Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 24.

A personal best for Dominik Cerny, a season’s best for Hana Burzalova, and then…

Manchester City celebrated Bernardo Silva’s ongoing commitment, a day after the midfielder renewed his contract.

A successful homecoming for John McGinn.

What’s Jamie Vardy seen here?

Thomas Frank and his side made friends in high places.

Kylian Mbappe was back in the Paris St Germain team and his younger brother and team-mate Ethan was also showing the love.

Kerys Harrop retired.

Clubs showed their ongoing support for Ukraine.

Happy birthdays.

Kobe Bryant was remembered on what would have been his birthday.

Ashes star Jonny Bairstow turned his attention to a different sport.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were preparing for the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.

Lando Norris was glad to be back after the summer break.

Twenty years and still going strong.

Clogs for Carlos Sainz.

A steep start for McLaren

England are reeling from the loss of Anthony Watson for the entire World Cup as their troubled build-up took another ominous turn.

Head coach Steve Borthwick revealed that a complaint was being lodged with World Rugby over the “bewildering” disciplinary process that resulted in a four-match ban for captain Owen Farrell.

But of more immediate concern was the news that Watson would play no part in the tournament hosted by France because of a calf injury sustained in the 29-10 rout by Ireland.

Watson, who is currently contracted to the Rugby Football Union while he finds a new club, is a world class wing when firing and would have been a certain starter for the pivotal opener against Argentina on September 9.

Now he faces another period of rehabilitation, having battled back from long-term knee and Achilles injuries, joining ankle-injury victim Jack van Poortvliet in being ruled out of the World Cup before it has begun.

Adding to a bleak picture in the back three is news that Elliot Daly and Henry Arundell are nursing knee and back problems that prevent them from taking part in Saturday’s final warm-up fixture against Fiji.

Jonny May is set to fill the void left by Watson in the 33-man squad – that must be submitted to World Rugby on Monday – and will make his first appearance of the Summer Nations Series against the Islanders at Twickenham.

It continues a wretched week for England, who must plan for the Pumas showdown without the suspended Farrell and Billy Vunipola – at a time when they are reeling from a run of four defeat in five Tests.

“I have no doubt there’s going to be more injuries, for every team,” Borthwick said.

“We are now going though our time of having bangs and bruises and through our time of having a couple of disciplinary processes.

“Every team is going to go through it and if I could choose my time to go through it, it would probably be now rather than when we’re out in France.”

Borthwick is confident that Daly will be ready for Argentina and is equally bullish over Tom Curry’s chances of making the standout clash of Pool D in Marseille.

Curry has yet to appear in the warm-up matches because of an ankle injury sustained in training but England would be willing to propel him straight into the starting XV if he proves his fitness.

“I’ve no doubt Tom will be ready and firing and he only just missed out this week,” Borthwick said.

“He’s got two weeks before the Argentina game so I’ve got no doubt that should we decide to go that way, he’ll be ready to go.”

Courtney Lawes leads England against Fiji to win his 100th cap and Borthwick revealed that Marcus Smith was being considered as a future option at full-back in the hope of igniting the attack.

Compounding the injury problems are the respective four and three-game bans issued to Farrell and Vunipola for dangerous tackles.

Farrell was initially cleared for his high hit on Wales’ Taine Basham by a disciplinary hearing only for World Rugby to lodge an appeal that was upheld on Tuesday, resulting in his suspension.

From red card to ban, the process lasted 10 days and England have made their frustration known to World Rugby.

“Whether you’re a supporter of England or another country, everybody could see that something like this should not have gone on for that period of time,” Borthwick said.

“The first process was conducted by one of the more senior and experienced panels that handles these matters and they’ve come to a considered decision.

“Then another panel comes in and says something different. The whole process is quite bewildering.

“It’s been frustrating and there’s no doubt it’s been a distraction. But I’ll also say, we’ve got to focus on going forward. That’s what we’re doing now.”

Gary Moore has paid tribute to Sire De Grugy following the 2014 Champion Chase hero’s death at the age of 17.

