career. I’m trying to turn all that disappointment and anger into motivation, especially this week.”

Meronk, who received shouts of encouragement in Polish as he completed his round, believes the captain having six wild cards is too many and that one should be held back until after the end of the DP World Tour’s flagship event.

“I’d say that four would probably be reasonable and I think leaving one or two picks for these big tournaments would be a good idea,” he added.

“This time the team has been picked basically after a four-week break and then playing two small events. I think one spot should be reserved after this week at least.”

Rahm looked in danger of missing the halfway cut when he thinned his second shot on the first into the face of a fairway bunker and ran up a double bogey, before also dropping a shot on the third.

However, the Masters champion responded with an eagle on the fourth, chipped in to save par on the sixth and covered his last 10 holes in six under par.

“None of those swings felt bad, it was just an unfortunate thing to happen on the first but you have put it on the fairway around here,” said Rahm, who carded a closing 62 here last year to finish runner-up for the second time in two starts.

Frankie Dettori will don the Juddmonte silks when he makes his final British Classic appearance aboard Arrest in Doncaster’s Betfred St Leger.

The Italian has won the Town Moor showpiece six times throughout his career and struck in the colours of the Abdullah family with Logician in 2019.

Dettori was expected to partner his Royal Ascot winner Gregory in his last shot at Classic glory, but made a late switch to the John and Thady Gosden-trained stablemate after a wet week in South Yorkshire.

And it could be somewhat fitting that he bows out for connections who have provided him with some of the biggest victories in his career.

“Any time Frankie is on board is great and I suppose the association he has had with Juddmonte over the years has been so strong and we’ve had so many big days together that we can hopefully dream of another on Saturday,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owner.

“It would be special and it’s a hot race, it’s certainly hard to dismiss much in the race. They are all of a similar level and it’s definitely quality over quantity.”

The race offers Arrest the chance for Classic redemption having fluffed his lines when sent off favourite in the hands of Dettori in his final Derby at Epsom earlier in the summer.

However, connections believe they made the wrong decision to run the son of Frankel on quick ground during the height of summer and are hopeful their high-class colt will stay the stamina-sapping one-mile-six-furlong trip in his preferred ground.

Mahon added: “In fairness to the horse, his record is pretty solid and we made two bad calls with the horse running him on good to firm ground at Epsom and Ascot. To be fair they were two big races and big meetings and we just made the wrong call and we’ve learned from that.

“We know he likes an ease in the ground and if you forget those two runs, then his record is pretty outstanding.

“It’s like everything, until you try it, you don’t know 100 per cent (if Arrest will stay). But it didn’t look like he was stopping at the end of the Geoffrey Freer, so you would have to think he will be fine over it. Over a mile and five and a half at Newbury he looked comfortable enough, so we just have to be hopeful he gets the extra furlong.”

Arrest is one of three for the Gosdens alongside Gregory and Middle Earth as the Clarehaven team seeks a second British Classic of the campaign.

Kieran Shoemark takes the ride on Gregory, who although tasting defeat for the first time in the Great Voltigeur, showed his liking for this trip when winning the Queen’s Vase at the Royal meeting before that.

“He’s got a great mind and he is a pretty laid-back character,” said John Gosden.

“I trained both the mother and father and he’s inherited all the good traits of their mental attitude towards racing.

“We gave him all the time he required and he’s done nothing but shine this year. I think he’ll enjoy the distance, although we are perfectly aware it looks like being a vintage St Leger.”

Middle Earth was supplemented into the contest by owners Qatar Racing having proven his class in York’s Melrose Stakes and the mount of Oisin Murphy ticks plenty of boxes despite stepping up markedly in class.

Gosden added: “He’s proven he stays the trip, which let me tell you, the one mile, six furlongs and a few yards, it is a long straight, it tests the tactical speed and the stamina. He looks like he should be able to answer those two calls.

