Leicester were made to work hard for their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup with a battling 2-0 win over Tranmere at Prenton Park.

Second-half strikes from Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy proved to be the difference as the Foxes weathered a number of early scares to overcome their League Two opponents.

The Foxes enjoyed much of the possession in the early stages and could have taken the lead as early as the seventh minute when Harry Winks’ long-range effort flew narrowly wide.

The 2016 Premier League champions continued to dominate with further chances as Cesare Casadei’s header flew narrowly over the Rovers crossbar.

The visitors did not have it all their own way, however, and having defended resolutely and frustrating their Championship opponents for large periods of the game, Tranmere almost took the lead themselves when Dan Pike’s 20-yard effort was pushed out by Jakub Stolarczyk in the Leicester goal.

But the pressure eventually told after 55 minutes when Ndidi’s effort from the corner of the box ended up in the back of the net via both posts.

And just four minutes later Leicester doubled their lead when Vardy was on the spot to force the ball home from close range following an Ndidi cross right in front of the huge travelling support to make the game safe.

It is now five wins out of five in all competitions for Enzo Maresca’s side who will be in the hat for the third-round draw having also won their opening four matches of the Championship campaign.

Cameron Norrie turned to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to help him into the second round at the US Open.

The British number one practised with the world number one on Monday before dismantling Alexander Shevchenko of Russia 6-3 6-2 6-2.

It was just the sort of performance Norrie needed after losing his previous three matches on the hard courts.

And the 16th seed credited Spanish superstar Alcaraz for his improved display.

“We had a really good practice and I think it really set the tone yesterday and I was able to put it into my match today,” he said.

“He’s always enjoying the practice and bringing a lot of flair and excitement to the practice court.

“It was not an easy match. Shevchenko has had a good year so far. I know his game quite well, I’d practiced with him a few times.

“I was able to play longer points and win some of the tough games. It was a nice match to play in the first round to get a lot of rhythm.”

Norrie will face qualifier Yu Hsiou Hsu, the world number 237, in round two after his surprise win over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.

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 29.

Football

Harry Kane got into the spirit ahead of Oktoberfest.

Manchester City took their silverware on tour.

An important lesson for a young Kevin Nolan.

Tennis

Petra Kvitova was pleased.

Formula One

What an achievement from Michael Schumacher 19 years ago.

Max Verstappen was pleased with his fixed Hungarian Grand Prix trophy after Lando Norris accidentally smashed it.

Mini mullet for a young Valtteri Bottas.

James Hunt was remembered.

Is Logan Sargeant still waiting for a lift?

Rugby union

Wales put some miles in on the bike.

South Africa were preparing to begin their defence of the World Cup.

Katie Boulter says she is feeling the love in New York after securing a first-career win at the US Open.

The British number one certainly looked at home on a packed Court Six at Flushing Meadows as she raced past France’s Diane Parry 6-4 6-0.

Boulter hit 31 winners and illustrated her confidence on the big stage by saving a break point as she served for the match, before finishing Parry off with a 106mph ace.

“I felt the love out there today, which was really, really nice,” said the 27-year-old.

“It was such a good atmosphere. What I love about it the most is those front courts where they have all the matches going along all the time.

“It’s a challenge for me to focus and stay in the moment, and not hear all the other courts going on, which is what I did unbelievably well today.

“The fans got me over the line. I don’t know if they were British, American. I think they were everything, which was super nice.

“There were a lot of GB flags, which made me feel very at home, which was very nice.

“I did appreciate it out there. You know, it’s when you hear, like, little kids screaming your name, that’s when it pushes you. It makes you think for a second, ‘hey, this is where I want to be and these are the matches that I want to play’.”

Michael Beale stressed the importance of this week to everyone at Rangers as he looks first to take his side past PSV Eindhoven and into the Champions League.

