Football

Paris, France: Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha insisted his side remain very wary of the threat posed by Champions League quarter-final opponents Liverpool despite the Anfield club coming into the heavyweight tie in poor form. "Liverpool are Liverpool, even if they are not in ideal form. They are still a great team," Vitinha told reporters on Tuesday, the eve of the first leg between the sides at the Parc des Princes. "It will be a great match here, and at Anfield, and tomorrow we will need to be at 100 percent. It will still be a very, very difficult game," he added, with the return leg set for next Tuesday. The tie is a repeat of the Champions League last-16 encounter between the clubs a year ago, when Liverpool won 1-0 in Paris only for Luis Enrique's side to claim victory by the same score at Anfield and then go through on penalties. They went on to become European champions for the first time in their history, while Liverpool won the Premier League. However, Arne Slot's side have struggled to rediscover their best form this season, and come into Wednesday's showdown off the back of a 4-0 hammering by Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend. They have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions and sit fifth in the Premier League, meaning a place in next season's Champions League is far from assured. "It was an incredible tie," Vitinha said about last year's meeting of the sides. "There was a bit of frustration in the first match. I don't remember Liverpool having a chance apart from the goal they scored at the end. "We played well and yet we still lost. I remember saying that by playing like that we could go to Liverpool and win. "Fortunately we did that, but that was last year. This is a different year, there have been changes in the two teams. Lots of things happen in football in a year, and it will be a different game for sure." - Injury absences - One new face in the Liverpool team this time will be Hugo Ekitike, the France striker who returns to Paris to face the club where he struggled to make an impact during an 18-month spell between 2022 and 2024. Ekitike is Liverpool's top scorer this season with 17 goals and recent performances make him a genuine contender to start for France at the World Cup. "Hugo is a fantastic guy. I enjoyed the year I spent with him. You could see the quality he had even if it wasn't the right context for him. I wish him all the best except for these two matches," Vitinha said of the forward. PSG coach Luis Enrique indicated that his side will go into the game without two key players, with Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz still not ready to return from the knee injury which has kept him on the sidelines since January. Winger Bradley Barcola, among the goals in the 8-2 aggregate demolition of Chelsea in the last round, is also expected to miss out despite returning to training. "We are trying to find the best conditions for the player and he needs to tell us when he is ready," the coach said of Barcola. Of Ruiz, he added: "Fabian has not yet trained with the squad, so how can he play? He has improved a lot and we are very happy. That shows he is on the right road but he still has some way to go." Asked about his team's status as favourites, the former Barcelona boss pointed out: "It is impossible to say one team is the favourite. Last year everyone said Liverpool were the favourites, and the team that went through was Paris Saint-Germain."

Football

London: Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is set to remain at Old Trafford for at least another season after signing a new one-year contract. The 33-year-old England centre-back was in the final months of his current deal but Maguire, who joined United from Leicester in an £80 million ($106 million) move in 2019, has agreed new terms that include an option for a further year. "Representing Manchester United is the ultimate honour," Maguire said in a statement issued Tuesday. "It is a responsibility that makes myself and my family proud every single day. "I am delighted to extend my journey at this incredible club to at least eight seasons and continue to play in front of our special supporters to create more amazing moments together." He added: "You can feel the ambition and potential of this exciting squad. The determination throughout the whole club to fight for major trophies is clear for everyone to see and I am confident that our best moments together remain ahead of us." Maguire has been ever-present for United since former Old Trafford favourite Michael Carrick took caretaker charge after Darren Fletcher was briefly at the helm following the end of Ruben Amorim's turbulent 14 months' reign in January, with the Red Devils rising to third in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League now in sight. His form earned Maguire an England recall last month as he made his first international appearances in 18 months, when he played both friendlies at Wembley, to put himself in contention for a place at this year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Maguire has so far made 266 appearances for United, including winning the FA Cup and League Cup with the English football giants. United director of football Jason Wilcox said: "Harry represents the mentality and resilience required to perform for Manchester United. "He is the ultimate professional who brings invaluable experience and leadership to our young, ambitious squad. "Harry, like everyone at the club, is completely determined to help Manchester United to achieve regular and sustained success." Maguire is with United in Dublin this week as the senior squad take part in a training camp during a three-and-a-half week gap between league fixtures, created both by the recent international window and the club's early exit from cup competitions. United return to league action against Leeds at Old Trafford on Monday, April 13.

Rugby

London: Courtney Lawes is eyeing a return to the England Test side at the age of 37, and perhaps a fifth Rugby World Cup next year, after he signed a one-year contract with Prem outfit Sale Sharks on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The 105-times capped Lawes -- who retired from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup -- returns to English top-level rugby after a two-year stint with French second tier outfit Brive. Lawes -- who is equally at home in the second or back row of the scrum -- said playing for England was a target but evidently it depended on his performances for Sale next season. Lawes -- who was also capped five times by the British and Irish Lions -- enjoyed great success at Test level. He was a key member of the side that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, only to be well beaten by South Africa, and crowned Six Nations champions three times, including achieving the Grand Slam in 2016. "I'm officially un-retiring from international duty and I'd love to play for England again but first and foremost I want to play well for Sale and we'll see what happens after that," Lawes said in a Sale statement. Lawes, who enjoyed a successful career with Sale's rivals Northampton Saints, said although he had enjoyed his time at Brive he had wanted a final challenge. "I've been out of the Prem now for a couple of years and I just want to finish my career playing at the top level," said Lawes, who will see out the rest of this season with Brive. "I feel like I can compete with the best of them, and then some, and I think if I retired now, I'd probably regret it when I was older. "As a rugby player, you've got a very finite career and you're a long time retired so I want to make the most of it while I can." Sharks Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said Lawes still had the skills to thrive in the Prem. "Courtney is the kind of player and person that suits this club," said Sanderson. "He has a fantastic skillset that means he's so much more than just a banger." England may still have need of Lawes based on a disappointing Six Nations campaign, which ended with an unexpectedly spirited performance in a pulsating 48-46 defeat by champions France.