“If you’d won a handicap in the style he did at York, that was a tougher race than some of the trials. If you’ve got the right horse at the right time and he handles the ground, then he has every right to be there.”

While the Gosdens field a team of three, there will be four from Aidan O’Brien’s all-conquering Ballydoyle string, including Continuous who lowered the colours of Gregory at York last month.

He is the mount of Ryan Moore and is joined by Bahrain Trophy runner-up Tower Of London, Alexandroupolis and Denmark as the handler searches for his sixth win the race.

O’Brien said: “Continuous is very well. He came out of York very well. He’s a horse that has class and you can take your time with over a mile and six (furlongs).

“Tower Of London just got beat at Newmarket. He will get the trip, he’s a brother to Capri. He handles good ground and we’re very happy with him.

“Alexandroupolis was second in a Derby Trial and then suffered a setback. We’ve always liked him and think he’s come forward plenty from his last run, but will probably come forward more after this.”

Godolphin are no strangers to success in this contest and their hopes are carried by Simon and Ed Crisford’s Chesspiece, who was only a neck behind the reopposing Desert Hero in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood and will relish the extra two furlongs.

“It’s a big day and he’s done well progressing this season,” said Ed Crisford.

“It’s a tough race, the St Leger, and there’s some good horses in it and he has a few lengths to make up on those higher-rated horses, but he wants every yard of the trip and it looks like being suitable ground for him.

“If he can improve a little bit, I’m sure he will be in the mix.”

Chesspiece’s training team recently celebrated their first Group One success when landing the Prix Morny and now look to quickly follow up in one of the oldest races on the calendar.

Crisford added: “It’s exciting to be a part of the Leger, it is always a great race and to have a horse with a bit of a squeak is great.

“You will have to really stay well in the Leger – I think our fella will stay well and I think with the softer conditions, it will be a grinding sort of race. He’s there with a chance for sure.”

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli feels his side are ready to turn the tide in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals Inter.

Both Milan clubs have opened the new season with three straight wins to sit top of Serie A, two points ahead of defending champions Napoli, in the build up to Saturday’s clash at the San Siro.

The Nerazzurri won the four derbies played in 2023 across all competitions – with their rivals failing to score a goal in any of the games, including both legs of the Champions League semi-final.

Pioli, though, is not bothered by historical statistics.

“I am not interested past derbies – Saturday’s one counts. It is an opportunity to exploit and I want my players to think they can win it,” Pioli told a press conference.

“We are at the start of the championship, we have started well and we want to continue like this with a clear head.

“I am convinced of how the team has prepared and wants to face the match, we know what to propose, but then the matches must be played and interpreted.”

Pioli added: “I want to see Milan, I want to see the team follow our playing principles and what we have prepared.

“I am sure that we will face the match with the right spirit, with enthusiasm and with heart. Against Inter, but also in the whole season. We are not afraid of anything.”

The Rossoneri – who open their Champions League campaign against Newcastle next week – will be without defender Fikayo Tomori following his red card in the win at Roma before the international break.

With Pierre Kalulu also not fully fit, veteran Dane Simon Kjaer should come into the side.

“Kjaer is ready to play such an important match,” Pioli said. “He is strong and has a great personality.”

“I must manage my players in the best way. We will play many games in 21 days. We think about the derby now, then from Sunday we will focus on Newcastle.”

Pioli also confirmed Davide Calabria “won’t be available for a long time” because of an ankle problem.

Despite their own fine start to the new campaign, which has seen them yet to concede a goal in Serie A, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is determined to keep a sense of perspective.

“Before the start of the season, they said that we were weaker – but now, it seems that we will have to win the Champions League rather than the Scudetto,” Inzaghi told a press conference.

“It doesn’t bother me – I am joking about it because this is what I am reading after three victories.

“It is not a problem. We know that we hit our peak last season and that is why it is difficult for me to say if we are better than last year.

“We hope to play another 57 games, but time will tell. We are at Inter to win and we work hard to achieve our goals.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Inter (@inter)

“We know that we have to work hard and that tomorrow we will have very strong opponents to face.”

