Dan Biggar says there is “tons of excitement” in the camp as Wales prepare to launch their World Cup campaign.

Wales have been largely written off on the back of a dismal Six Nations tournament last season and a record that shows just three wins in 13 Tests.

But their World Cup statistics under head coach Warren Gatland are impressive, having reached semi-finals in 2011 and 2019, while they were 2015 quarter-finalists.

Their group is also far from straightforward, with England’s recent Twickenham conquerors Fiji awaiting Wales in Bordeaux on Sunday, while the pool also features Australia and Georgia.

“We know that there is pressure, but also we know that there are probably a lot of people out there writing us off as well and probably thinking there is not a huge amount of chance for us to go deep in the tournament,” Wales fly-half Biggar said.

“And for us, it is great that we can just shut ourselves off from everything outside our bubble and just concentrate on working hard, training hard, preparing as well as we can and putting in as good performances as we can.

“We’ve got a few boys who were rested and recovered from a few little niggles and tweaks, and we have got pretty much a full squad to choose from, not far off.

“So we are in a good place and there is tons of excitement. I think as soon as we arrived here, the levels of excitement just went through the roof.

“We are just really looking forward to this tournament starting. We have trained so hard, we’ve spoken so much about it, we’ve seen so much written about it and spoken about it.

“Things like this are so special, and there is plenty of confidence in the group.”

Biggar’s third World Cup will be his final one after he recently announced that he would be retiring from Test rugby after the tournament.

And he remains an integral part of Gatland’s plans, offering vast experience through a 109-cap international career.

“It was just important for me to be able to call time on my own terms, and more importantly, that the team can just concentrate on the rugby and performing and training and getting on with our business,” he added.

“The reason it (retirement announcement) was done before the tournament was because I didn’t want anything to be a distraction for the team.

“Obviously, next Sunday is a massive game for both sides, but I think everything we do between now – and everything we have done for the last few weeks, really – has been geared to something.

“I am just looking forward to really enjoying my last tournament.

“I’ve tried to just enjoy it as much with the lads as possible, and it does feel strange because it has been such a big part of my life for so long.”

Gatland is due to name his team for the Fiji clash on Friday, with the squad currently preparing at their base in Versailles, where day-time temperatures are more than 30 degrees.

The heat factor will then ramp up in Bordeaux, with 35 degrees forecast for later this week and 28 degrees when Wales and Fiji meet, even though the game kicks off at 2100 local time.

Harry Brook’s World Cup hopes continue to loom large as England prepare for their T20 decider against New Zealand, with vice-captain Moeen Ali admitting a selection U-turn remains possible.

Brook was left out of a preliminary 15-man squad for next month’s 50-over title defence after Ben Stokes returned from one-day retirement to take up a place in the middle order.

That was a surprising move given the 24-year-old’s burgeoning reputation and Brook reacted in the perfect manner, crashing a stunning century in his final innings of The Hundred before adding rapid-fire knocks of 43 not out and 67 in victories over the Black Caps.

Skipper Jos Buttler appeared to leave the door ajar for the Yorkshireman by saying there was a “long time” before the official September 28 deadline and noted that Brook was not in the squad “at the moment”.

Speaking ahead of the summer’s final T20 at Trent Bridge, with England 2-1 ahead despite a 74-run defeat on Sunday, Moeen acknowledged the issue was far from settled.

“He’s been unlucky to miss out but the way he’s playing he could come back in, you never know,” said the all-rounder.

“Harry Brook is going to be a great player and he’s playing great at the minute. It’s a great headache to have as a side and I’m sure the captain and the coaches are thinking the same thing.

“It’s so difficult for the captain and the coaches, so I’m glad it’s not my call.”

Dawid Malan is the player who may find his spot under threat should Brook make another statement in Nottingham. He revealed he was relieved to see his name in the provisional announcement given the tight squeeze for batting places has scored just two runs from 15 deliveries in his last two innings to invite further pressure.

But Moeen has made it clear that his track record in limited-overs cricket, where he has been a reliable scorer for several years, will not easily be overlooked.

“One thing with Malan is, he’s never let the team down,” said Moeen.

“You’re guaranteed runs from him, he hardly ever fails. He’s been on all the tours and done really well, he’s always scored runs. He’s a top player in his own right, he’s never let England down. These last two innings, he’s obviously human and people do miss out, but he will score a lot of runs for England to come.”

Both Moeen and Malan are 36, the latter’s birthday celebrations stymied by Sunday’s heavy defeat, and form part of a seasoned side that looks ripe for renewal in 2024.

