Former Scotland captains Stuart Hogg and Stuart McInally remain on course for World Cup swansongs after the pair were named in Gregor Townsend’s 41-man pre-tournament training squad on Tuesday.

The experienced duo announced recently that they will retire from rugby to pursue other interests after this year’s showpiece in France.

While Exeter full-back Hogg was always expected to be included in the squad, there was some doubt about whether Edinburgh hooker McInally would be included.

In a squad of few major surprises, Glasgow back Stafford McDowall and Leicester lock Cam Henderson are the only uncapped players included, although both were involved in the Six Nations squad earlier this year.

Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham and Glasgow flanker Rory Darge are both back in the mix after missing the Six Nations through injury.

Exeter second row Jonny Gray has not been included after suffering a knee injury recently, while Fraser Brown, Johnny Matthews and Mark Bennett are among the most notable absentees.

The 41-player group will gather for an initial training camp on 29 May to begin preparations for warm-up matches at home to France, Italy and Georgia and away to the French in July and August.

The squad will then be trimmed to 33 ahead of the tournament in which Scotland will be in a group alongside South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania. Their first match is against the Springboks in Marseille on Sunday 10 September.

Jack Grealish is ready to be "the X factor" for Manchester City in their Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid, according to the club's former defender Kolo Toure.

Toure heralded the winger’s uniqueness and bravery with the ball ahead of what many have identified as treble-chasing City’s toughest challenge so far this season. 

Pep Guardiola’s men will be desperate to make it past Los Blancos after their opponents’ stunning comeback against his side in last year’s semi-finals.  

Pundits and fans have been identifying Erling Haaland as City’s key difference maker following a record-breaking first season in Manchester that has seen him score 51 goals in all competitions.  

But Toure feels it may well be Grealish who City end up relying on as they look to finally get their hands on the elusive Champions League trophy, with the first leg of their last-four tie taking place on Tuesday.

"He is such an effective player and for me it is unique players like that who win the Champions League because he has that X factor," Toure told Stats Perform about Grealish ahead of the match at Santiago Bernabeu.

"It is his personality. He's not scared, he likes getting the ball under big pressure, and they need him in the Champions League.

"I think he's going to be really big for them in the Champions League games coming up."

Grealish will not need reminding of last season’s disappointment in Madrid, where City led by two goals going into the final minute of the second leg before collapsing to a 6-5 aggregate defeat after extra time.

As City sought to put the tie beyond doubt, the Englishman was centre stage. He saw an effort cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy before the exceptional Thibaut Courtois saved from him as opportunities went begging.

Many questioned whether City had made the right move bringing Grealish to the club. A low output – just three Premier League goals and three assists – in his first season under Guardiola and a £100 million transfer fee did not help his case.  

He entered a squad stacked with attacking players who have technical ability in abundance and were already established as greats of the Guardiola era. The records of Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne speak for themselves.  

But Grealish’s development this season has been impressive, and this has not been lost on Toure. 

"I think when he came to City, he came to a different team," explained Toure.

"With Aston Villa, he used to play as a free man and he used to be the playmaker. He used to be the one who does everything when they have the ball. 

"They were working for him to make sure he just created chances on his own really by dribbling past one or two players and then passing the ball to his team-mates or scoring himself, and he had a habit of doing that from a young age.

"And then he came to Man City, which is a team with tactical discipline, which is a team with top players around him, which is a team that is not about one player but is about all the squad, it is about all the players on the pitch.

"And you find it difficult because he was learning the Man City way. 

"He was trying to be disciplined because when you have been a free man running everywhere and then your manager says ‘you just stay there and the ball will get to you’ [it is an adjustment]. When the ball doesn't come for 20 seconds, you just want to get it. 

"But Pep knew that this boy has big quality, and you just needed to be taught the tactical discipline and you can see how effective he is now.

"What happens when you have tactical discipline, you are not running everywhere on the pitch and you save a lot of energy and, when the ball gets there, you have plenty of energy to do even better than you used to. 

