British underdog Daniel Dubois will draw inspiration from Tyson Fury when he faces world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.

Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) will walk out at Tarczynski Arena in front of around 43,000 spectators this weekend with the majority inside the Polish venue supporting Ukrainian hero Usyk (20-0, 13KOs) given many Ukraine natives have resided in Poland since Russia’s invasion of their country last year.

While Dubois, 25, can expect a hostile ring walk for his first world title fight, his promoter Frank Warren has been here before.

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It was Warren and his Queensberry Promotions company that made the match-up between Fury and Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, which ended with the British heavyweight producing an enormous upset in Germany to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in remarkable fashion.

That was Fury’s maiden world title bout and few gave him a chance, but he pulled off a shock victory on points in Dusseldorf and stablemate Dubois is now dreaming of doing the same in Wroclaw.

“All the great fighters had to do it. Before they were champions, people doubted them and had a lot of things to say,” Dubois told the PA news agency.

“Boxing is made up of opinions so I never take it to heart or let it break me. I am ready to go. Ready to go out there and prove what I need to do.

“Tyson is a good example. Look at what he has done and gone on to achieve now. I just need to get the prayers going and hopefully the big man upstairs hears me.”

Saturday’s show is the start of a busy period for Warren and Queensberry Promotions with a rematch between Joe Joyce and China’s Zhilei Zhang scheduled on September 23 at Wembley Arena.

Meanwhile, Fury is due to step in the ring to take on mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou in a boxing contest on October 28 in Saudi Arabia, but the Briton’s WBC heavyweight title will not be at stake.

A successful couple of months for Warren’s fighters could result in an in-house unification bout at the start of 2024.

Warren told PA: “Every big heavyweight fight our fighters are involved in.

“Regarding Tyson’s future, it all depends on what happens on August 26th so it is an interesting time for the heavyweight decision.

“We’ve seen the odds upset and I just feel it is Daniel’s time. I know he has all the equipment to do it, he can punch from both hands, he has a great jab, good speed and footwork.

“It will all be about his temperament and I believe his temperament will see him through.

“No one gave Tyson a chance and over the years we’ve done a few of those fights, so I hope it is the case again. At the end of the day, Daniel has got a massive opportunity and if it comes out right for him, it would be brilliant.”

Plenty has been thrown at Dubois since the fight was confirmed with his age and lack of experience cited as big weaknesses, while the bookmakers have him as a huge outsider.

The Londoner has fought 20 times since he turned professional in 2017 but notably took a knee which allowed himself to be counted out in the 10th round of a clash with Joyce three years ago due to a grotesquely swollen left eye.

Dubois received a barrage of criticism for ‘quitting’ from current and former boxers. It was later revealed he suffered a broken orbital bone and nerve damage around his eye in addition to retinal bleeding.

After rebuilding his career in America, Dubois now enters his first world title fight at the age of 25 but with more heavyweight bouts than Usyk and a secret weapon in new trainer Don Charles, who was in Derek Chisora’s corner when the Briton pushed Usyk all the way at Wembley Arena in 2020.

Dubois added: “I have been boxing for most of my life so that (age) argument is out of the window. I have the experience and I need to be a veteran in this fight.

“I have to bully him. I have to go in there and be the bully. Be the bully and shake him up.

“Yeah, Don will be putting in things that I am not even aware of style-wise and coach-wise. He has a lot of passion and that is what you need.

“You need the bully-the-bull type mentality to go in there and f*** s*** up, as they say. That is what we need to do.”

A defiant Luis Rubiales has said he will not resign as president of the Spanish football federation despite facing widespread criticism and disciplinary proceedings over his behaviour at last Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final.

The 46-year-old kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy and medals presentation after Spain’s victory over England in Sydney.

He had earlier grabbed his crotch in celebration while stood metres away from Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter in the stadium’s VIP area.

Football’s world governing body FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales on Thursday over his conduct, but he told an extraordinary general assembly of Spain’s football federation, the RFEF, on Friday, that he would not step down.

“I will not resign,” he said multiple times.

“I apologise for my mistakes. I’m going to continue fighting as my parents and my coaches taught me. Those who know me, know that we are going to get to the end.”