Opener Jason Roy has already suggested as much and Moeen is not shrinking from the fact that he could be approaching the end of his ODI career.

“A lot can happen still but I think not just for England, for most countries, there are a lot of players in their mid-thirties who might just think about retiring after the World Cup,” he said.

“I’ve not really fully thought about it but it potentially could be, yeah.”

In the immediate term, England will be eager to deny New Zealand a share of the spoils in the T20 finale and, while a clean sweep would have been good for confidence, Moeen sees the benefit of tuning up with a decider.

“I think it’s difficult to compare 50 overs to T20s, but it’s good being under pressure as a side,” he said.

“I think we’ll learn more in the 50-over series but still you can learn, the T20 World Cup’s not too far away and on these kind of wickets we need to adapt better. New Zealand are a top side, they have been for many years. They’re very dangerous with a lot of very good players.”

Europe captain Luke Donald hailed Ludvig Aberg as a “generational” talent after handing him a wild card and backing a team with four “fearless” rookies to regain the Ryder Cup.

Former world number one amateur Aberg only turned professional in June, but won the final qualifying event in Switzerland on Sunday with a final round of 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

The 23-year-old Swede has made the quickest transition from the amateur ranks to the Ryder Cup in the contest’s history, eclipsing the previous record set by Sergio Garcia, who made his debut in 1999 after turning professional following April’s Masters.

Aberg was selected along with Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Nicolai Hojgaard, with Poland’s Adrian Meronk arguably the most unfortunate to miss out after winning the Italian Open at the host venue in May.

The six wild cards join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre in Donald’s team, which will attempt to regain the trophy at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club following a record 19-9 thrashing two years ago.

Speaking about Aberg, Donald said: “We obviously knew what he was doing in the college scene. You look at what he did in those four years and the only comparables really were Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm. He is that good.

“I played with him in Detroit and was blown away by his game. He was a cool nine under through 16 holes like it was nothing. He was calm, collected, he made everything look very simple and he hits a lot of quality shots.

“I haven’t played a lot with Jon Rahm, I got to watch Viktor for three matches at Whistling Straits and was really impressed with his ball-striking. When Rory was breaking out I thought ‘this kid is special’ and Ludvig fits in that.

“He continued to impress and I challenged him to come over to Europe and play a couple (of events).

“He was fifth (tied fourth) in the Czech Masters and you know what he did yesterday. It was like a walk in the park for him and for someone that is so inexperienced, it was just so, so impressive.

“I really do have a lot of faith and belief in Ludvig. He is a generational player, he’s going to be around a long time and he’s going to do amazing things.

“If he wasn’t going to play this one he was going to play the next eight Ryder Cups, that’s how good I think he is.

“He proved it on Sunday, he’s a cool customer too. The statistics show he would be the number one driver this year, ahead of Rory and Scottie Scheffler.

“I am happy to have four rookies on the team. In 2004 I was one of five and we did just fine. These young kids are ready and fearless.”

Aberg said: “Thinking about getting that call from Luke gives me goosebumps. These are the events you want to be a part of.

“You want to have that shot or putt to win a match. I’ve been fortunate to be part of team events before, although I understand this is at a different level. But I am up for the challenge.”

Rose, who will make his sixth Ryder Cup appearance in Rome, conceded initial thoughts of picking Aberg had sounded “incredibly premature”, but added: “He has absolutely backed it up.

“I was aware of this European stud turning pro and he’s one of the players who has a very-impressive game to the point where, in the evening if you haven’t watched any coverage, you go to his Shot Tracker and you go ‘Oh my God’, he hit it 340 yards down the middle of that fairway.

“He has a couple of weapons that are not necessarily at everyone’s disposal.”

Away from Aberg, Donald praised Straka for travelling from Maui to Abu Dhabi to take part in January’s inaugural Hero Cup, where Hojgaard – who is another winner at Marco Simone – went unbeaten as a late replacement for his injured twin brother Rasmus.

And the former world number one insisted he had no concerns over the form of 2019 Open champion Lowry, who has not recorded a top 10 finish in 2023.

“He’s a big-time player, he steps up in the moments,” Donald said. “We have two important weeks for him in Ireland and Wentworth and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s up there having a good chance in those events.”

Asked if Meronk was unfortunate to miss out, Donald added: “Adrian was very much on my mind. There were a number of players that you could make a good argument to be on that team that aren’t. Those are difficult decisions.