"And you can see as how defensively he is working harder because he is not wasting energy. He is just in the right position for the ball get to him and then to attack one, two or three players."

Toure’s observations certainly stack up when looking at Grealish’s numbers. The England man has improved his assist output (11 in all competitions) and receives more progressive passes per game than in his first season at City, pointing his better understanding of his manager’s demands in tandem with his team-mates.  

Guardiola is known to demand so much of his players and even Sergio Aguero once faced questions over his suitability. Many goals and many trophies later and that sentiment is one those who shared it will be hoping to forget. 

Throw in names like Mahrez and Raheem Sterling and the list of attackers who have taken time before growing into key roles at the club is now a who’s-who of City successes.  

Grealish will be hoping his critics will be quieter still as the season draws to a close following his breakout year at the top of English football.

But he along with his team-mates know Champions League glory will be the true marker of how they are viewed as City return to Madrid looking to show their growth and seeking redemption.

Everton winger Dwight McNeil cautioned against premature celebrations despite his side taking a significant step towards Premier League safety.

McNeil’s second-half brace helped the Toffees climb out of the relegation zone with an emphatic 5-1 away win at Brighton on Monday to move them one place and two points clear of 18th-placed Leicester.

While taking all three points from Roberto De Zerbi’s side provided a considerable boost, McNeil quickly diverted his attention to Everton’s remaining fixtures.

“Winning on the road is massive for our confidence within the camp, especially going forward into our final three games,” he told the club website.

“Now we are out of the relegation zone, we have a massive game coming up Sunday, then after that, the last two games are massive as well. We have to rest up now and get ready for that big game on Sunday.

“It’s massive to be out of the relegation zone, but we know nothing is done yet. We have got to go right to the end and get more points on the board and that’s what we want to do.”

Just three points separate 16th-placed Nottingham Forest and second-from-bottom Leeds.

Everton will look to dampen another club’s ambitions when they host Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday before encounters with Wolves and Bournemouth to close out the campaign.

Boss Sean Dyche was full of praise for former Burnley man McNeil, who picked up an assist for one of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s two goals against Brighton, while it was his cross that ultimately led to Jason Steele’s own goal.

Dyche said: “I’ve said keep going, keep driving forwards, because he does it so well. He can cross the ball and as you saw he can deliver calm finishes. His two finishes were terrific.

“It’s just another sign of what he’s got. I think he’s got a lot, to be honest, but I do about a lot of these players, when they’re on the edge and they’re all playing well and they’re full of confidence, but you have to build confidence and I think he’s been building his confidence levels and his performances.”

Brighton boss De Zerbi, meanwhile, encouraged his side to quickly move on from the defeat as they continue to target a place in Europe next season.

While it looks likely that seventh will be good enough for a Europa Conference League berth – a permutation thanks in part to the all-Manchester FA Cup final – De Zerbi wants his men to aim higher and refocus their mindset.

He said: “What you did in the past is not important, it doesn’t count, and we are Brighton. We have become Brighton. We won against Liverpool, against Manchester United, against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, against Chelsea.

“Not because there is a top coach, not because there are top players, [but] because we showed pride, we showed courage, energy, patience, and I’m sure we will show for a long time.”

Former Old Firm rivals Martin O’Neill and Alex McLeish are united in their disappointment over the lack of away supporters at games between Celtic and Rangers.

Former Celtic boss O’Neill believes the Glasgow derby has lost something from the development after describing the past atmosphere as “combative and brilliant”.

McLeish also feels the lack of away fans could even hamper the home team.

Both clubs formerly handed about 7,500 tickets to their rivals until Rangers announced in May 2018 that they were slashing that allocation to about 10 per cent of that figure. Inevitably, Celtic immediately followed suit.

Celtic are believed to be in favour of a return to the original allocation but neither club have taken away tickets for the final two league meetings between the sides this season amid concerns over the safety of small groups of away fans inside Ibrox and Celtic Park.