The thrilling first leg of the play-off tie against the Dutch side at Ibrox last week ended in a 2-2 draw and further improvement since the opening-day cinch Premiership defeat at Kilmarnock was confirmed again on Saturday with the Light Blues’ 2-0 win over Ross County.

Beale hopes the complete 90-plus minute performance he is looking for comes at the Philips Stadion on Wednesday night, before the visit of Celtic in the league on Sunday where the Light Blues can leapfrog their Old Firm rivals with a victory.

“It is hugely exciting week if you’re a Rangers player or a Rangers follower and I’m no different as the coach,” said Beale, who revealed midfielder Kieran Dowell misses out with a slight knee problem.

“The two games we’ve got coming up in the next four or five days is what it’s all about, playing for this club.

“If you can’t enjoy it, and you can’t seize the opportunities in front of you, then you probably don’t deserve to be at our club.

“This is a huge moment. It’s important that we give this game everything – it is a final, if you like, in that sense.

“This team is due a big performance and we have a great opportunity. We know we will have to perform better than we did last week if we want to go through.

“There won’t be too many surprises, but we have a lot of variety across the forward positions.

“We know we will need to be strong defensively first and then take our opportunities when they come.”

Having qualified for last season’s group stage, Rangers lost all six games including a 7-1 loss to Liverpool to post the worst ever Champions League record.

Beale, though, is desperate for another shot at the competition.

“It would be huge (to qualify),” he said. “It would be huge for the club and the fans first and foremost, and these group of players that are desperate to play in that competition again.

“For me and the staff obviously that’s the aim coming into pre-season. We have a huge test in front of us to see that be a reality.

“I believe that this is a game that where both teams will have opportunities and it’s the team that’s the most decisive that will go through.”

While PSV Eindhoven were given a free weekend to prepare, Rangers travelled to Dingwall where Beale believes the 90 minutes was beneficial to his squad.

The former QPR boss said: “Obviously we’ve got about 14 or 15 players moving on this summer and nine new players coming in. The more games you play you think your team will get stronger.

“It was a good victory at the weekend. It was a clean sheet, it was a step in the right direction in the league and I was pleased with that.

“Sat here now without any injuries and everyone in a good place mentally, I think it was the right thing that we played. I think it’s to our advantage that we played at the weekend.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been charged with acting in an improper manner following his red card at Newcastle on Sunday.

The Netherlands international was dismissed for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at St James’ Park but the centre-back initially refused to leave the pitch and then remonstrated with referee John Brooks.

That earned him an automatic one-match ban against Aston Villa this weekend but the suspension could be increased, which could see him sit out the trip to Wolves also.

“Virgil van Dijk has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 following Liverpool’s Premier League game against Newcastle United on Sunday, 27 August,” read a statement from the Football Association.

“It’s alleged that the defender acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official.”

Van Dijk has until Friday to respond to the charge.

The Spanish Football Federation is considering whether it has grounds to sack Spain Women’s World Cup-winning head coach Jorge Vilda, according to reports.

Vilda is still in the post after most of his coaching staff resigned in protest against federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales, who has refused to quit for kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso after their World Cup final win.

All of Spain’s 23 World Cup winners, plus another 58 players, have said they will not represent their country until Rubiales has left his post.

Rubiales, 46, was provisionally suspended by FIFA on Saturday pending an investigation into his conduct in Sydney after Spain’s win against England on August 20.

He was applauded by Vilda after repeatedly insisting that he would not quit at the RFEF’s extraordinary general meeting last Friday and the federation is exploring its options over whether they can sack the head coach.

On Monday, the RFEF regional heads became the latest group to call for Rubiales’ resignation, while members of the Spanish government have added their voices to the those demanding he step aside.

Earlier on Monday, Rubiales’ mother announced she was going on hunger strike over the “inhuman” treatment of her son, according to reports in Spain.

The president grabbed his crotch in the stadium’s VIP area in celebration of Spain’s win over England, when he was stood metres away from Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter.