“I’ve been in that position myself, I know what it feels like and it’s gut-wrenching. I spoke to them all and it’s never easy but they handled it with class.”

Officials in Hungary have described Frankie Dettori’s appearance at Kincsem Park at the weekend as a “dream come true” after the Italian stole the show with a big-race double.

Dettori’s visit to Budapest was a somewhat unexpected stop on his farewell tour, but he proved a hit with his Hungarian fans as a bumper crowd flocked to the capital and were treated to not only the 52-year-old in winning action but his famous flying dismount celebration.

It was the first time British raiders had graced the Hungarian track during one of its feature weekends, and owner Fitri Hay’s support of the Autumn International Meeting was rewarded by winning both of the day’s features thanks to the assistance of the retiring weighing-room great.

After winning a local Group Two aboard Ian Williams’ Silent Film, Dettori then linked up Paul and Oliver Cole’s Splendent in the feature Kincsem Stakes – a result which delighted the hosts.

“It could not have gone any better and was a real success,” said Botond Kovacs, international liaisons officer at Kincsem Park.

“The Hays are absolutely marvellous people and they of course were delighted with the outcome of the races and also with our hospitality. I am trying to sound modest but we really did our best and of course Frankie was happy.

“He did not win on the four Hungarian horses he rode, but this is racing, and I do hope it is not the last time we host English-trained horses in Budapest.

“Of course we are looking forward to hosting Frankie when he has retired, we will welcome him with open arms at any time.

“The Hays and the four trainers from England were absolutely fantastic. Even the veteran trainer Paul Cole showed up and that was a real privilege for us. He is a real great name in racing and his family are wonderful people.”

Not only did Dettori delight his adoring Hungarian supporters by showcasing his famed talent in the saddle, he also got up close and personal with the locals as the queue for souvenir photographs stretched far across the grandstands.

Kovacs added: “People were enjoying it and Frankie was being stopped every single second.

“It’s different for a superstar to appear in a country he has never been rather than France, Ireland and England and everyone wanted their selfie with Frankie.

“He really is a superstar and was great, he was never fed up and smiling all the time – he is a great person and racing needs people like Frankie.

“The next task for racing is to try to come up with a person who equals Frankie. Frankie is the brand of horse racing.”

Officials hope the visit of Dettori and horses from Britain will help boost the profile of horse racing in Hungary and anticipate welcoming further runners from overseas in the future.

“It was a dream come true and I am really over the moon. It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Kovacs.

“We will have a meeting soon with the management of Kincsem Park to draw some conclusions and see where we can improve, but it really was a historic day for Hungarian racing.

“Horse racing is owned by the government and the minister of defence is in charge. He is a great man and loves his racing – he is a fanatic.

“In the last decade it is no secret there has been probably more downs than ups in Hungarian racing but now there is good prospects and we are really really happy.

“We would like to do our best to lift Hungarian racing to the standards we once had. Hungarian racing is almost 200 years old and we are still here after two world wars and every other type of hardship.”

Central Coast Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery is on a five-man shortlist to become the next Hibernian manager, the PA news agency understands.

Hibs have received permission from the A-League champions to hold talks with the 42-year-old former Scotland Under-21 international.

But reports in Australia claiming that Montgomery has already been selected as Lee Johnson’s successor are premature.

Hibs have spoken to two candidates and plan talks with three more this week, including Montgomery.

Former Hibs manager Neil Lennon has been among the favourites for the role and had declared himself open to discussions.

Leeds-born Montgomery initially moved to Mariners as a player in 2012 after making almost 400 appearances for Sheffield United.

He has been captain, assistant coach, youth coach and head of football at the club before taking over as head coach in August 2021.

Montgomery led Mariners to their second A-League Grand Final success with the help of a hat-trick from former Hibs striker Jason Cummings in a 6-1 triumph over Melbourne City in June. Recent Aberdeen signing James McGarry was also in the team.

Other players he has coached include Hibs full-back Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles of Hearts and former Tynecastle loan striker Garang Kuol.

Mariners owner Richard Peil last year claimed Motherwell had expressed interest in Montgomery before appointing Steven Hammell as manager.

Peil told Australian media outlet ftbl.com.au in August last year that Montgomery was destined for England’s top flight.

He said: “Monty knows we are on a three-year plan and I was never going to let him go. We were pleased by their approach because it shows what Monty and (assistant) Sergio Raimundo are doing here is something special.

“But I was always going to fight tooth and nail to keep him in Australia. I never had any intention of supporting him going to the SPL.