Speaking ahead of Celtic’s trip to Ibrox on Saturday, O’Neill said: “The thing I would miss most now is that there are no Celtic fans allowed into Ibrox and no Rangers fans allowed into Celtic.

“I think that really does take away from the atmosphere.

“My goalkeeping coach, Seamus McDonagh, brought some friends and his grandchild up to the game here, I got him some tickets for the 3-2 game (at Celtic Park). His grandchild was blown away by the atmosphere and Seamus, who hadn’t been up for a while, thought it was fantastic.

“I said to Seamus, it genuinely doesn’t compare to the atmosphere when the opposition are in. It’s really something. I mean the Rangers goal was virtual silence.

“I thought there was something really combative and brilliant about the fans being in.

“You felt kind of consolation that you had Celtic fans at Ibrox.

“It’s a shame. Honestly, there’s definitely something missing from that. You miss it. The games were fantastic. I’m not saying I always looked forward to them but they were fantastic.

“The games are still special but they were extra special when the away fans were in.

“It would be nice if the clubs sat down and organised something. Losing the away fans does take something away from the game.”

McLeish, who spent most of his Ibrox reign up against O’Neill, agreed with his former opponent.

“You get inspiration from both sets of fans,” the former Rangers manager said.

“If you’re getting ribbed by the opposition fans then it inspired you to do a wee bit more for yourself.

“It seems bizarre that there won’t be opposition fans. It’s a shame.

“I never thought I’d see that happening but it’s the way the world has evolved. Social networks are quite vitriolic at times as well. It’s something I could just never foresee.”

Wales international back-row forward Dan Lydiate has sealed a return to the Dragons ahead of next season.

Lydiate, who was recently released by Dragons’ United Rugby Championship rivals the Ospreys, will rejoin a region he played for between 2006 and 2013.

The 35-year-old British and Irish Lion has won 69 caps and is part of Wales head coach Warren Gatland’s extended preliminary World Cup training squad.

The Dragons have not specified Lydiate’s length of contract.

“We are delighted that Dan is coming home to a club where it all started and a place that means a huge amount to him,” Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said.

“Dan has enjoyed a fantastic career, playing at the very highest level, and he comes back to the Dragons producing some of his finest rugby, underlined by his recent call-up by Wales.

“He is a leader, someone who sets the standards, while his vast experience and approach to the game will be of huge benefit to our young squad.”

Lydiate said: “I’ve had a lot of positive conversations with Dai about what is being built here, and he is one of the reasons I wanted to return and sign.

“There is a good crop of young talent at Dragons, and now I am back on board I will hopefully add some experience, play my part and help them on their journey, too. I am looking forward to getting stuck in.”

Sophia Floersch has set her sights on competing in Formula One “in the next three to five years” after recovering from a spinal fracture.

The 22-year-old currently drives for PHM Racing by Charouz in Formula Three, and has also taken part in endurance events such as Le Mans.

Floersch’s F1 aspirations are all the more remarkable given she broke her spine in a horrific crash at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix, aged 17.

The German driver’s incredible return to the sport saw her awarded Laureus World Comeback of the Year in 2020, and earlier this year she joined Alpine’s Race(H)er programme, which aims to increase diversity.

Speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Paris, she said: “I always dreamt of reaching F1 and now Alpine being behind me actually having the same goals and a clear way of how they want to get there with a woman makes it even better.

“It’s obviously not just on the education side a big plus for me, but financially it’s a big help which I need in my position.

“I think at some point there will be a female driver in F1. In the end, when you’re all in the car, you’re all just driving to win and you don’t really care about gender, or at least that’s (the case) for me.”

She continued: “Nothing is easy in life and especially not motorsports. It’s difficult. In this sport there are many different things that need to fall in place – not just for a woman, but for a man.

“I hope to reach it (F1) in the next three to five years but in the end I think I’m trying to look year to year.”

Floersch feels she has improved as a driver, with help around the more technical aspects of her trade, since joining Alpine in February.

“In general, especially tyre management, tyre warm-up procedure and so on… how to work with the team as well, because it’s a complete new team. We have learned a lot together,” she said.