He won 17 of his 42 starts, scoring at the highest level on five occasions in a career that spanned seven seasons and saw him become a popular figure on the National Hunt stage.

His finest hour came during 2013-14 where he took both Moore and his son Jamie to Group One stardom and the Cheltenham Festival winner’s enclosure, registering an emphatic six-length triumph over Somersby in that season’s Champion Chase.

Owned during his racing career by the Preston family, Sire De Grugy’s final victory would be an Ascot handicap in November 2016, with his farewell appearance coming at the scene of his greatest triumph, Cheltenham, just over a year later in December 2017.

He remained close to the Moores in retirement, spending his time in a stable especially made for his flagship horse by Jamie.

“He meant the world and he was a very good racehorse, but also a very good friend,” said Moore.

“In his later part of life he was fantastic with the grandchildren and Jamie’s wife in particular. He was an amazing horse.

“Jamie built a yard for him and some paddocks and he’s been well looked after since he retired. We did all we could to try to help him recover, but sadly it didn’t work.

“He did things that I haven’t been lucky enough to train another horse to do like him. Steve Preston was his owner and we had some great fun with him as there’s not many horses like him.”

At the peak of his powers during the 2013-14 campaign, Sire De Grugy won five-straight Graded chases in a row and as well as striking big-race glory at Prestbury Park, also scored in the Tingle Creek and Celebration Chase, both at Sandown, as well as registering an emphatic 11-length victory in Ascot’s Clarence House Chase.

Moore holds fond memories of those halcyon days and although Sire De Grugy’s Champion Chase success remains the biggest victory of the handler’s career, it is his Sandown demolition of Somersby in the first of two Tingle Creek triumphs which the Lower Beeding trainer picks out when asked for his favourite Sire De Grugy highlight.

He added: “Obviously Cheltenham was a very special day with everybody there and you have to savour them because there are not many days like it. But it would have to be the Tingle Creek for me and the way he did it.

“When he won the Celebration Chase after winning the Champion Chase that was some performance as well because he was well over the top but still managed to win.

“Every day was very special in that season. There’s not many horses that can do what he did.”

Geraint Thomas admitted inching ever closer to retirement means he is happy to race in two grand tours this year as he looks to bounce back from his Giro d’Italia heartache in the Vuelta a Espana.

Despite a recurring bacterial infection hampering his Giro preparations, Thomas was in contention up until the penultimate day but he settled for second as Primoz Roglic claimed victory.

Thomas finished 10th in the men’s time trial at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Stirling this month but he can move on from that disappointment as he leads Ineos Grenadiers at the upcoming Vuelta.

It is just the second time Thomas has competed in two of the three big events in a calendar year, and he remarked that doing the 2015 Tour de France and the Vuelta was a “horrible” experience.

A 69th-place finish at the Vuelta eight years ago has been his only taste of the event but being at the “twilight” of his cycling career has channelled his focus.

“It’s quite hard being away from home,” the 37-year-old Welshman said. “I’ve got a young son and my wife at home, that’s tough.

“But it’s one of those things, it’s quite easy to commit when I know I’m at the very end of my career, the twilight of my career.

“I might as well commit to this now and see what I can do. Then I’ve got the rest of my life to chill and drink cocktails and look after Macs (his son).”

While he is one of the favourites for the general classification at the 21-stage Vuelta which starts in Barcelona on Friday with a team time trial, Thomas remains without a contract for next season.

He was in talks with Ineos before the Giro in May but was tight-lipped when asked for an update on Wednesday, as he said: “Nothing to say at the moment but hopefully soon.”

After competing in Scotland, Thomas revealed he headed to Isola in the French Alps alongside Ineos team-mate Laurens De Plus and their families to complete their Vuelta preparations.

“It was disappointing, I wanted to get a better result than that but that’s the way that race went,” Thomas said, reflecting on what happened in Stirling.

“I went up to Isola and had eight days up there with De Plus. We had our families up there which was nice, it didn’t really feel like a camp. I’ve come here ready to go and looking forward to it.