Rubiales issued an apology via video message on Monday, but Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez described that as “insufficient”.

Hermoso’s interests in the case are being managed by the FUTPRO union, which expressed its “firm and resounding condemnation” for behaviour “which violates the dignity of women” in its own statement issued on Wednesday.

Rubiales is a member of UEFA’s ruling executive committee and a vice-president of European football’s governing body, and is also leading a Spanish bid to co-host the 2030 men’s World Cup finals. FIFA Congress is expected to appoint the hosts of the centenary tournament late next year.

FIFA, in opening proceedings against Rubiales on Thursday, said it remained committed to “respecting the integrity of all individuals, and strongly condemns any behaviour to the contrary”.

It said Rubiales’ conduct may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs one and two of the FIFA disciplinary code.

That section of the code covers “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play”.

The code cites examples of behaviour which could lead to disciplinary measures being taken, including “insulting a natural or legal person in any way, especially by using offensive gestures, signs or language” and “behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute”.

The high-class Nostrum bids to get back to winning ways in the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes at York on Saturday.

Sir Michael Stoute’s talented son of Kingman has won three of his five career starts and having missed the first half of his three-year-old campaign through a setback, returned in imperious fashion in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket.

However, things did not go to plan at Goodwood in the Thoroughbred Stakes, with Nostrum struggling to pick up with his usual zest in the testing ground and having to settle for a length defeat behind Epictetus.

With conditions set to be much more in the colt’s favour on the Knavesmire, connections are hoping to see their exciting prospect bounce right back to his best in a contest the Freemason Lodge handler has won twice since 2017.

“He’s in good form, obviously it didn’t work out for him the last day but he came out of the race very well,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“We think he’ll have come forward for the run and we’re looking forward to getting him back on a better surface and a more conventional track.

“Hopefully we’ll see the Nostrum we saw at Newmarket again.

“We all called it wrong, we thought he’d have liked the ground the last day as he’s a big horse and he bends his knee a bit.

“We were all wrong and Ryan (Moore) just felt that he couldn’t pull himself out of it, it was gluey.

“There was the factor too that he’d been off the track for so long, there may have been a bounce on his second start – we don’t know but he’s training well and we’re looking forward to seeing him.”

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum finished second in this 12 months ago and will attempt to go one better with El Drama, who was beaten only a neck on his first start for Karl Burke in Haydock’s Rose of Lancaster Stakes.

The Spigot Lodge team are also represented by Flight Plan who has shown glimpses of real ability this term and was a also a runner-up when last sighted.

Jimi Hendrix’s Royal Hunt Cup victory earnt himself a step up to Group Two company for the Summer Mile earlier in the season and he has been given another chance to thrive in Pattern company at a track handler Ralph Beckett believes will suit.

He said: “He’s in good form. I felt it was a little bit too quick for him back after Ascot. In retrospect the Summer Mile was quite hard on him.

“I think the nature of this race will set up well for him. I think the flat track will suit him well, he’s not so good on the undulations.”

Five go to post for this Group Three event with Richard Fahey’s hat-trick-seeking Spirit Dancer and Charlie Johnston’s Ganton Stakes scorer Chichester completing the line-up and both bringing smart course form to the table.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has urged midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to learn a lesson after hitting back at “stupid” criticism on social media.

The 25-year-old Brazil international has become something of a cult hero at St James’ Park since his £35million arrival from Lyon in January last year and has established an online following with his regular posts.

However, he felt moved to mount a staunch defence of his team after Saturday evening’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester City, who he described as “maybe one of the best teams in the world”, accusing some detractors of having “short stupid memories” in a message since deleted.

Asked about Guimaraes’ response, head coach Howe said: “I’m certainly not going to criticise the supporters here. I think it’s more a lesson for us.

“I choose not to be on social media for that exact reason, because I want a clear thought process. I don’t want to pollute my thoughts with things that I read and avoid certain situations, so I take myself out of that environment.

“The players can choose to be on it, that’s absolutely fine because that’s their individual choice, but I think it’s important that we don’t overly react emotionally to certain things.

“Now, Bruno is a very emotional person and I think you’ve seen on the pitch, it’s so positive for us, that emotion. He uses it brilliantly, he has used it brilliantly to not just perform well, but build a feeling with the supporters because I think the supporters see how much it means to him.