“That’s where they helped me a lot and also tried to advise which directions to go.

“In the end, it’s really positive to be back, because that’s what I’ve wanted for the past two years, and for next year we’ll try to make the move to F2.”

:: Sophia Floersch was speaking at the Laureus World Sports Awards. Find out more at www.laureus.com

Tottenham defender Ben Davies has talked up Ryan Mason’s positive influence on the squad.

Mason claimed his first victory during his second caretaker spell in charge of Spurs with Saturday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

It occurred after the 31-year-old had tweaked the tactics used by his old boss Antonio Conte, who repeatedly stuck with a 3-4-3 system.

Tottenham lined up in a 4-4-2 out of possession and it helped them keep a first clean sheet in the Premier League since February 26 with more confidence restored to a group who have experienced crushing defeats to Bournemouth, Newcastle and Liverpool in the past month.

“It’s something we’re all well aware of and one that we needed for a long time. It’s a good start for us and hopefully we can kick on for the final games now,” Davies said of the shut-out against Palace.

“It’s not the easiest situation to come into (for Ryan). We’ve got limited amount of games so it’s hard for him to come in and completely change things and do it his own way.

“But there’s been a clear message that we need to be as good as we can with the ball and tighten up without it.

“It’s pretty basic but that’s the way we’ve been training and working. Ryan’s instilled that belief in us that we’re able to do that.”

Davies, who has largely played left of a back three this season, was used as a full-back last weekend before being asked to push higher up the pitch when Spurs attacked.

On the right wing was January recruit Pedro Porro and it was the Spain international who set up Harry Kane’s winner to help make up for some poor defensive showings at St James’ Park and Anfield recently.

Davies added: “Pedro is still a young player. We know the intensity and scrutiny of the Premier League, you make one little mistake and it’s highlighted for the world to see.

“Look, we all know how good a player he is. We’ve seen it on the training pitch. When you iron out those mistakes I think we’ve got a top player on our hands.

“Sometimes when you’re new to the club and the Premier League, you probably feel a lot of demand, especially when it comes to the transfer fee, to try to impress.

“Sometimes it’s about making sure you do the basics and do the simple things right first. I think he did that. He defended well and then when he got the opportunity (to attack) he was good.”

Tottenham’s win over Palace moved them up to sixth and kept them on course to qualify for a European competition.

“Our aspiration is to play European football and be involved in as many competitions as we can,” Davies insisted.

“We have the squad, we have the number of players, so it’s probably necessary that we are.

“Our aim is to go as far as we can in every competition. Any European competition is important for us.”

Real Madrid are "the best team of this generation" and could go all the way in the Champions League again this season, according to former European champion Mario Gomez.

Madrid claimed their 14th European crown in incredible fashion last term, overcoming Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City in a series of dramatic knockout ties.

Having reached the final despite losing a game in the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, Los Blancos captured their fifth Champions League title in nine seasons by beating Liverpool 1-0 in Paris.

As Carlo Ancelotti's men prepare to face City in a repeat of last year's semi-final tie, former Bayern Munich striker Gomez described them as the "true beast" of Europe's premier club competition.

"With Real Madrid, over the last 10 years, how many times have we thought, 'it is over for them', and they just come back every time," Gomez said in an interview with the Go Turkiye YouTube channel.

"They are the true beast of the Champions League, absolutely unbelievable. 

"Since I was very little, I have been a Barcelona supporter, but I really enjoy this Real Madrid side.

"They believe until the last second, so, for me they are the best team of this generation.

"For that reason, I think that they will go really far. I don't know if they will win it, because football is unpredictable, but they can reach the final."

Turkey striker Cenk Tosun was speaking alongside Gomez, and having worked with Ancelotti during a stint in the Premier League with Everton, he believes the Italian could be set for more glory in Istanbul next month.

"It is always a special event to have the Champions League final here in Turkey," Tosun said. "Of course, Real Madrid is the winner of last season and a clear favourite. 