FIFA has suspended Rubiales for an initial period of 90 days. He and the RFEF have also been ordered not to contact Hermoso either directly or through intermediaries.

Hermoso has accused the RFEF of a “manipulative, hostile and controlling culture” and said Rubiales’ kiss was “an impulse-driven, sexist, out-of-place act without any consent on my part”.

The ever-popular Sir Busker could return to action in the Superior Mile at Haydock in early September.

Trained by William Knight in Newmarket, the gelding is an admirable campaigner who reached new heights this time last year when winning the York Stakes and then running a massive race at the same track to come home third in the Juddmonte International.

He then went to ply his trade in the Middle East as spring approached this term, but an eye infection turned a brief stay into a longer one as he required surgery to save his vision.

The procedure was a success and he returned to work earlier in the campaign, just missing out on his aim of returning to the Ebor meeting again to contest the Strensall Stakes.

An alternative target has been pencilled into his diary by owner Kennet Valley Syndicates, however, with the Group Three Superior Mile on the agenda for the seven-year-old.

Sam Hoskins, racing manager to the group, said: “He’s great, he had a bad eye infection out in Dubai and that’s why we haven’t seen him this summer.

“He nearly got to the Strensall at York last week, but he just blew up in a piece of work a week before and William Knight just said he didn’t want to rush him to get there.

“He is nearly ready to go, he could run in the Superior Mile which is the Group Three at Haydock on Sprint Cup Day – September 9.

“I’m sure he’d probably come on for the run a bit, but it’ll be great to see him back on the course.

“He owes us absolutely nothing, we’ll have to see how we get on this autumn, but he’s been showing his usual zest for life. Hopefully he can run a nice race there and we can start to make plans for the future.”

British number one Katie Boulter roared to a first-round win at the US Open with a commanding victory over Diane Parry.

The 27-year-old hit 31 winners in a hugely impressive, efficient display to win 6-4 6-0 in an hour and 22 minutes.

Boulter illustrated her confidence on the big stage by saving a break point as she served for the match, before finishing Frenchwoman Parry off with a 106mph ace.

“It was tight in the first set and I just tried to stay with her, but at the end I played some great tennis which is good for me going into the second round,” she said.

“It’s so good for me.

“This is where it really counts and I’m happy to get through and keep pushing.”

The Buffalo Bills were hopeful Von Miller would be healthy enough to suit up in Week 1.

Turns out, the earliest he'll play is Week 5.

The Bills are keeping the three-time All Pro on the PUP list ahead of Tuesday's deadline, meaning he's ineligible for at least the first four games of the 2023 NFL season.

Miller, 34, has been working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 12 of the 2022 season, and it had been reported last week that the Bills weren't ruling out the eight-time Pro Bowler returning for the September 11 season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

He's been training with the team throughout training camp, though has yet to partake in a fully-padded practice and the Bills ultimately decided to give him more time to recover from the surgery he underwent last December.

The earliest he could possibly begin his 12th NFL season is Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 8 in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Miller, who signed a six-year, $120million contract with the Bills in March 2022 after helping the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl, finished his first season with the Bills tied with Greg Rousseau for the team lead with eight sacks despite playing in just 11 games. His 48 quarterback pressures were one fewer than Rousseau's for the team lead, and his pressure-rate of 20.8 was highest on Buffalo.

The league's active leader with 123.5 sacks, Miller has recorded eight consecutive seasons of eight or more sacks - the longest active streak in the NFL.

With Miller out, the Bills will rely on Leonard Floyd, who signed with the team over the summer, and Rousseau to generate a pass rush.

 

Justin Thomas has admitted he is “very, very fortunate” to be given a wild card for this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.

Thomas failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs on the PGA Tour and admitted it had been “humiliating and embarrassing” to card a second round of 81 in the US Open in June.

The two-time major winner also shot an opening 82 in the Open at Royal Liverpool and finished 15th in qualifying, behind both Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley and just one place above the in-form Lucas Glover.