“I’ve been here once before but when I did the Tour and Vuelta, it was horrible, to be honest. I’m a bit more prepared this time. I’m looking forward to a solid race, it will be tough, that’s for sure.”

James Doyle was thrilled to ride a rare winner for the opposition after steering Warm Heart to top-level success in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.

Having been retained by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation for the past eight years, opportunities to don the silks of a major rivals in Coolmore have unsurprisingly been few and far between.

But with Ryan Moore opting to partner Irish Oaks heroine Savethelastdance on the Knavesmire, Doyle got the call for Warm Heart, who impressed in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot in June but was beaten five and a half lengths into fifth place by her stablemate at the Curragh last month.

The Cambridge-born jockey, trading his usual royal blue colours for pink, was keen to make the most of the opportunity.

“They’re two great teams and there’s been some immense battles over the years,” said Doyle.

“I grew up watching those titanic battles with horses like Fantastic Light (beating Galileo) in the Irish Champion Stakes. They were great races to watch and it really means a lot.

“I’ve ridden for Aidan (O’Brien) for a few years now and have not quite got the results I hoped. When you ride one of his you know you’ve got a squeak.”

Although passed over by Moore, Doyle was confident his mount was lining up with major claims.

He said: “I was thrilled to pick up this ride. I was quietly hoping I could and I was praying I did as I thought back on fast ground and this track would definitely suit her.

“I was praying we got a tiny bit of rain so the other one (Savethelastdance) would run, but anyway it all worked out and I can’t be more thankful to the team for entrusting me with a ride like this.”

With conditions far less demanding, Moore was in no mood to hang around, sending Savethelastdance straight to the lead in an attempt to grind his rivals into submission.

Doyle, though, cut a confident figure in Moore’s wing mirrors for the full length of the straight and played his cards as late as he dared.

After kicking a couple of lengths clear, Warm Heart had to contend with the late lunge of Free Wind and Frankie Dettori, but gritted her teeth to cling on by a head.

“I was thinking it would be quite tricky early on as even over a mile and a half being drawn nine of 10 is not ideal, but it just worked out perfectly,” Doyle added.

“Suddenly I was one off the rail after a furlong and was able to bring her back and relax as I did have to ask her to jump quite sharp.

“I was able to save all the way round. There was a moment Bluestocking came to me and I just had to wake her up and she really came alive for me.

“Before the race Aidan said ‘try to be the last one to challenge inside the furlong pole’, but she took me down through the two and nothing could take me any further. I was just praying for the furlong pole to come and I had to go a little bit earlier, just to really focus her up.

“When Frankie came at me I thought ‘here we go again’, but she was very brave, which is a quality Aidan O’Brien really trains in these horses – when you get in the guts of a battle, you like to be on them.”

O’Brien was fulsome in his praise of Doyle’s talent.

“We always go through who is available and we always use James when he’s available, obviously he’s not available that much,” he said.

“He’s a gentleman, a very classy rider and very determined and very strong. He has all the qualities and always had.

“I knew he was doing his best whatever way it was going to fall. They’re not easy instructions and I don’t think he could have played it much later as Frankie was forcing him to go. I thought he gave her a brilliant ride really.

“It looked like Frankie was going to come by her, but she found again. James was very strong on her.”

New world champion Josh Kerr is ready to run with a target on his back after his Hungary heroics.

The 25-year-old claimed a shock 1500m title at the World Championships in Budapest on Wednesday to leave favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen trailing in second.

It came after he finished fifth at last year’s delayed championships in Eugene as fellow Scot Jake Wightman won the title.

There is less than a year to go before the Paris Olympics – where he aims to better his bronze from Tokyo – but Kerr insisted he will not change his approach despite victory.

He said: “I hadn’t won a 1500m race this year. That’s what the approach was this year. It was calm. It was cool and collected. Yes, I’ll have a target on my back, but I’m not looking to really change my approach.

“I’m world champion now. If you watch the race back when it pans past me I’m kind of miming to myself ‘this is my turn’. I’ve been in four major championship finals and I’ve come away with one gold now.