"They have the same manager as last year, Mr. Ancelotti. I worked with him at Everton and I really like him, he is a special person for me, so I would pick Real Madrid to win it."

Gomez appeared as a substitute as Bayern beat Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League final, as part of a memorable treble won by Jupp Heynckes' team.

Reflecting on that win, Gomez said: "It was one of the most beautiful days in my life, because we were in the final one year before against Chelsea, and we lost [on penalties].

"To this day nobody knows how we lost that game. In 2012-13 we really had the power and energy to show people that it was our year, it was our time. 

"The final wasn't that good. Dortmund were as strong as us, if not better, but in the end, we got the trophy. When we got handed the trophy and lifted it in front of the fans, it was amazing.

"The four years I spent there were just incredible. There were so many special players in that team.

"I'll start with the two wingers. They were the stars and I was just the finisher. On the left-hand side we had Franck Ribery. 

"On the other wing, Arjen Robben. Totally different from Franck. He always wanted to finish. 

"With Arjen I always had to predict the keeper's movement, and if they saved his shot, I was there for the rebound. I scored many goals liked that!"

It is only a matter of time until Manchester City win the Champions League under Pep Guardiola, according to their former defender Kolo Toure.

As part of their treble bid, City face record 14-time European champions Real Madrid in the first leg of a mouth-watering semi-final tie that begins at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

No manager has lost more Champions League semi-final ties than Guardiola, who has suffered six defeats in nine appearances at this stage.

But Toure is convinced a City success in Europe's elite club competition will come sooner rather than later and believes this could be the year for Guardiola to win his third Champions League crown, and first with City.

"It is a matter of time, we all know that and you can see that," Toure, who played for City between 2009 and 2013, told Stats Perform.

"City has been dominant in the Premier League, of course. 

"And in Champions League, they haven't got as far, but they've been so unlucky a few times. In football, you need that luck element, it's maybe that one or two per cent. 

"At the moment it doesn't go to Man City, but you can feel it's coming. For Pep, he knows it is coming anyway. 

"He is breeding the team he wants. Of course, when you're not winning it and for a manager of his stature, everybody is just trying to put the pressure on, but there's no pressure because within the Champions League you play against unbelievable teams.

"Keep calm, keep the process, keep improving the team if it doesn't work. Sometimes they are teams who will press very well. You have to be able to value the game, you cannot be predictable. If they know you're going to pass short, they will go at you, and you can lose the ball and that can be damaging. 

"And there are moments you have to feel as a player that, 'we have to go over because this guy is pressing so well'. City have that and for me, it can help them to reach the Champions League [final].

"You just need to find that key element with which will help them to win that Champions League, which for me is coming." 

Madrid beat City 6-5 in a memorable semi-final tie last season, progressing after extra time in a painful collapse for Guardiola's men, who led by two goals going into the last minute of the second leg.

This season Carlo Ancelotti's side have already seen off Liverpool and Chelsea in the knockout stages, but Toure is confident City can progress after beating RB Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate and then ruthlessly dismissing Bayern Munich 4-1 over two legs.

Toure said: "For me, when I look at both teams, I see City going on further because I believe that they have the right team. Now, when I say the right team, I mean they are really well-balanced. 

"Defensively, they look really strong. In the middle they are strong, but at the same time, they are in form. They look really, really good this year.

"With [Manuel] Akanji signing, they look very good [in defence]. Going forward they have Erling Haaland which brings another dimension in the game because City always been a team that always want to play short ball all the time, but now Kevin De Bruyne can go over the top as well.

"One thing Pep has been doing really well this season, it's been managing the [minutes] really well, managing the energy.

"Every time they're winning 2-0 or 3-0, he just takes the key players out, to rest them to make sure they don't get fatigued to make sure they don't get injured. 

"That management this season will help the players to be fresher because when you go to the end on the Champions League, it is right at the end of the season, and sometimes players are tired [physically] and they are mentally tired because they've been playing so many games. That will make you fatigued, that's where you lose the lucidity that you need. 