“It’s all positive in terms of that feeling that Bruno has, but this is just maybe a little lesson for him.”

Howe admitted that the advent of social media has brought a new element to the lives of players which can have an impact, both positively and negatively.

Asked how that can be managed, he said: “A lot of the young players now will have been on social media all of their lives or from a certain age, so it just becomes part of their daily routines, potentially, to look and to read and to be in that world.

“Once you’re in it, it’s slightly more difficult to come away from it, whereas when I was growing up, it wasn’t there.”

Guimaraes and his team-mates will hope to do their talking on the pitch on Sunday, when they return to action against Liverpool, the only side to beat them home and away in last season’s Premier League.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has aimed a series of barbs at the newly-enriched Tyneside club and, asked if he had a relationship with the German, Howe said: “I don’t really have a relationship with any manager.

“I’m competing against them, I find it very difficult to have personal relationships with competitors.

“I respect Jurgen a lot. I think he’s done an incredible job. He’s an unbelievable football manager, but I draw the line at friendships because they don’t exist for me.”

Joe Hart stressed a consistency of message will help Celtic deal with major disruption in central defence.

Brendan Rodgers has lost Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and summer signing Maik Nawrocki to injury for about eight weeks.

The blows came quickly in the wake of Carl Starfelt’s exit, while Yuki Kobayashi will also miss games against St Johnstone and Rangers.

Gustaf Lagerbielke is set to make his cinch Premiership debut against Saints on Saturday, while Liam Scales could come in for his first Celtic appearance in 18 months after spending last season on loan at Aberdeen.

Hart said: “I have had a few different partners to play with this season, but the message has been pretty consistent.

“A large percentage (of games) were obviously Carl and Cam, but we have dealt with things over the two years with people coming in.

“Scalesy went out on loan but he was a big part of the first season. Chris Jullien, Nir Bitton, all sorts has happened over two years and that’s the beauty of this club, we have strength in depth and we look to bring players in who are ready to play.

“We had Gustaf coming in and making his debut and we are going to have to rejig a few things. Such is life, it’s never perfect.

“Gustaf is a big, strong boy, great energy about him, a huge smile on his face but someone who gets over the white line and that smile is gone, and he is all about business. I am looking forward to seeing how he develops and I would love to be there to help him.”

Hart will embrace that task of helping the players in front of him.

“I think it’s a responsibility,” the 36-year-old said. “It’s about consistency. I wouldn’t say I would behave particularly different to a new player than an old player. If you rest and take people for granted, that’s when you could slip.

“We still have the same energy and intensity, and same message that we will be giving to whoever plays centre-half or in the defensive realm of the Celtic team.

“It’s important we are all on the same page, all pushing, all learning from each other and trying to move forward.”

Consistency was also the theme as Hart discussed how Celtic would respond to their Viaplay Cup defeat at Kilmarnock on Sunday.

“You try not to react in this game,” the former Manchester City player said. “It’s a long old season, many, many games. We just try to stay as consistent as possible.

“That’s what we have tried to do this week, get back to what we do best, get home, a home game is big for us and look forward to the St Johnstone game.”

The Rugby Park loss sparked the airing of concerns among supporters over issues such as the club’s transfer policy.

Hart said: “You have got to respect the noise. At a club like this, you’d be disappointed if there wasn’t noise, we’d be disappointed. That’s the levels.

“But we are all on the same page. And when I say it’s not about a reaction, that’s because I feel we are working to our limit the whole time. It’s not about sitting back and thinking everything is going to be OK.

“It’s not going to be a spike in our reaction because we are constantly working to the highest level we possibly can, taking every single training session to the highest level, the post-match analysis and the work with the coaches.

“Even when you are taking time off your legs and you physically can’t be outside, mentally you are trying to learn and trying to discuss.

“That’s why I say it’s not about a reaction because I’d like to think it would be impossible for us to go even harder than we already are.”

England face Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday in a send-off for the World Cup that is fraught with danger given the Islanders have toppled Tonga, Japan and Samoa in recent weeks.

Here the PA news agency examines five talking points ahead of the final Summer Nations Series match.