“I threw everything at the Olympic Games and came away with my first medal and that was a big moment for Brooks (his team).

“It was a big moment for me and my family. It was just like: ‘It’s been a big build up, let’s just enjoy it, relax.’ But now, it’s kind of like, we have the Olympics on the horizon, I have a couple more races this season.

“I race next week in Zurich so right back on the horse and back to the chicken and rice really.”

Kerr partied until the early hours in Budapest with Wightman, his family and team before returning to the hotel to ensure he did not have a whereabouts violation early on Thursday morning.

“I did drug testing, got through that, and then it was about trying to find where my family and Brooks were,” he said.

“Guess who showed up? Mr Jake Wightman and he was like, ‘we’re staying out, we’re staying out’.

“Just having my parents there and a lot of people from my brand and people that made the spikes, my fiancee, it was just absolutely unbelievable.

“It was 4am back to the hotel and then realised that I had a whereabouts slot coming up between 6am and 7am so it was a taxi back to make sure I was there for that time and then absolutely zero minutes of sleep.”

Last year’s disappointment in Eugene of failing to make the podium while watching Wightman win gold helped inspire Kerr’s Budapest victory.

He admitted he started his planning as he watched Wightman cross the line in Oregon and feels his changes – including hiring a chef – paid off.

“Jake didn’t have the Olympics that he wanted and I know at that point he went back to the drawing board and found ways to to get better,” he said.

“So, for me, it was a very similar approach. I felt like I underachieved in Eugene, but I felt like there were definitely places to go. I was amazingly happy for Jake at the time, but again, I’m not here to be a cheerleader for someone else.

“Regardless if that’s a really good friend of mine or an enemy, if you could even say that. So I planned for a long time. It was a reasonably similar plan, but that was the outcome.”

Kerr moved to America when he was 17 to train and study at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and now spends the majority of his time training in Seattle.

“I was able to find a career in it. I think the best athletes are making sacrifices on a daily basis,” he said.

“I don’t live in Scotland anymore, I live over in the US away from my parents, my brother, my nephews. I currently live in a different state to my fiancee as well.

“On a day-to-day basis I’m not with the people I love and not where I grew up.

“It’s hard but on the start line I know the sacrifices I made to be there so every opportunity I have to show success and bring home the goods is almost more important to me.

“This past four or five week camp coming into Slovakia with the team has been mostly about what sacrifices am I making to make sure I’m going to feel sharp and ready to go.

“I was very meticulous in my preparation and I was able to find the winning strategy.”

Marco Silva admitted it will be really difficult to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic and to strengthen his squad as Fulham’s hunt for new players hots up ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline.

The Cottagers will be without the Serbian striker, who netted 14 goals in the Premier League last season, after they sold him for a club-record fee to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

Silva hinted Fulham have left it too late to find the right profile of players to fill his under-sized squad with just one week before the market closes until January.

“In this moment in the market I have to say it is really difficult (to sign players) and this is the problem when you leave things until the last week of the market,” Silva said.

“I am 100 per cent sure even if we lose an important player for us (Mitrovic) that with time we would be able to sign a player that could help us but right now we are doing the maximum, so let’s see if it will be possible.

“Seven players left us at the end of the season and we lost Mitrovic too and we’ve just signed two so I think it’s clear to people how many players we need.

“If we are to sign a striker it needs to be the right one, it has to be someone who can have the right impact in our squad with the conditions to help us, this is the main thing for me.”

Fulham meet Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday in search of their first Premier League win over the Gunners since 2012.

Silva earmarked their opponents as one of the best teams in the competition and highlighted the size of the challenge at hand this weekend.

“Last year they played at a very good level, they are one of the best teams in the competition, they showed that last season and they will again this season, they are a tough team and at home even more with all the support which will make it a good challenge for us,” Silva added.

“I understand their two wingers (Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka) have the skills and the quality and (in) one v one they are also impressive. In the absence of Gabriel Jesus (Eddie) Nketiah is also doing really well and is a good solution for them.