Inzaghi added: “Milan and Inter both made a good impression thus far.

“It is only the fourth round (of Serie A), but it is an important match. We want to get the best possible result.”

Inter will check on the fitness of Juan Cuadrado and Alexis Sanchez.

Midfielder Davide Frattesi laid down a marker to make his first start for the Nerazzurri with two goals for Italy in the Euro 2024 qualifier win over Ukraine.

Inzaghi said: “I have to make choices and I’m happy to have options.”

Max Verstappen’s unprecedented winning streak in Formula One could be under threat after the Red Bull driver finished only eighth in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen romped to victory in Italy a fortnight ago to become the first driver in the sport’s 73-year history to win 10 consecutive races as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.

But under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Verstappen ended the day more than seven tenths behind Ferrari pace-setter Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard who took pole position in Monza.

Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari as the Italian team completed a practice one-two, with George Russell third for Mercedes, 0.235 sec adrift.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fourth, with Lewis Hamilton fifth in his Mercedes, one place ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Red Bull are unbeaten this season, but they did not have a car inside the top six on Friday, with Sergio Perez, who triumphed here last year, seventh.

Verstappen, who has won 12 of the 14 rounds so far, has not lost a race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30.

But the Dutch driver has never triumphed in Singapore and he suggested ahead of Friday’s running that the high-downforce, low-speed nature of the city-state track could play into the hands of Red Bull’s rivals.

Although times in practice must be treated with caution as teams trial varying fuel loads and tyre strategies, it is Ferrari who hold the upper hand heading into qualifying on Saturday at a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Indeed, eight of the 13 races here have been won from pole. Although the removal of turns 16 to 19 in favour of one long straight could improve the action for Sunday’s 62-lap race.

While the second running passed off without major drama, the opening session was disrupted on three occasions when a lizard invaded the three-mile circuit.

Verstappen was the first to report the reptile at turn nine midway through the running.

“There is a lizard on track again,” said the Red Bull driver, who had a similar encounter here back in 2016. “It is a smaller one this time.”

Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase replied: “Maybe Godzilla has had a kid.” There was a second interruption, and then a third, as yellow flags were deployed.

“Another lizard, but a different one this time,” said Russell.

Pep Guardiola has reiterated his belief that Phil Foden can play in a number of attacking positions.

England manager Gareth Southgate suggested people should “speak to Pep” earlier this week after being asked why he seemed reluctant to play the midfielder in a central position for his country.

Southgate’s inference was that, as Foden tends to play in wider roles at Manchester City, it made it difficult for him to deploy the 23-year-old centrally in international games.

City manager Guardiola was indeed asked about this as he held a press conference on Friday to preview the champions’ Premier League trip to West Ham this weekend.

“I have an incredible relationship with Gareth,” said Guardiola, who returned to work this week after back surgery. “A comment from me? It looks like I disagree with him and I completely agree with him.

“When you play outside it is a completely different role but he knows, I know, that Phil can play in all positions up front – in the middle, outside right, left, in the pockets.

“But, as Gareth has said, in the pockets you have another responsibility, especially without the ball. Sometimes you don’t have to be so smart to read what happens every moment.

“But the important thing is Phil can play in the five positions up front without a problem and this is a big, big advantage for him.

“I saw the friendly game against Scotland. He started playing in the right, but moved and was most of the time inside. So the players move right, left, inside, outside. In the end it’s not a big issue.”

Saturday’s game at the London Stadium will see Guardiola back at the helm after missing two matches whilst recovering from his back operation.

In his absence, the treble winners maintained their 100 per cent to their title defence as assistant Juanma Lillo oversaw victories over Sheffield United and Fulham.

Guardiola said: “I’m getting better, three weeks after surgery. The doctor made a good job and, step by step, I think every week will be better.”

City received further good news this week as England right-back Kyle Walker agreed a two-year extension to his contract at the Etihad Stadium, committing him to the club until 2026.