“He’ll coach in the EPL at some point. It’s just a matter of time. He’s a young coach, and like he tells all our players, you have to be patient and go through the process.

“I’m sure this will be the first of many approaches for him over the next few years.”

Johnson lost his job after Hibs lost their opening three cinch Premiership games and suffered a 5-0 home defeat against Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League play-offs.

Former skipper David Gray led the club to a 2-0 league win at Aberdeen on Sunday in his third spell as caretaker manager.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes his side’s victory at Ibrox can be a big moment in their development as a team.

The Scottish champions had not scored in their previous two matches and were without four injured centre-backs against Rangers, while their starting full-backs could not complete the game.

But, after dominating the first half and leading through Kyogo Furuhashi, Celtic shut out Rangers in the second half as they came under sustained pressure for long spells.

A back four of Anthony Ralston, Alexandro Bernabei, Liam Scales and recent signing Gustaf Lagerbielke finished the game with a clean sheet along with the help of two good saves from Joe Hart.

Rodgers, whose side moved four points ahead of their city rivals in the cinch Premiership, told Celtic TV: “In football, you can’t play perfectly all the time.

“We want to create opportunities and we want to score, but when you have those days where maybe you are away from home and you’re under pressure, you have to show that resilience. And they had that in bucketloads.

“So I’m so happy for the players. I think they have been on death watch by the media for the last week or so, coming into this game.

“But for me, as a coach, it was about staying calm, working the players and knowing that they’re going to grow and develop and this is a big part of the development – to come and win away at Ibrox.

“When you consider what this group is missing in terms of players, but not just players, influential players, to come here and show that desire and drive to get a result is really impressive.

“So it’s a big moment for the squad – they can feel what it’s like to get this win and I’m really happy for them.”

Believing and Mill Stream have been supplemented to take on Shaquille in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

A total of 23 speedsters are in contention for the six-furlong Group One, with the Julie Camacho-trained Shaquille very much the star attraction as he looks to add to his previous top-level wins this summer in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket.

The George Boughey-trained Believing and Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Mill Stream are two interesting contenders after their respective connections paid the £20,000 required to add them to the field.

Believing has won two Listed races and a Group Three this season and is one of two potential runners for the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing team along with Karl Burke’s Spycatcher, who was beaten a short head by King Gold in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last month.

However, the latter appears unlikely to make the trip to Merseyside.

Harry Herbert, Highclere’s managing director, said: “Believing was impressive winning last time and the way she has been since leads George to think she’s improving rapidly.

“Certainly looking at her physically that is exactly what she’s doing, so we looked at all the options for her and felt this was an opportunity to have a crack at a Group One race.

“With ground conditions quickening up it’s possible the field will reduce, but it’s more the way she’s coming into the race and the opinion the trainer has of her.

“She’s very smart and with a filly like this that’s improving, the shareholders were keen to give it a go and it’s very exciting.”

Of Spycatcher, Herbert added: “He’s in great form the horse, but we definitely wouldn’t risk him on quick ground.

“This has been the target for a while now, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll run looking at the forecast. You never know, if a thunderstorm hits or something happens before declaration time then we may reconsider, but we need to protect him.

“He’s in at Ascot on Champions Day and we’ve got to be patient. He’s a wonderful horse who is improving all the time, but at this stage I’d say we’d struggle to run him on Saturday unless something out of the ordinary happened with regards to the weather forecast.”

Mill Stream won a Listed race and a Group Three at the French track in August and fully merits his place in Group One company.

“Mill Stream has come out of his Deauville race in good order, so we have decided to take the opportunity to run him again while he is good form as there are no other options for him until Champions Day,” said Chapple-Hyam.

Ralph Beckett has left in both Kinross and Lezoo after on Sunday suggesting he is likely to rely upon the latter, while Aidan O’Brien could saddle one or both of Aesop’s Fables and The Antarctic.

Other hopefuls include Ed Bethell’s Regional, the William Haggas-trained Sacred and July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom from Henry Candy’s yard.

Ancient Rome could be set for further adventures overseas having scooped almost £1million when victorious at Kentucky Downs on Saturday.

A four-time winner and fourth behind Modern Games in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains when trained in France by Andre Fabre, the son of War Front is two from two since switched to Charlie Hills for new owner Fitri Hay.

His class came to the fore when landing the Chesterfield Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and he further advertised his qualities when making a successful raid on the Grade Three Mint Millions Stakes.

“It was fantastic and he’s done very little wrong since he has joined us,” said Hills.