"A few years ago, you always saw them and at the end of the season not feeling that fresh because we've been over overworked really. But this season, I look at the Manchester City team and they look really fresh."

After the match in Spain, City will travel to Everton in the Premier League on Sunday before the return leg against Madrid in Manchester on May 17.

World number one Kipp Popert is targeting victory in the inaugural G4D Open and hopes the event will inspire more disabled people to take up golf.

Popert will be among 80 male and female players from 19 countries competing at Woburn from May 10-12.

“It would be a big deal to win the inaugural G4D Open,” said the 24-year-old from Kent, who has a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia which impairs the muscular movement in his legs.

“Only one person is ever going to win the first one and if I put my name on that trophy then that will be incredible. It will be a memory I will treasure forever.

“What The R&A, DP World Tour and EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association) are doing for grassroots golf for people with disability has been brilliant and important, but those getting into the game need something to aspire to and that is what I’m trying to achieve.

“I hope people watching the G4D Open come away thinking that anyone can play golf. It doesn’t matter what your disability is.”

The 54-hole event will feature players competing in standing, intellectual, visual and sitting categories.

Kris Aves, a 41-year-old former Metropolitan Police officer who was injured in the terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge in March 2017, will be playing in the sitting category.

He was paralysed from the waist down after being struck by the attacker’s car but has been able to resume playing golf thanks to a ParaGolfer, a special mobility device that lifts people from a sitting to a standing position.

“I got inside and was able to make a swing,” said Aves, who was a keen golfer before the attack.

“That first hit brought tears to my eyes. Even though I knew I’d never get back to the standard I had been, I was able to play again.

“I was over the moon to get a place (in the G4D Open). I’m looking forward to meeting people from across Europe and around the world and seeing how well I perform against the seated golfers. But, really, I’m looking forward to simply taking part.”

The establishment of The G4D Open follows on from the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities being included in the Rules of Golf from the start of 2023.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend is excited about having the chance to “drive the team forward” in the coming years after signing a contract extension until April 2026.

The 50-year-old’s previous deal was due to expire after the World Cup in France this autumn, and there had been intense speculation prior to this year’s Six Nations that he would be leaving his post as – at that point – there had been no talks with the Scottish Rugby Union about an extension.

However, a strong tournament in which the Scots finished third appears to have persuaded Townsend’s paymasters that he deserves the chance to continue leading the team for the next three years.

“Being head coach of Scotland is a tremendous honour and I’m excited about the potential of the current squad of players and the game they can deliver against the best teams in the world,” said Townsend, who is already Scotland’s longest-serving head coach after taking the reins almost six years ago.

“I also feel the connection the team has with the country is special and that our supporters are backing the team like never before.

“The number of people who arrive two hours early to welcome the team off the bus on a home matchday demonstrates the love shown for this group of players and their belief that the squad can achieve something special.

“Our focus right now remains on Rugby World Cup preparations, but I am delighted to have secured my future for the next few years and look forward to continuing to do all I can to drive the team forward and inspire our supporters.”

Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson is keen to maintain “continuity” and “momentum” with Townsend at the helm.

“Gregor Townsend has been the most successful Scotland coach in the history of the professional era and we believe he is the right man to lead the national team beyond this year’s Rugby World Cup,” he said.

“What Gregor has built over the last six years of his tenure has taken Scotland to fifth in the world rankings and we are keen to keep that continuity and forward momentum.

“The squad has unparalleled depth which is the result of many years planned development.

“We believe he is best placed to take the team to the next level and continue to excite and engage the people of Scotland.”

Townsend is due to name his World Cup training squad later today (Tuesday).

The Premier League relegation battle took several more twists on Monday where 21 goals were scored in just three incident-packed games as clubs scrapped for their top-flight futures.

Nottingham Forest and Everton won to drag themselves out of the bottom three, while Leicester’s loss at Fulham leaves them in further peril, along with Sam Allardyce’s Leeds.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the relegation run-in and the shape of things to come for those fighting for survival with only three games to go.