Crisis management

England have yet to set foot in France but already events are conspiring against them. While the disciplinary lapses that have seen Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola banned for dangerous tackles are problems of their own making, the growing number of injuries are a cruel misfortune. Anthony Watson joins Jack van Poortvliet in being ruled out of the tournament before a ball is kicked and there are significant concerns over Tom Curry and Elliot Daly, both of whom face a race against time to be fit for the crucial opener against Argentina on September 9.

Jonny set to answer May day call

Watson’s calf injury that was sustained against Ireland has resulted in a World Cup reprieve for Jonny May, who Steve Borthwick all-but confirmed will be plugging the gap in the 33-man squad. Injury and repeated bouts of Covid-19 have conspired against May in recent times, but the ultra-professional England wing is capable of scoring spectacular tries out of thin air and will bring the kick-chase pressure and aerial threat that was missing in Dublin.

Keep your heads

It is a message that had been drummed into the players – no more cards. In the last four Tests England have been shown three reds and four yellows in an alarming collapse in discipline headlined by Farrell and Vunipola being sent off by the bunker review system. Borthwick is confident their respective four and two-game bans can be absorbed by the depth in their positions, but knows that an underperforming team that has lost four of their last five games must keep 15 players on the pitch if they are to halt the slide.

100 not out

Courtney Lawes becomes only the fifth man to make a century of Test appearances for England when he leads Borthwick’s side out at Twickenham. The achievement is a victory for resilience in the face of persistent injuries and the willingness to evolve as a player. Lawes’ calling card early in his career was as a defensive hitman whose bone jarring tackles were a favourite on highlights reels, but he has since added more layers including a smart carrying game based on footwork, line-out expertise and better handling. Having set out on his 14-year international odyssey as a second-row, he is now the epitome of the modern blindside flanker.

Fiji on the rise

Given Japan’s dispiriting slump since lighting up the 2019 World Cup, Fiji have emerged as disruptors with the heavyweights in their sights. Both Wales and Australia will be eyeing their Pool C encounters nervously as the Islanders, bolstered by the success of their Fijian Drua side in Super Rugby, have added a strong scrum, greater cohesion and superior conditioning to the magical attacking skills that are their bread and butter. Waisea Nayacalevu and Semi Radradra have been paired together in the centres against England, taking star billing in a rotated side that will ask questions at Twickenham even if short of full strength.

Jurgen Klopp dismissed fresh speculation linking Mohamed Salah with a move to Saudi Arabia, insisting the Egyptian forward is “essential” at Liverpool.

Al-Ittihad have snatched Fabinho from Liverpool this summer, signing the midfielder for £40million, and have reportedly renewed their interest in Salah, who still has two years left to run on his contract.

The sums being mentioned are staggering, with a £60m fee touted for the 31-year-old, who could allegedly pocket £155m over two years to become one of the highest paid footballers in the world.

However, Klopp revealed Liverpool have had no contact from any of the big-spending Saudi Pro League clubs, adding any official bids exceeding even £100m for their star asset would be rejected.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle, the Liverpool manager said: “It’s always a bit difficult to talk about media stories because there is nothing to talk about at the moment.

“We don’t have an offer, Mo Salah is still a Liverpool player, obviously for all the things we do, he’s essential and will be. There’s nothing there. If there would be something, the answer would be no.

“My life philosophy is I think about a problem when I have it. At the moment, there’s absolutely nothing. I said already if there is something, the answer would be no.”

Salah, who has scored 187 goals in 308 appearances since switching to Merseyside from Roma in 2017, is just 12 months into a three-year deal which is the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history.

It is barely two weeks since his agent, Ramy Abbas, insisted on Twitter Salah remains “fully committed” to Liverpool, and asked whether that remains the case, Klopp responded: “One hundred per cent.”

Corbin Carroll hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Arizona Diamondbacks to their fifth straight win, 3-2 over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.

After the Reds scored twice in the top of the eighth to take the lead, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the bottom half with a walk. Alex Young got Evan Longoria to fly out before Carroll followed with his 22nd home run of the season for a 3-2 lead.

Miguel Castro got the final out of the eighth for the win and Paul Sewald worked around a one-out walk in the ninth for his seventh save since joining the Diamondbacks.