“He’s got his good form back again and he had such good form as a two-and three-year-old. He seems to be enjoying himself and travelled over there great.

“It’s great when you have a horse who you know can travel well and it hopefully gives us a few nice races to go for in the future.”

Ancient Rome could now go in search of further riches Stateside, with international outings in both France and Bahrain also possibly on the agenda.

Hills continued: “You have to give full credit to Fitri Hay and her team for finding that race over there and he’s Kentucky-bred so it made sense with that amount of prize-money for a Grade Three to go for it.

“We’ve had a brief chat this morning and we really need to get him home first, but there should be some nice races to go for.

“We could look at the Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland or we could go to France for the Prix Dollar and maybe the Bahrain Trophy a little bit later on.

“I’m sure he will get a bit further as well. I don’t see a mile and a quarter being a problem and he’s a really exciting horse to have in the yard, it’s great.”

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says his club are on a path to becoming a “dominant force in English football”.

After securing survival in their first Premier League season in 23 years last term, Forest are looking to kick on and have made a decent start, winning two of their four opening games, including a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday.

Marinakis has again invested heavily, with a splurge of signings on transfer deadline day as seven players arrived at the City Ground.

Divock Origi, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nicolas Dominguez were among those and Forest now look to have a much stronger squad than last year.

And Marinakis, who has also made a significant investment in the club’s infrastructure, wants to see his club back at the top table of English football.

“Our vision for the club is clear and unwavering: we are on a path to re-establish Nottingham Forest as a dominant force in English football,” he said in a letter to fans.

“This journey is not just about the short-term, it’s about building a sustainable future. We are investing in youth development, nurturing young talent, and building a squad that can compete at the highest level for years to come.

“The players we have brought in are fighters and winners who understand and believe in our vision for the future of this great club.

“When players of the talents of those we have brought in this summer choose Nottingham Forest over the other dominant European clubs chasing their signatures, you should know that they choose us because we have shared with them our vision and they have fully invested in what it is we want to achieve.”

Forest were able to recoup over £45million on Brennan Johnson, who was sold to Tottenham, and Marinakis paid tribute to a player who came through the City Ground ranks.

“He is the ultimate young professional and his contributions to the club he loves have been enormous – helping us achieve promotion back to the Premier League and instrumental in helping us retain that status on the final home game of last season,” the owner added.

“In moving to Tottenham Hotspur he has also provided his boyhood club with the financial means to reinvest and continue to grow.

“We thank him for being part of our family and giving so much of himself to us. Go well, Brennan, be strong and healthy and we wish you every success.”

Only near perfection between now and Christmas can rescue Michael Beale’s Rangers project, according to former Ibrox captain Craig Moore.

Beale incurred the wrath of many Rangers fans inside Ibrox on Sunday after they watched their team follow a 5-1 Champions League play-off thrashing by PSV Eindhoven with a 1-0 defeat by Celtic.

Beale only took charge in November last year but his summer recruitment has come under scrutiny after the European disappointment and a slow start to the cinch Premiership season, which has seen Rangers lose two of their first four matches.

Beale’s only win in six games against Celtic came after the Hoops clinched the title last season and Moore believes it could take a major effort for him to get another derby chance.

The former Australia defender felt Rangers did not create enough chances or use the energy of the home crowd as Celtic dominated the first half before defending the lead that Kyogo Furuhashi gave them just before the interval.

Moore told Sky Sports: “The concerning thing was Celtic were nowhere near full strength and Rangers were virtually at full strength at home. It wasn’t good enough.

“What the supporters want to see is when you see sign nine new players and talk about improving the starting 11, and only three start this particular match, there’s concerns in terms of the mixed messaging.

“It’s a tough situation because, once you get the swell of support against you here, then it could be very, very difficult to come back from.

“I was at the game and coming out of the stadium there was a lot of supporters who were really unhappy with the performance, his selection, the situation.

“He needs a near-perfect run to be able to turn this around.

“Look, Michael Beale is a smart enough man, he’s a good man, but he knows the expectation and what he needs to achieve

“That’s also on the manager, not the players. It’s something that has to be rectified.

“His run now between now and Christmas will have to be near perfect.”

A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after football pundit Roy Keane was reportedly headbutted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Footage was posted on social media of fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards pinning a man against a wall in the moments after the alleged assault on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police refused to identify anyone involved in the incident, but issued a statement that said: “Police are investigating an incident at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 3, during which a man was assaulted.

“On Monday, September 4, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault (ABH). The man has been taken into police custody.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

Sky confirmed that Richards had attempted to “defuse” the situation after the alleged assault following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

A spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media.