“They signed (Kai) Havertz and (Declan) Rice who went straight into their 11, which means they reinforced their midfield really well and that shows the impact of the players in their squad.”

Tim Ream was shown a second yellow card after he gave away a penalty in Fulham’s 3-0 loss to Brentford last week.

Silva criticised referee Darren Bond’s decision to dismiss his captain and mentioned how important the centre-back has been over the last couple of seasons.

“He’s been a really important player for us in the last two seasons and he received an unfair red card,” Silva added.

“It will be the chance for Calvin (Bassey), who will start.”

William Haggas’ Sea Theme was a determined winner of the Listed British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes at York.

The Sea The Stars filly, who was the 5-2 favourite, won a Doncaster novice by a good margin last time out and showed plenty of tenacity to follow that win up with another when coming home a head to the good.

Ridden by Tom Marquand, she chased down the leading horse, Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Climate Friendly, and held off some fast finishers to take the valuable Knavesmire prize.

Haggas said: “Tom said she doesn’t know what she’s doing yet. A horse got away and he was just trying to gather her up so it’s very good she’s won

“She’s a tough filly, she’s done well to win as she’s pretty inexperienced. She battled hard and she’s clearly got ability.”

There are Group-race options under consideration now, with the filly proven on conditions near both ends of the spectrum.

“She’s had a race today, there were no prisoners taken there. It could possibly be Park Hill (Doncaster) if she’s all right. Champions Day? I don’t know, that’s a big step up.

“I always felt she wanted top of the ground as she’s such a fluent mover – she won on the soft at Doncaster when I wanted to pull her out, but the owner said to let her take her chance, I’m glad we did.

“She seems to go on most ground, so I suppose she’s going to be pretty good.”

Lewis Hamilton fears there is a “high chance” that Max Verstappen will win all 10 remaining races this season – and believes the Dutchman’s crushing dominance could last until 2026.

Following a four-week summer shutdown, Formula One fires up this weekend at Verstappen’s home round in the Netherlands.

Verstappen has won the last eight races and he will match Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine on the spin for Red Bull in 2013 if he triumphs in front of his orange-clad Dutch fans here on Sunday.

Such is the dominance of Verstappen’s machine – and the two-time world champion’s supreme form – there is a feeling in the paddock, not only that Red Bull could become the first team to go through a campaign unbeaten, but that Verstappen could be victorious at each of the concluding 10 rounds.

“There is a high chance that he (Verstappen) will win every race,” said Hamilton, 38. “He hasn’t made any mistakes and the team hasn’t made many this year. They might win everything.

“But later on in the year, maybe we will get closer and we are hopeful we can challenge them at some point – whether that is this weekend, or who knows where? If there are any mistakes or mishaps, we will be right there to capitalise.”

Verstappen has dominated since F1’s regulations were overhauled at the start of last season, with his comfortable victory at the concluding round before the break in Belgium his 10th from 12 so far and his 19th from his last 23 outings.

He is a staggering 125 points clear in the standings as he closes in on a hat-trick of titles.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc predicted on Thursday that it would be “very, very difficult” to catch Verstappen and Red Bull before the sport’s next major rule change in 2026.

And Hamilton continued: “The fact is Red Bull are ahead and they have most likely started development on next year’s car a month before anybody else. It is very, very possible that Charles could be right.

“We are working on the steep gradient to develop our car and close the gap. Whether or not we can, next year will be the proof.”

Hamilton’s £40million-a-year contract expires at the end of the season and the Briton said on Thursday that were there was no update on his next deal, despite team principal Toto Wolff claiming – ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix on June 18 – that his star driver’s future would be resolved in “days rather than weeks”.

Hamilton is fourth in the standings, 41 points adrift of Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who occupies the runner-up spot, while Mercedes are second in the team standings, an eye-watering 256 points behind Red Bull, but 51 points clear of Ferrari.

“It is a huge achievement to be second in the championship and it is something I feel has been overlooked,” said Hamilton. “We want to win but I am really proud of the team and the steps we have taken.