Walker, who had a spell out of favour last season, recently admitted he came “close” to joining Bayern Munich over the summer but ultimately decided to stay.

Guardiola said: “It’s really important – like the extension from Nathan (Ake), Bernardo (Silva), Rico (Lewis) and Scotty Carson.

“Kyle is an important figure for us. Even his mates demanded he could not leave. His mind is there, he’s here on the pitch and loving it and football will not be a problem because he has a gene like few players I’ve seen.”

City announced Walker’s new contract by releasing a video starring the player in a ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ parody.

Guardiola said: “Our club is getting better in these social media departments. It was really, really good. The guy who has the idea, chapeau – hats off.”

Trueshan lit up Doncaster as he returned to his best to register a remarkable success in the Betfred Doncaster Cup Stakes.

Retirement appeared to be looming when the seven-year-old disappointed earlier in the season, but given a wind operation and a 135-day summer break, Alan King’s charge roared back to form on Town Moor.

Victory looked unlikely in the early stages of the Group Two contest as Trueshan refused to settle for Hollie Doyle, travelling keenly when held-up behind the steady early pace set by Ryan Moore aboard Broome.

Doyle allowed her mount to stride on approaching the turn for home and it proved to be a race-winning move from the rider as the long-distance veteran powered his way to the head of affairs.

With the rest of the field remaining glued to the inside rail, Trueshan set sail solo up the centre of the track, before edging his way across to battle John and Thady Gosden’s Sweet William who had emerged from the pack to lay down a stern challenge.

Trueshan, however, would not be denied and he stormed to the line to win by a length and a quarter.

Paddy Power and Betfair now make the 100-30 scorer a 5-1 shot to win the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup for a fourth straight year at Ascot on October 21.

Mikel Arteta admitted he has an emotional connection with Everton and expects his former side to put up a battle when Arsenal travel to Goodison Park in the Premier League on Sunday.

Arsenal reignite their Premier League bid with a trip to Merseyside where they face Sean Dyche’s Everton, who are unbeaten at home against the Gunners since 2017.

Arteta praised his former side’s attributes and highlighted the special connection between himself and the Toffees.

“I’m really excited about it, the last six years we have not won there so we are going to have to earn it,” Arteta said.

“We know we are going to have to be at our best to beat them there and that’s something we haven’t managed to do so that’s where we are going to start.

“It is a big emotional connection I have to that football club with many years I spent there, the incredible memories that I have so I’m always grateful. It’s a big part of my playing career and as a coach I have to play against them and we have to beat them.

“We’ve been here and we’ve been to grounds before where we haven’t won before and we’ve done it so it’s about understanding the importance and knowing what we lacked in those games and putting it right.

“Sometimes you cannot avoid a battle (with Everton), the style of play they have is very clear and they’re very good at that.

“We have a different one and it’s about trying to impose your way of playing and the tactic is just to make sure your opponent’s strengths are hiding and that ours are coming out every single time to fulfill the potential of your players, and that’s what I think both managers and players will try to do.”

Arsenal’s Champions League opener against PSV next week is their first time back in the competition since the 2016-17 season.

The Spaniard embraced the challenge of a difficult schedule alongside another battle with Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League this season.

“We played three games a week last year, but the Champions League is obviously different with the expectations and that we’ve been away from it for seven years,” he added.

“It’s excitement, this is where we want to be and when you look at the fixtures and the games we are going to have to play, I think everyone is really looking forward to it.”

Arsenal terminated Nicolas Pepe’s contract on Saturday after the Ivorian failed to hold down a starting role at the Emirates since his reported £72 million move – then a club-record fee – in 2019.

Arteta said: “What I can say is that he’s a phenomenal boy, he trained really hard, it’s not his fault that the amount of money we paid at the time.

“When things aren’t working out you have to move on and there’s no point when things aren’t working either way.

“The decisions has been made and I think it’s in the benefit of both parties.”