However, United States captain Zach Johnson hailed Thomas as the “heart and soul” of American teams after selecting the former world number one along with Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth to face Europe at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club next month.

The wild cards join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele on Johnson’s team, who will attempt to win on European soil for the first time since 1993.

“I have had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about what could happen and wanting to be on the team, wondering if I was or I wasn’t, and then I just came to the realisation that it was out of my hands and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Thomas said.

“After getting the call yesterday (Monday) from Zach I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited. It’s cool to be part of this team.

“You can want something too bad. I’m sure all of us have tried to win golf tournaments too much and have tried to force the issue, and there were potentially times this season I did.

“I’m very, very fortunate to be here and Zach has been very vocal and made it sound great that we are all equal on this team. I feel I’m just as important as everybody else and my team-mates have voiced that the same way.”

Johnson had earlier been fulsome in his praise of Thomas, who won four points from five matches on a losing side in Paris in 2018, including victory over Rory McIlroy in the opening match of the singles.

“Justin Thomas is one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour in my opinion,” Johnson said.

“He has been, without question, the heart and soul of US Ryder Cup teams, our emotional leader.

“Overall (he has) a fantastic Ryder Cup record. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind he is born for this and you just don’t leave JT at home.”

Johnson admitted the topic of selecting LIV Golf players such as Dustin Johnson – who went 5-0 at Whistling Straits two years ago – and Bryson DeChambeau did come up, but that Koepka had been the only one to “seize the opportunity” of playing well in the majors.

Koepka only slipped out of the automatic qualifying places in the final event, having finished second in the Masters and winning his fifth major title in the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

“A five-time major champion, he is built in my mind for the biggest of stages and there’s no bigger stage than the Ryder Cup,” Johnson said.

“It was a pretty easy pick, a very natural fit. He basically earned his way onto the team. Brooks is great in the team room.”

Johnson’s selections came a month after one of his vice-captains, former Masters champion Fred Couples, said on his own radio show that Homa, Spieth and Young would be given wild cards if they remained outside the automatic places.

Homa subsequently qualified and Spieth was duly selected but Young, who finished just 61 points behind Spieth in the standings, was left out.

“Cam, phenomenal player, a better person, he was nothing but class,” Johnson said of calling Young with the bad news.

“I know what was said (by Couples), but I think that was a while back, it was kind of in jest.”

Adelle Tracey had one of the best weeks of her career at last week’s IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The Seattle, Washington-born Jamaican started her week with a 4:03.67 effort to advance to the semi-finals of the women’s 1500m.

A day later in the semi-finals, Tracey brought out her best and produced a time that would have been good enough to get to any other major championship final with 3:58.77. That effort is a national record and makes Tracey the first Jamaican woman to dip below 4:00 in the 1500m.

Despite Tracey’s time being seventh-fastest overall in the semis, she failed to advance to the final due to a seventh-place finish in her individual semi-final. The top six finishers in the two semi-finals advance to the final.

Tracey’s chance for redemption came in the 800m where, on August 23, she finished second in her heat with 1:59.82, a season’s best at the time, to make it to the semi-finals.

Two days later, the 30-year-old produced a personal best 1:58.99 to finish fourth in her semi-final and advance to the final as one of the two fastest losers.

The final then saw Tracey once again lower her personal best, this time clocking 1:58.41 to finish seventh.

“5 rounds, 3 PB's in one week, x2 2024 Olympic QT's, a National 1500m Record, and all the smiles doing it!!” Tracey said in a social media post on Monday.

“I am so grateful for the progress and every step of this process! Special thanks to my team and to everyone for all their support,” she added.

Tracey will next line up in the 800m at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday.

Regional is set to be stepped up in trip for the Betfair Sprint Cup after running with credit in the Nunthorpe at York last week.

Having won a handicap on the Knavesmire in May before successfully stepping up in class in the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock the following month, the five-year-old was kept fresh for a tilt at Group One glory by trainer Ed Bethell.