“The guys think this track is not too different to Budapest and our car was good in Budapest. Even last year when the car was not great in Zandvoort, we were closer to the front.

“George (Russell) finished second and at one point I was hunting down the lead so I am hoping we are closer or in shooting range of a podium this weekend.

“We have the belief we will get there. And my goal is to try and keep that second place in the constructors’ championship and hunt down second in the drivers’ standings.”

Frankie Dettori was denied a Group One Knavesmire double by the narrowest of margins, as Free Wind just failed to reel in Warm Heart in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks.

Just 24 hours on from his heroics aboard Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International, Dettori was beaten a head by James Doyle on the Aidan O’Brien-trained apparent second-string.

A multiple winner at Group Two level, John and Thady Gosden’s Free Wind was aiming to break her Group One duck at the first attempt and just came up short.

Dettori said: “She’s run a super race. I couldn’t get out when I wanted to so I had to wait an extra half a furlong. That meant James had all the momentum.

“I got to him but I just wish I’d been able to get my filly rolling beforehand, that 9lb (weight for age concession) just took its toll in the end.

“I just think the pocket I got stuck in cost me.”

John Gosden said: “She ran great but it just took her a little time to get out and that meant the winner got first run on us.

“That’s life, but she ran a super race and I’m really happy with her.

“We’ll see what comes next, but Champions Day would be an obvious target for her.”

Bluestocking, who finished fourth, and who had run so well in the Irish Oaks, did not quite reproduce that form and her trainer Ralph Beckett put that down to the faster ground.

“She’s just not quite as effective on that quicker ground as she is on slower ground, that’s all it is,” said Beckett.

“She’s run her race, she’s run well and she’s run through the line but she’s just not quite as good on quicker ground.

“Come the autumn I’d like to think there will be a few nice targets for her.”

Rossa Ryan said of the filly: “She’s run a blinder, but she’s probably more effective on the softer ground where she can use her turn of foot better.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will look to bring in experience to fill a central defensive void after his injury situation worsened.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki have both been ruled out for around eight weeks with hamstring injuries after Stephen Welsh was consigned to a similar length of absence with ankle ligament damage.

Carter-Vickers went off halfway through Celtic’s recent league win over Aberdeen, two games into his comeback from knee surgery, and his problem is worse than first feared.

Summer signing Nawrocki pulled up with a similar problem in the final seconds of Celtic’s Viaplay Cup defeat at Kilmarnock on Sunday.

The Celtic boss, who will also be missing centre-back Yuki Kobayashi until after their game against Rangers on September 3, said: “It is obviously disappointing for us in terms of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh, probably about eight weeks.

“Stephen Welsh had an operation just the other day so he has come through that well. The other two we were hopeful would come back sooner, but we sought further scans on them and it puts them probably about eight weeks from now.”

When asked if he would look for reinforcements in that area ahead of next week’s transfer deadline, Rodgers said: “When you are losing three players for that length of time, and knowing the number of games we will have and the importance of every game, then it’s definitely something we have to look at.”

One of Rodgers’ fit centre-backs, Gustaf Lagerbielke, was the club’s oldest of six summer signings at 23 years old, and the Celtic manager admits a new arrival would “ideally” be an experienced player.

“Especially at centre-half, it’s a specialised position and for me experience always helps,” he added.

“We have a lot of young players in the squad but, naturally, to bring those players on, they need to play with players, not just of experience, but players of quality.

“You need to hopefully align both because you will see the best of those players, the guys that are young and developing and dealing with expectation, if they can play alongside the guys that are going to them pull them through and bring out that potential.”

Rodgers backed Swede Lagerbielke to handle the added responsibility he faces in the coming weeks.

“He is a very mature guy for somebody who looks so young,” Rodgers said.

“But he is up to speed in terms of games. He had only arrived in the building a couple of days and he was thrown into a tough away game.

“But I’ve got absolutely no doubt he will prove over time to be an excellent player for Celtic and he is really up for the challenge.”