“In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to defuse a situation.”

Any witnesses or those with information can contact the Metropolitan Police on 101 quoting the reference CAD 6961/3 Sept.

England go into the season’s first international break with cause to worry once more about the lack of homegrown players in the Premier League.

Less than 30 per cent of playing time in the early stages of the campaign has gone to players eligible for England, continuing a running concern for national team boss Gareth Southgate.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what the data can tell us.

Struggle for playing time

Of 86,710 minutes played by Premier League players this season, 25,399 have gone to players eligible for England.

That equates to 29.3 per cent of the available playing time, a slight decline on recent seasons as a peak to nearly 40 per cent in the 2020-21 season was not sustained.

Southgate said during March’s international window: “It has been around 32 per cent (in 2022-23) but that’s down from 35 per cent when I took over and 38 per cent in the years before, so the graph is clear.”

The issue has been part of the ongoing ‘New Deal For Football’ discussions between the FA, Premier League and EFL, which covers the post-Brexit system of Governing Body Endorsements (GBEs) for overseas players, as well as financial distribution, cost controls and the domestic calendar.

There have been 161 England-qualified players (EQPs) used in the 39 games so far, with 20 of those playing over 400 minutes including stoppage time. Eight of those 20 made Southgate’s squad for the upcoming games against Ukraine and Scotland, including Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, who joined Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah in earning a first senior call-up.

Leading clubs

Six clubs have so far given over 40 per cent of playing time to EQPs, a list headed by Everton at 49.4 per cent.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been ever-present for the Toffees along with veteran compatriot Ashley Young, with James Tarkowski just seven minutes behind. James Garner has been a mainstay in midfield, while defender Michael Keane was replaced after two games by fellow Englishman Jarrad Branthwaite.

Newcastle have three English ever-presents in Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn. Trippier is in this month’s England squad though Pope was surprisingly left out.

Anthony Gordon is another regular, with significant playing time too for Callum Wilson, Harvey Barnes and Sean Longstaff. Newcastle’s total includes just under 90 minutes for Elliot Anderson, the midfielder selected by Scotland for this window but who remains eligible for England until he makes a competitive debut – potentially against the Three Lions next Tuesday.

Crystal Palace have three players in Southgate’s latest squad – Pope’s replacement Sam Johnstone, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze – after giving over 45 per cent of playing time to EQPs. Arsenal are at 43 per cent, Luton 42 and Chelsea 40.

Fulham lagging behind

At the other end of the scale, Fulham have used only two EQPs so far this season and one of those, Tosin Adarabioyo, has played only 12 minutes.

That leaves Harrison Reed carrying the load in a paltry total of just over seven per cent, the only single-figure mark in the top flight.

Tottenham have fared little better at 11 per cent following the departure of Southgate’s captain Harry Kane for German side Bayern Munich – one of four members of the England squad playing his football overseas, along with Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan and Jordan Henderson following his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq.

Brentford are at 13 per cent without suspended England striker Ivan Toney, with the ever-present Rico Henry instead leading the way.

Burnley are next lowest at 15 per cent with Wolves, Aston Villa and Henderson’s former club Liverpool all giving between 17.5 and 18.5 per cent of playing time to EQPs.

Michael Dods will target Qipco British Champions Day with his star filly Azure Blue after ruling her out of a potential outing this weekend.

The four-year-old made a flying start to her campaign, with a comeback victory in Listed company at Newmarket followed by a narrow defeat of Highfield Princess in the Duke of York Stakes.

She was sixth when stepped up to Group One level for the July Cup and subsequently missed an intended tilt at the Nunthorpe at York after suffering a minor foot problem.

Azure Blue could have returned this weekend in either Saturday’s Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock or the Flying Five at the Curragh on Sunday, but Dods has again had to put plans on hold.

“We’ve had a bit of an issue. She seems all right now, but we just didn’t think she’d be ready,” said the Darlington-based trainer.

“She had the foot problem before York and then she had a bit of an ulcer problem and we just had to deal with it.

“We’re happy enough with her, she just wouldn’t have been ready to run this weekend.”

Azure Blue will now either contest the British Champions Sprint on October 21 or be roughed off until next season.

Dods added: “If we didn’t have her for Ascot we probably wouldn’t be bothering, I’d probably leave her and have her ready for the start of next season. That would be the plan.

“It’s disappointing, but there’s always another day and we’ll just have to wait until we see her at 100 per cent.”