Arizona has won eight of nine to move past Cincinnati and San Francisco into sole possession of the third and final NL wild-card spot.

Merrill Kelly had a stellar start for Arizona, allowing one hit over seven scoreless innings while matching a career high with 12 strikeouts before leaving with an undisclosed injury. 

He was warming up in the eighth but grimaced after throwing a pitch. Kelly walked around the mound for a few seconds before leaving the field with Arizona’s medical staff.

Rookie Brandon Williamson was almost as good for Cincinnati, yielding six hits in six shutout innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

Nick Senzel had a pinch-hit home run in the eighth for the Reds, who had a three-game overall winning streak snapped and fell to 0-4 this season against the Diamondbacks.

Jeffers hits late HR as Twins extend Rangers’ slump

Pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning, Michael A. Taylor went deep twice and the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 7-5 Thursday, handing the Rangers their seventh straight loss.

The Twins entered the eighth trailing by a run but tied the game when Matt Wallner scored from first on a Carlos Correa double. With two outs, Jeffers pitch hit for Edouard Julien and hit the go-ahead blast off Will Smith.

Royce Lewis and Kyle Farmer also went deep for Minnesota, while Texas came up short despite home runs from Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Leody Tavares.

Twins Reliever Josh Winder held the Rangers hitless in three innings to keep the game close, and Griffin Jax induced a game-ending double play for his second save of the season.

Minnesota expanded its lead in the AL Central to six games with the win, while Texas failed to expand on its one-game lead in the AL West.

Verdugo, Abreu help Red Sox rip Astros

Alex Verdugo and rookie Wilyer Abreu each had four hits and a home run to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 17-1 rout over the Houston Astros.

Verdugo led off the game with his home run and finished 4 for 7, while Abreu was 4 for 5 with a walk.

Every player in Boston’s starting lineup had at least one hit and at least one RBI as the Red Sox had the highest-scoring game of their season.

Red Sox starter Brayan Bello earned his 10th win, working around nine hits and three walks to allow one run in seven innings.

Boston has won 10 of its last 15 games but still trails Houston and Seattle by 3 ½ games in the chase for the AL’s final wild card spot.

Rory McIlroy is three strokes behind the leaders at the Tour Championship after he said he suffered muscle spasms going into the tournament as he tries to win his fourth FedEx Cup title.

McIlroy is the only three-time winner of the FedEx Cup after overturning a six-shot deficit in the final round of the same tournament last year.

He said he is “over the moon” to be placed where he is considering the spasms.

“I was at the bottom of a squat, a body-weight squat, and my whole lower back spasmed, seized up. I couldn’t move. I honestly couldn’t address the ball this time yesterday,” McIlroy said.

“So, yeah, I mean, I hung in there and I just felt like if I could get through today, it’s better than it was yesterday, hopefully tomorrow’s better than it was today, and just sort of try to keep progressing.”

McIlroy is sitting on seven under par in tied seventh after he finished the day with the same score as he started with, hitting four birdies and just as many bogeys.

“So I was always going to tee off. It was just a matter of how I felt on the course,” McIlroy said.

“And it got progressively a little tighter as I went, but it will hopefully get loosened up here and just another 20, or 18 hours of recovery and go again.”

There is a three-way tie for the lead between Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley and Viktor Hovland on 10 under par.

England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is even with McIlroy in seventh spot while Tyrell Hatton is one stroke behind the pair.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy could miss the start of the upcoming NFL season after injuring his right hamstring in Thursday's practice.

An MRI taken on Jeudy's hamstring revealed a moderate injury that is expected to sideline the 2020 first-round pick multiple weeks, according to NFL.com. The Broncos begin their season in 17 days with a home game against the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 10. 

"Hopefully it's not anything long term," Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters after Thursday's practice.

The Broncos are already thin at the wide receiver spot after projected starter Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this month. Denver also waived slot receiver KJ Hamler early in camp after he was diagnosed with a heart condition, though the team has indicated it could bring him back if medically cleared.

Jeudy, who led Denver in receptions (67), receiving yards (972) and touchdown catches (six) last season while recording career highs in all three categories, has had trouble staying healthy in the past. He missed seven games in 2021 with a severe high-ankle sprain and two last season with another ankle injury.