Nottingham Forest

Position: 16th; Points: 33; Goal Difference: -31

Steve Cooper’s side gave themselves a great chance of extending their top-flight return beyond just a single season as they beat bottom club Southampton 4-3 in Monday’s late kick-off.

A last-minute Brentford goal saw them miss out on a point in their previous game but Forest had beaten Brighton on April 26 to give their hopes a shot in the arm.

Next up is a trip to out-of-form Chelsea before hosting title-chasing Arsenal, with Cooper – who the club have kept faith with all season as others around them chopped and changed in the dugout – hopeful their three-point cushion to the relegation zone at least remains intact ahead of their visit to Crystal Palace on the final day.

Everton

Position: 17th; Points: 32; Goal Difference: -21

A fantastic display saw the Toffees thrash European hopefuls Brighton 5-1 on Monday, their first win since March 11.

Four draws in that time had kept them in touch with their rivals and they have now got their heads above water heading into the final stretch.

Sean Dyche has been in similar positions in the past and will urge his players to use the Brighton performance as a yardstick with the formidable challenge of Manchester City next up at Goodison Park, before fixtures away at Wolves and at home to Bournemouth.

Leicester

Position: 18th; Points: 30; Goal Difference: -15

The Foxes may have hit three goals at Fulham but they still slipped to a 5-3 loss which has seen Dean Smith’s side fall back into the relegation places.

They had taken five points from three games heading to Craven Cottage but have also missed penalties at vital times in their last two matches and confidence will have fallen again.

With Champions League contenders Liverpool and Newcastle to come before hosting West Ham on the final day, Smith needs to mastermind some unlikely results if he is to prove the club’s hierarchy were right to install him following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers last month.

Leeds

Position: 19th; Points: 30; Goal Difference: -25

Sam Allardyce was given four games to keep Leeds in the top flight and the first of those ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat at league leaders City on Saturday.

They have now taken just one point from their last six games, with the final four defeats of Javi Gracia’s reign coming with an aggregate score of 17-4.

Sorting out such a leaky defence was Allardyce’s main concern following his appointment and he faces two of his former clubs next up in the shape of Newcastle and West Ham, before Leeds host Tottenham on the last day.

Southampton

Position: 20th; Points: 24; Goal Difference: -33

A battling display at Forest ended in a narrow loss which all-but guarantees Southampton’s 11-year stay in the Premier League is at an end, the Saints now eight points from safety.

Ruben Selles is the third manager Saints have had this campaign but he has been unable to oversee the huge turnaround that was required when he took over in February, with a draw against high-flying Arsenal the club’s only point from their last seven games.

Their relegation will be confirmed if they fail to beat Fulham at St Mary’s on Saturday and even that may not be enough, with Brighton and Liverpool fixtures to come afterwards.

Formula One’s governing body has launched an investigation following another near-miss in the pit-lane at Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.

A week after Esteban Ocon almost collided with a cluster of individuals in Azerbaijan, footage has emerged of an official – understood to be a volunteer marshal – walking in front of Lando Norris as the British driver entered the pits in his McLaren.

The incident on lap five of the 57-lap race was uploaded to the Sky Sports’ F1 website, but has since been removed.

An FIA spokesperson told the PA news agency: “We are aware of the incident and looking into it with local organisers.”

The alarming flashpoint followed an FIA review into pit-lane safety after Ocon said the sport narrowly avoided a “disaster” when he stopped for tyres on the final lap at the previous round in Baku.

An on-board camera from the French driver’s car showed dozens of people – who had gathered at the entrance to the pit-lane with the race still ongoing – scrambling to get out of his way.

Ahead of last weekend’s race in the United States, the FIA updated its rulebook to prevent “mechanics from moving from their garages to the parc ferme”, and “other personnel or VIPs from entering the pit lane, until the last car has taken the chequered flag”.

The FIA warned that “any infringement will result in the removal of passes from the team(s) in question from subsequent events, and potential reporting of the infringing team(s) to the stewards”.