He was beaten only two and a half lengths into fifth place, and Bethell is now keen to bid for another top-level prize over an extra furlong.

He said: “He ran a really good race. I was really happy with how he got on and he wasn’t beaten far.

“The complexion of the race changed when the winner went off like a scalded cat and fair play to the winner, he kept going and it was a fair performance.

“We’re pretty quick and we jumped well, but we just weren’t as quick as the winner into our stride. If you took him out of it, the complexion of the race would probably have changed dramatically, but it’s a horse race, he set a relentless gallop and won fair and square.

“It looked as if we need to step up to six furlongs maybe at that level. He just got run off his feet the whole way, but on the whole I’m delighted with how he ran and I think we’re possibly going to target the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

“Hopefully it stays dry and we’ll see how we get on.”

Claressa Shields believes Savannah Marshall's move into mixed martial arts is good for women's sport and wishes her rival well, despite the "love-hate" relationship between the duo.

Unified middleweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Shields, one of the biggest names in women's boxing, made her MMA debut in 2021 after signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where she has a 1-1 record.

British boxer Marshall, Shields' long-term rival who beat the American as an amateur in 2012 before losing by unanimous decision when they met last year, signed with the PFL last week.

Marshall then declared her intention to face Shields in her new discipline, saying: "It doesn't look like a rematch in the ring is coming off, so I've had to chase her into another sport."

There has been no love lost between the fighters in the past, with Shields calling Marshall "delusional" and "disrespectful" after the Brit called for a rematch earlier this year.

While Shields initially had misgivings over Marshall's MMA switch, she believes the move will benefit the sport and even claims to have offered her rival tips to aid her transition. 

"Any time I fight Savannah Marshall is a good time for me," Shields told Stats Perform. "Whether it's in boxing for the rematch or in MMA. I mean, if she wanted to go the track and race, I am down for it!

"The satisfaction of beating her makes me very happy. I have a love-hate relationship with Savannah. I love that she's a competitor. I love that we had our experiences together. 

"She keeps mentioning the amateur loss, but it was, what, 11 years ago? Other than that, I think it was very clever and very inspiring for her to come and sign with the PFL. 

"When I heard about it, [I thought], 'man, she is just obsessed with me'. But [then] I asked her, 'why are you here?' 

"She was like, 'I want to fight you in a cage, and I want to be bigger in boxing too. I want to build my brand'. 

"Hearing her say those things… It's like, now you're on the same mental that I'm on, because I've been doing this and I've been saying this.

"We both agree that women's boxing is big but it's not as big as women's MMA and we get paid more in MMA, [with] equal TV time, equal fight time, equal promotion. 

"There's just way more eyes on us and we can get the bang for our buck. So, the fact that she came over here, I thought it was a good move. 

"We can still do our fight in boxing for the rematch, and we can still fight in the cage. When we're done, they're going to writing like documentaries and stuff about our beef! 

"But I don't have beef with her right now. I will save that for when she's my opponent again. Right now, I just wish her well. I even gave her some tips. Boxing and MMA, they are like apples and oranges. I just gave her a few tips on what I think she should do."

Asked about the development of women's sport in recent years, Shields hailed the progress already made but called for more female representation across sport's governing bodies.  

"Well women's sports right now are being viewed more than ever in today's time," She added. "I think we need the CEOs, the CFOs, the people in charge to just be equal and whatever you want to do, do it for the women. It's not that hard. 

"But people saying, 'the women need to do this or do that'… We're already doing everything that we're doing. It is the same as the men. 

"It's really about the people in charge making those financial decisions with their budgets and just being fair. We are working our way up there. 

"I'm a fan of the Olympics because I went and I just liked to see how women are represented on track and field, represented in boxing, represented in MMA, represented in soccer. 

"We are putting in our time, and Coco Gauff just won the [Cincinnati Open] trophy in tennis. Women's sports right now are really on an up and up and it's going to get better."

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