The former University of Alabama star finished his 2022 campaign strongly by averaging 91.6 receiving yards over the final five games, which ranked fourth in the NFL over that time frame. Jeudy began that stretch with three touchdown catches against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. 

Jeudy's injury leaves veteran Courtland Sutton as possibly Denver's lone established wide receiver for the season opener, and could force 2023 second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. into a prominent role right away in his rookie season. 

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw will be out for a number of weeks with a muscle injury.

The 28-year-old defender is a mainstay of Erik ten Hag’s side and started the first two Premier League matches of the season.

But Shaw will miss Saturday’s Old Trafford encounter against Nottingham Forest and next weekend’s trip to Arsenal as well, it seems, as England’s upcoming internationals.

The left-back is facing a number of weeks out with a muscle injury that is still being assessed.

A club statement read: “Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has sustained an injury which will rule him out of forthcoming games.

“The muscle issue is still being assessed but the England left-back is expected to be out of action for a number of weeks.”

United and England will be hoping nothing worse crops up during those assessments, especially with fellow left-back Tyrell Malacia also sidelined through injury.

The Old Trafford club loaned out another left-back earlier on Thursday, with Brandon Williams joining Ipswich for the remainder of the campaign.

United had already announced an injury to Mason Mount ahead of the Forest match and it remains unclear whether new boy Rasmus Hojlund will be fit to make his debut.

Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo and Tom Heaton are also out, while Harry Maguire missed the trip to Spurs with a knock.

Mauricio Pochettino has warned his Chelsea players that Luton will get the better of them at Stamford Bridge on Friday night if they fail to match the desire to win of Rob Edwards’ newly promoted side.

The manager recalled one of his early games in charge of Espanyol when he took his team to the Nou Camp and staged a famous victory against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona en route to masterminding the team’s La Liga survival.

That 2-1 win in February 2009, earned thanks to two goals from midfielder Ivan de la Pena as Espanyol ended a 27-year wait for a victory at the home of their city rivals, announced Pochettino’s arrival as a coach and was a springboard for dragging his new team out of the relegation zone to safety.

It went down as one of the shocks of the LaLiga season in Spain, particularly as Barcelona were en route to winning a domestic and European treble in what was Guardiola’s first season in charge.

Pochettino prepares his side to welcome Luton in rather less swashbuckling form, still seeking a first win under his tenure following a draw and a defeat in his first two games in charge and grappling with the problem of integrating a flux of summer recruits.

Defeat to the Hatters, who last won in the league at Stamford Bridge in 1986 and are yet to pick up a point in their debut Premier League season, would add to the noise surrounding Pochettino’s Chelsea rebuild, with the club having spent more than £350million on nine new signings so far this summer.

In contrast, Luton have paid out around £20m on transfers during the last 18 months, but the Chelsea manager was quick to remind his players of football’s unique propensity for springing upsets.

“It’s the beauty of football. In the pre-season I was talking with (Brighton manager) Roberto De Zerbi, he’s a good friend. I said ‘look, I was at Southampton and at Espanyol. Sometimes you face Real Madrid and you cannot complain, because I know how you feel when you face this type of team’.

“I was on one side, now I am on another. I understand. Sometimes people will say ‘you need to win 4-0 or 5-0’ before the start of the game. But it’s the beauty of football. At Espanyol we beat the dream team of Barcelona with Lionel Messi and Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta. It is similar (to) Luton and Chelsea. It’s the beauty of football.

“I was telling the players today in the meeting. We need to match the same will as the players of Luton. If we match all this, then we presume that we have better quality for us to win. But if not the game can be crazy. Maybe we can win or we can lose. That is football. It happens more here in the Premier League.

“It was the first time the bottom team had beaten the top team. It had never happened in the past. It was amazing, Espanyol in the Camp Nou. It was a little but lucky, we had some help also.

“There’s nothing to lose (for Luton). You go there, we were Espanyol and we said we don’t care about making a mistake. We need to be brave. (But) I don’t want to give the Luton coach all the strategies.