Former Shamrock Rovers defender Liam Scales could now be set to play his first Celtic game in 18 months after making 39 appearances on loan at Aberdeen last season.

“I said before I really like Liam,” Rodgers said. “There has been a partnership here for the last couple of years and with Carl (Starfelt) leaving and Cam being injured for a lot of pre-season and now, it means there is change there. With the numbers down, of course Liam will play a part.”

There was better news on the injury front for Rodgers with Canada right-back Alistair Johnston training well following an ankle injury and available for Saturday’s cinch Premiership encounter with St Johnstone in Glasgow.

Striker Oh Hyeon-gyu will return to training next week after a calf problem and could be back in the squad for the trip to Ibrox.

Winger Mikey Johnston is also due to return to training next week following a back injury but Reo Hatate’s calf problem will keep him out of the derby clash and the Japanese midfielder will return to training during the international break.

Celtic have been linked with a move for 23-year-old Honduran winger Luis Palma of Aris Thessaloniki and Rodgers is confident he will add an attacking option before next Friday’s transfer deadline.

“I think we will do that before the end of the window,” Rodgers said. “The game last week, we could have been 2-0 up in the first 10 minutes but after that, especially when Kilmarnock were in front, we just didn’t quite have that little bit of finesse and those moments of magic you need to break down teams that are low in the field. So we are hoping we can do that over the course of the coming days.”

Andy Farrell expects Dan Sheehan to be fit for Ireland’s World Cup campaign after revealing his first-choice hooker sprained a foot ligament against England.

Sheehan limped off shortly before half-time in the 29-10 win over Steve Borthwick’s side five days ago to leave his country anxiously awaiting a full diagnosis.

With Ireland’s squad in Bayonne ahead of Saturday’s final warm-up match against Samoa, the 24-year-old remains in Dublin undergoing treatment.

Head coach Farrell, who has selected Ulster rookie Tom Stewart to start at number two this weekend, had been braced for bad news but provided a positive update on Sheehan’s condition.

“He’s good, yeah,” Farrell said. “He’s got a sprain in his foot, in a ligament in his foot.

“That’s better than expected, we expected it to be (more serious).

“As with all injuries, we’ll see how it develops over the period of time but we expect him to be fit for the World Cup.”

Ireland begin the tournament on September 9 against Romania in Bordeaux, with their final 33-man squad scheduled to be announced on Monday.

In Sheehan’s absence, Belfast-born Stewart has been handed a full Test debut for the appointment with Samoa at Stade Jean Dauger.

The 22-year-old won his maiden cap as a replacement in the 33-17 victory over Italy at the start of the month and now has another opportunity to further impress Farrell.

“I like most things that I’ve seen,” Farrell said of Stewart.

“I see a determined young man who is willing to try to understand first and foremost what it takes to thrive in an international environment and it’s tough for a young kid coming in, especially in that type of position. But he’s certainly done that.

“He is a determined kid who quietly goes about his job but he certainly puts a lot of confidence into the coaching staff and the rest of his team-mates by the way that he plays.

“So hopefully that transfers. I suppose that’s the main thing, just being himself at the weekend because he’s a good player.”

Hooker is potentially Farrell’s biggest headache going into the World Cup.

Rob Herring will provide back-up for club-mate Stewart on Saturday in order to prevent taking risks with Ronan Kelleher, while uncapped Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron is also with the group in south-west France.

Leinster player Kelleher has not featured this summer amid a hamstring issue but Farrell remains optimistic.

“As far as Ronan is concerned, he’s doing great, he’s flying around the place this week,” said Farrell.

“If it was say a World Cup semi-final or final, at a push I’m sure we would have got him over the line this week, but there is no need to do that.”

Farrell has made 12 personnel changes from the team which began against England.

Asked about areas for improvement, he replied: “Consistency, isn’t it?

“That’s why we’re playing the warm-up games, to make sure we get a bit of rust out and show some pictures to one another of what’s acceptable and what’s not.

“We’re here to take a step forward in our development as a team.”