“It can only happen in football. You can see basketball, NFL, you see the quality of the players and you say (one team) it’s impossible, you cannot do it. In football you can shoot 30 times and not score, and they can shoot only once and score. In other sports, it’s impossible.

“Football is about belief, being together and (showing) fight, and then the quality that you have, if you match this, it’s about the players. If you don’t match this, the game is going to be over.”

It was near the end of the transfer window last season that former manager Thomas Tuchel talked of there being “a curse” on Chelsea’s number nine shirt, such has been the club’s lack of success with strikers in recent seasons.

Pochettino acknowledged that the door may not be fully closed on Romelu Lukaku’s future at Stamford Bridge if a deal cannot be reached to sell him before the end of the window, although the player is eager to leave and unlikely to prove the answer to the team’s goalscoring woes unless his relationship with the club improves.

The manager said the club remain in the market for another attacking option but only if a player of the hight profile becomes available.

Summer signing Christopher Nkunku is out until December and the number nine shirt is currently not assigned.

“I didn’t hear about the curse,” said Pochettino. “We need to do something to try to change the energy. I’ll ask the kitman to bring all the number nine shirts and we’ll do some cleaning, energetic thing.

“If we bring a new striker I’ll be sure he gets the number nine to try and change the feeling that this number is not welcome.”

David Haye believes the smoothest and possibly only route to an undisputed world heavyweight title fight is by Daniel Dubois pulling off a major upset against Oleksandr Usyk this weekend.

Usyk, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion, will take on mandatory challenger Dubois in Wroclaw, Poland, on Saturday after negotiations for a showdown against WBC belt holder Tyson Fury broke down earlier this year.

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were also at an impasse when they held the major world titles, with Lennox Lewis the last recognised undisputed champion in the division nearly a quarter of a century ago.

Competing interests have often got in the way, but Haye pointed out Dubois and Fury are both represented by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and argued a fight between the duo should be simpler to make.

Haye told the PA news agency: “It feels like we’ve had three or four opportunities where the fighters with the belts could have come together and done a deal. For whatever reason, it hasn’t materialised.

“We’re in a position where if Dubois wins on Saturday night, one promotional entity holds the champions of all of the belts – there would never be an easier time, politically, to make the undisputed fight.

“If Usyk wins, is Tyson Fury ever going to fight Usyk? I don’t know. For one reason or another, it doesn’t seem like it’s gelling. If it hasn’t happened by now, is it going to happen? Probably not.

“We want to know who’s number one. If Dubois wins then that makes it possible and the fight fans finally, after all of these years, will have one champion with all of the belts.”

Haye recognises Dubois has a mountainous challenge ahead of him, with Usyk a prohibitive favourite to retain his world titles and extend his unblemished professional record to 21 wins from as many bouts.

Usyk’s dazzling footwork and blurring hand speed from a southpaw stance has led to many suggesting the heavy-handed Dubois has just a puncher’s chance despite having height and weight advantages.

However, Haye feels Dubois (19-1, 18KOs) has nothing to lose and that his learning curves in a loss to Joe Joyce in 2020 and having to get up off the canvas three times before stopping the lightly-regarded Kevin Lerena last December are hugely beneficial for the Londoner’s chances heading into this weekend.

Haye, who alongside Usyk and Evander Holyfield are the only fighters to have won world cruiserweight and heavyweight titles, added: “I like the fact there’s no pressure on Dubois whatsoever.

“He’s got everything to gain. Nobody is expecting him to be able to cause an upset here. He has the firepower, all he needs is one punch, one clean shot.

“He had a very interesting fight against Kevin Lerena where he was put down early from a southpaw who was a former cruiserweight.

“He understands that he’s bigger and stronger but he can be hurt, that was the best thing for him because it gives him the reality of what he’s putting himself in (when he takes on Usyk).

“It looks from the outside like a mission impossible but I’m liking what I’m hearing from him – he’s talking about making it rough and uncomfortable for Usyk and that’s exactly what he needs to do.

“He may get dropped or hurt or some facial damage but he’s going to need to work through that to get to the promised land if he wants an opportunity to seriously gatecrash the heavyweight division.”

:: Watch Usyk v Dubois exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office on Saturday 26 August. Learn more at www.tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice