Leinster captain Johnny Sexton has been ruled out of Saturday's Champions Cup game at home against Northampton Saints with a knee injury.

The Ireland fly-half was forced off in the 44th minute of his side's impressive 43-16 win at Franklin's Gardens last weekend.

The extent of the injury is not yet known, with Sexton, 34, set for a scan on Monday afternoon.

Leinster will be able to call on hooker Sean Cronin, who has been passed fit.

The Ireland international has not featured for the province this season having picked up a neck injury that prematurely ended his World Cup campaign.

Injuries to Sexton and centre Joe Tomane, who is set to miss at least six weeks with a hamstring issue, were the only downsides for Leinster as they romped to a seven-try victory over English Premiership leaders Northampton.

The win opened up a five-point lead at the top of Pool One for last year's runners-up, and another win on Saturday in Dublin could secure Leinster's quarter-final berth if Lyon failed to defeat Benetton.

SEBRING, Fla. – Iconic sports car racing marques Lola, Chevron, Peugeot and Porsche – raced in competition by top teams and drivers from around the world – emerged as deserving and persevering winners this weekend in the Historic Sportscar Racing Classic Sebring 12 Hour at Sebring Int’l Raceway.

A tribute race to the timeless Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, which will be run for the 68th time this March, the Classic Sebring 12 Hour features four different Run Groups of vintage and historic sports cars that each took to the legendary Sebring road course four times in the last two days.

Officially titled the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour, Pistons and Props, presented by the Alan Jay Automotive Network, the Sebring race weekend again culminated with the presentation of custom-made HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour edition B.R.M. Chronographes watches to the four overall Run Group winners.

Saturday’s schedule included the first three 42-minute rounds for each Group – appropriately within the span of a 12-hour period – while the fourth and final segments today determined the overall winners.

Group A saw the McClendon International team produce its third-consecutive HSR Classics winner from its stable of classic and competitive Lolas.

Toni Seiler won both last month’s HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA and last year’s HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour in a 1969 Lola T70, but it was a first-time winner and race car from McClendon that stepped up to score this weekend’s third-straight victory.

Debuting driver Marco Fumagalli swept the first three of Group A’s four race segments at the wheel of the McClendon 1970 No. 20 Lola T165. Seiler rebounded from some early-round setbacks to win the fourth and final segment in the No. 77, but the gap Fumagalli had built on the field by that stage was enough for the quick Italian driver to seal the overall Group A victory.

The Group B victory went to the Phil Reilly Co. 1974 No. 26 Chevron B26 of Gray Gregory and Randy Buck for the second-straight year. Similar to Fumagalli’s winning performance, the No. 26 swept the opening trio of Group B races but then gave way to the second-place 1982 No. 21 Chevy Camaro IROC of Swiss driver Alain Rüede, who finished first in the fourth and final segment.

Although narrowly losing to the No. 26 Chevron at Sebring for the second-straight year, Rüede’s runner-up placing capped a strong 2019 performance in “HSR Classics” events. Last month, Rüede raced the Camaro to the overall Group B victory in the HSR Classic Daytona, presented by IMSA, classic 24-hour race.

Group C was a race-long battle between David Porter in his GMT Racing 2007 No. 7 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP and Michel Frey in a 2008 No. 15 Lola B07/18.

Frey crossed the line first in Saturday’s opening race before Porter stepped up to sweep the final three segments to win his second HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour title. The victory gave Porter a sweep of this year’s HSR Classics races after winning his Group last month in the Classic Daytona, and returned the Peugeot to victory lane at Sebring. Porter’s 908 HDi was raced in its competitive prime to the overall 12 Hours of Sebring victory in 2011.

Home to more modern GT and sports cars, Group D again stepped up to deliver the closest battle of this year’s HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour. The Ebimotors 2012 No. 561 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup of Gianluigi Candiani and Sabino de Castro was first in the opening three Group D segments and then withstood a late charge by the Zotz Racing 2010 No. 119 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup of Chris Ruppel and Eric Zitza.

While the Zotz No. 119 finished first in segment four, the Group D victory went to Ebimotors after what appeared to be a relatively trouble-free and calculated race to the finish.

The other three Group winners all overcame some late drama in their fourth and final segments.

Fumagalli pitted from the lead with a vibration in the final Group A segment but returned to the race without issue after the McClendon crew checked and tightened the Lola’s wheels.

Gregory and Buck felt the Chevron come out of gear once or twice in Saturday’s long schedule of races, so the Reilly Co. crew changed out the gearbox internals on the Chevron before today’s finale.

Porter led from the start of the Group C final segment only to spin in his No. 7 Peugeot in turn seven on lap one. Porter rejoined the race in last, and over 45 seconds behind the leader, but still managed to come back and take the segment win and seal the overall Group C title.

LOS ANGELES – The 24th annual Budweiser Perris Auto Speedway Oval Nationals presented by All-Coast Construction on Nov. 7-9 provided outstanding non-winged 410 sprint car racing.

National, CRA and Southwest point battles for the three USAC championships were close. All three titles would be decided in two events at Arizona Speedway the following weekend instead of at Perris as in past years.

Oval Nationals drivers came from seven states (per the program) as follows: California – 22, Indiana – eight, Arizona – seven, Missouri – two and one each from Iowa, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Three drivers now listed from Indiana formally listed other states. They were: Chris Windom (Illinois), Kevin Thomas Jr. (Alabama) and Brady Bacon (Oklahoma), so the state count actually could be nine.

The 2019 season summary for all three USAC sprint car series shows competitive seasons in all three series. The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series featured 35 races at 16 tracks in eight states and 12 different winners (Tyler Courtney led with nine victories). Nine races were canceled by rain (including in three other scheduled states).

In the AMSOIL USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series, there were 23 races at nine tracks with 14 different winners (Damion Gardner led with four victories). In the USAC Sands Chevrolet Southwest Sprint Car Series there were 18 races at four tracks with 12 different winners. C.J. Leary scored the most wins at three. The two latter series’ raced only in Arizona and California and had no rainouts.

Second generation driver Leary, 23, won his first USAC National Sprint championship. He won two features – the third race on Feb. 16 in Ocala, Fla., and the 33rd race Nov. 9 in Perris. Leary now has nine USAC National Sprint victories.

Eight of the top-10 drivers in USAC National point standings came west. USAC/CRA had nine of the top-10 in points present and USAC Southwest had six of its top-10 racing. The Saturday 40-lap feature started 28 drivers from eight states: 16 from California, four from Arizona, three from Indiana and one each from Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico and Oklahoma. They raced for a $6,000 first place check and the coveted white Perris Auto Speedway Oval Nationals Eagle Trophy.

Four past Oval Nationals champions were in the field this year. They were: three-time winners Bud Kaeding and Gardner, two-time winner Thomas and Windom. Past Oval Nationals winners spectating in the pits were Rip Williams, Rickie Gaunt and Mike Spencer. Three-time winner Dave Darland, 53, was not present this year. However, Chris Gansen told me he would have put Darland in his second car if he was present.

Car Counts: PAS Oval Nationals 2019 car counts were: 42, 41 and 37 (Nov. 7- 9). The 2018 car counts were: 43, 42 and 40; and the 2017 car counts were 43, 43 and 39. There were 31 cars present for the Wednesday practice night from 5 to 9 p.m.

Nine chassis builders were represented in the 42 sprint cars present this year. Maxim led with 15 cars. Next in order were: DRC – 10; Spike – seven;  Triple X (China) – five; and one each from KPC (Steve Kent), 777 (John Aden), Sherman, Twister and Viper (Glenn Crossno). Two backup cars, an Eagle (No. 4x) and an Okie (No. 12B), did not compete. Maxim also built the most Oval Nationals cars last year. In 2017 Maxim led with 15 cars, followed by Spike with nine, DRC with eight and Triple X with four.

Generous 410 sprint car supporter Mike Grosswendt again added money to the purse via his All Coast Construction firm despite major concerns about the health of his wife. He deserves to be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. He was the 2018 Oval Nationals Grand Marshal. Tom and Laurie Sertich, long-time USAC-CRA sprint car owners, were much-deserved co-Grand Marshals this year. Both received the destinctiive jackets presented by promoter Donnie Kazarian each year to Perris grand marshals.

The $5 Oval Nationals color printed program was 40-pages and excellent as usual. Thomas and his 2018 Oval Nationals winning car were on the cover. It contained an accurate entry roster, point standings, numerous 5×7 color action photos, a page with photos of all prior Oval Nationals winning drivers/cars, Perris Auto Speedway racing column, California Sprint Week winners photo page and ads.

The daily temperatures at Perris for the 2019 event was in the mid-60s to mid-70s each night. As expected, spectator attendance grew daily to about 90 percent in the front straight grandstand on Saturday. Many thought the grandstand attendance topped the 2018 event crowd. The pits were crowded all three nights.

Matt McCarthy (No. 28m) flipped in the first turn during Wednesday practice. The team replaced the front end and raced the same car the next three nights. There were four flips Thursday: Courtney and Chase Johnson (qualifying), plus Jason McDougal and Sterling Cling in heat five on lap one entering turn one. Friday: one in time trials – Johnson again; Saturday: one – Austin Liggett rollover on lap 36 of the feature.

Five heat races Thursday and Friday were 10 laps each with the first six starters inverted by qualifying times. As usual all were competitive events. Positions one through four advanced to features each night; in order winners came from fourth, sixth, sixth, second and sixth on Thursday; second, first, first, fifth and fourth on Friday. Saturday had four 10-lap heats and transferred only first and second to the feature. Winners came from first, fourth, second and fourth.

The six drivers with the highest Oval Nationals points after the first two nights did not have to run in time trials Saturday. They were: Bacon (283 points), Courtney (266 points), Justin Grant (264 points), Richard VanderWeerd (256 points), Leary (245 points) and Chase Stockon (242 points).

Austin Williams (239 points) was seventh. The top six locked into the first three rows of the feature. They raced in a fully inverted dash by their event point totals; their finishing positions set feature starting positions one through six. They were: Leary, Stockon, Grant, Bacon, Courtney and non-finisher VanderWeerd.

Thursday’s main event saw 27 of 28 starters racing at the finish with 25 on the lead lap. There were three yellow flags at laps five, 17 and 23. On Friday, 20 of 27 starters finished, with 18 on the lead lap. Saturady’s had 24 of 28 starters finish with 21 on the lead lap. Nights one and two, respectively, were named the Bill and Evelyn Pratt mains to honor the late long-time CRA car owners. Last year there were 26 starters and this year had 28 including four provisional starters.

Bacon (Hoffman Chevy) led all 30 laps on Thursday and Friday. Thursday was his first Perris feature victory after 26 prior starts at the track. Saturday had two leaders, Stockon (laps one through 16), Leary (laps 17 through 40). Feature hard chargers were Hunter Schuerenberg (11 positions – 23rd to 12th); VanderWeerd (11 positions -19th to eighth); Thomas (10 positions -16th to sixth).

The 2019 Oval Nationals Ray Scheetz Memorial crew chief award went for the sixth time to Leary’s feature winning No. 19az crew chief Davey Jones, son of National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Bubby Jones. Leary won Saturday’s John Jory halfway lap leader award. Cody Williams won the hard work award.

Champions of the three USAC sprint car series are: USAC National – Leary for the first time, by 18 points over Courtney; USAC-CRA – Gardner for the eighth time by 71 points over Austin Williams, and USAC Southwest – Brody Roa for the first time by 18 points over R.J. Johnson.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – Starworks Motorsport will return to prototype racing next year by competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s LMP2 class under the team name of Tower Motorsport by Starworks.

The team will take delivery of a new ORECA-FLM09 chassis on Dec. 12. The team plans to enter at least the four Michelin Endurance Cup races, with hopes to expand to the remaining three sprint races.

John Farano and Ryan Dalziel will race as the full season pilots, joined by David Heinemeier Hansson for all endurance races, and Nico Lapierre as an addition for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“I can’t thank John Farano enough for the call,” said team owner Peter Baron. “His call came the day after IMSA released the 2020 rules requiring a Bronze rated driver as part of a line-up. John shared my vision of no excuses and doing whatever it takes to win, and after a few more follow-up calls and emails, we had a program. Starting off the project with a new Oreca 07 was an easy decision. We’ve put together an amazing group of Starworks alumni who are excited to return back to prototype racing. This should be one of our best seasons in motorsport and I believe we are a very strong contender to win the Rolex watches at Daytona in two months.”

“We are thrilled to welcome back Starworks Motorsport in the ORECA family,” said Anthony Megevand, ORECA Technology Customer Racing Manager. “We know the team as we had some great achievement together with the ORECA-FLM09. Peter Baron and his team also proved in the past how strong they can be in LMP2 and their commitment with the ORECA 07 shows the growing interest for the class in IMSA. We are looking forward to opening this new chapter with a strong lineup. We are also happy to see LMP3 title winner John Farano onboard. It is definitely an exciting program and a true contender in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”

Dalziel, long time Starworks Motorsport devotee and racer, will be joined by bronze rated racer Farano. Farano’s motorsport career goes back more than a decade, beginning in the Ferrari F430 Challenge Pirelli Trophy USA and winning a Grand-Am GS championship. The Canadian has since acquired worldwide racing experience, competing in the European Le Mans Series winning the 2018 LMP3 Class Championship, and most recently, a class winner in the Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 class.

“Without John this might not have happened, so I am incredibly grateful for his faith in Peter and I,” said Dalziel. “The decision to go back to prototype racing has brought a fresh energy to this team. With previous Prototype efforts, we’ve won several championships, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Twelve Hours of Sebring. We know we have what it takes to run a championship winning effort. I’ve known John for many years when we both raced in the Grand Am days, and DHH and I were teammates together in WEC. Adding Nico, another previous teammate into our Daytona roster is really the icing on the cake.”

Tower Events and Seating Services will join the team with Farano as the team’s primary sponsor. Tower Events and Seating Services is a supplier in the design, engineering and installation of temporary grandstands and hospitality structures.

“I am extremely excited to be returning to IMSA competition and looking forward to once again racing at North America’s premier circuits starting with Daytona in January,” said Farano. “Ryan and I have talked about this program for a couple of months now and I am very happy that it has all come together. I know Ryan is excited about returning to prototype class racing and with his talent and experience, will no doubt make me a better driver and immediately allow us to compete for wins. I have followed Peter’s operation for many years and know that he and Starworks Motorsport will deliver a highly professional and competitive program that all of us will enjoy and have fun with. I can’t wait to get started and I’m looking forward to what I believe will be a fantastic 2020 IMSA season.”

World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans winning driver Heinemeier Hansson will return to the LMP2 team as the mandatory silver rated driver for all four endurance races. Heinemeier Hansson last competed in the team’s endurance lineup in the 2016 LMPC championship.

“I thought I was done with Daytona, but getting another crack in an LMP2 with such a strong line-up and team proved too tempting to pass up,” said Heinemeier Hansson. “Who knows how much longer we’ll have these glorious LMP2s running at their full 600hp capacity. One last bite at the best American tracks in the most wonderful of racing cars? OK then!”

Four-time 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 class winner Lapierre will join the team for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with the silver rated spot for the endurance rounds currently open. Lapierre and Dalziel previously ran prototypes together as teammates at Tequila Patrón ESM, where Lapierre’s car won the 2018 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The French driver, with two LMP2 championship titles to his name in the FIA World Endurance Championship will prove to be a strong asset to the team.

“I’m really pleased to join the Starworks effort for the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Lapierre. “It will be my first race for Starworks but I know how professional and successful the team is. I like the new rules for the LMP2 category in the IMSA and I’m sure we will have a competitive line up and we will fight for the victory. I can’t wait for January!”

David Leach, three-time WEC LMP2 Championship and multi Le Mans winning engineer, will return to Starworks. Leach is also a development engineer at Groupe Oreca providing support for the current 07 chassis and is currently the technical director for G-Drive Racing.

Burnley have announced a 13-year-old supporter was ejected from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday for racially abusing Spurs attacker Son Heung-Min.

The club said the minor is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police and they will contact the teenager with a view to an enforced educational programme.

"Burnley Football Club is aware of an incident during the Tottenham Hotspur vs. Burnley game on Saturday, Dec. 7," a Burnley statement read. "During the Premier League game, a 13-year-old Burnley supporter was ejected from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following an alleged racist gesture towards Spurs player Son Heung-Min.

"The minor, who was accompanied by a guardian, is now under investigation by the Metropolitan Police, with help from Lancashire Police and the two clubs.

"In the meantime, Burnley Football Club will be contacting the teenager and his family, with a view to an enforced educational programme, run in conjunction with Kick It Out and Burnley FC in the Community.

"Burnley Football Club would like to reiterate its zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind.

"We will continue to work with the authorities to help eradicate the growing problem of discrimination within football, and we urge all our supporters to report any such issues, in the strictest confidence, via our dedicated matchday 'Respect' text service, on 66777, or the Kick It Out App."

Tottenham won the match 5-0 with Son having a scored a stunning solo goal with a run which began in his own half.

Meanwhile, two supporters from the away end at Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium were ejected and later arrested by the Sussex Police for anti-gay abuse during Sunday's 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the two clubs said on Monday.

The anti-gay abuse came at a time when Premier League clubs were celebrating the Rainbow Laces campaign which supports LGBT people, with items ranging from captain's armbands to substitutes boards sporting rainbow colours.

Information from Reuters was used in this report

Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique have been left out of the Barcelona squad for Tuesday's Champions League game against Inter Milan with coach Ernesto Valverde set to ring the changes.

Barca sealed top spot in the group with a win over Borussia Dortmund last time out, although Inter are still playing for their place in the round of 16.

- Champions League group stage: All you need to know
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Inter must equal or better Borussia Dortmund's result against Slavia Prague to book their place in the knockout stages for the first time since 2012.

In addition to Messi and Pique, Sergi Roberto has also been given a rest, while Jordi Alba, Nelson Semedo, Ousmane Dembele and Arthur Melo are all injured.

Alba and Semedo are both back in training but have not yet been cleared fit to return to competitive action.

Dembele is out until February and the club have given no timeframe on how long Arthur is expected to be sidelined with a groin problem.

Messi, Pique and Roberto have been rested ahead of games away against Real Sociedad on Saturday and then at home to Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season on Dec. 18.

Argentina international Messi has been in dazzling form recently. His hat trick against Mallorca, which came five days after he'd won his sixth Ballon d'Or, took his tally to 12 league goals in just nine starts this season.

With so many regulars absent from the squad, Valverde has called up six players from the B team among the travelling party.

Forwards Ansu Fati and Carles Perez have been regulars with the first team this season, while goalkeeper Inaki Pena, defenders Ronald Araujo and Dani Morer and midfielder Riqui Puig have also been called up.

Russia could miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed a four-year ban on the nation using its flag, anthem and team names at Olympic and other major sports events.

Among the major events in the four-year period is the 2022 World Cup.

When asked for clarification on Russia's participation in qualifying and the final tournament itself, a FIFA spokesperson told ESPN: "FIFA has taken note of the decision taken by WADA's executive committee today. FIFA is in contact with WADA and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations to clarify the extent of the decision in regards to football."

- World Cup 2022 qualifying: All you need to know

Meanwhile, Jonathan Taylor -- chair of WADA's compliance review committee -- told a news conference: "If they qualify [for the World Cup], a team representing Russia cannot participate.

"But if there is a mechanism put in place, then [clean athletes] can apply to participate on a neutral basis, not as representatives of Russia.

"It will be for FIFA to implement, but they will have to do so in conjunction with WADA. But there will be no flag or anthem."

Euro 2020 is not recognised by WADA as a major event, therefore Russia will still be able to take part in the competition, where its Saint Petersburg Stadium is set to host several games -- including a quarterfinal.

WADA's executive committee took the decision in Lausanne, Switzerland on Monday after it concluded Moscow had tampered with laboratory data by planting fake evidence and deleting files linked to positive doping tests that could have helped identify drug cheats.

One of the conditions for the reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), which was suspended in 2015 in the wake of the athletics doping scandal but was reinstated last year, had been that Moscow provides an authentic copy of the laboratory data.

Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov last month attributed the discrepancies in the laboratory data to technical issues.

The punishment leaves the door open for clean Russian athletes to compete at major international sporting events without their flag or anthem for four years, as was the case during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

Russia's men's and women's national football teams did not qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

RUSADA has 21 days to appeal the sanctions endorsed by WADA's executive committee, and if it does so, the case will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), WADA has said.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Paul Pogba is back, or back in Manchester at least. After spending over two months on the sidelines with an ankle injury, the Manchester United midfielder was a spectator at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as his team extended their recent revival with a 2-1 derby victory against Manchester City.

He has divided opinion by undergoing his rehabilitation in different corners of the world, posting videos of exercise bike sessions overlooking the Dubai skyline and shooting hoops with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler in Florida, before getting back to more mundane fitness work at United's Carrington training ground.

Pogba had United's permission to travel during his rehabilitation period and sources have told ESPN FC that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the club's medical staff have no issue with his professionalism and commitment to his recovery programme.

If he trains without a setback this week, the 26-year-old is likely to be in the squad for United's Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar at Old Trafford on Thursday.

While Solskjaer claimed last month that having Pogba at his disposal again will be like having a "new world-class signing," the reality is that the France international's imminent return to action could cause more problems than it actually solves.

How he handles United's most high-profile player will be a challenge, especially now the team appears to have turned the corner following a turbulent period on the pitch.

United have been wildly inconsistent during Pogba's lengthy spell in the treatment room. Since his last appearance, during the 1-1 home draw against Arsenal on Sept. 30, United have played 14 games in all competitions and won half of them -- losing three and drawing four.

There have been dismal performances in defeat at Newcastle and Bournemouth, extreme highs and lows while drawing against Sheffield United and Aston Villa, and victories against Chelsea (in the Carabao Cup), Tottenham and Manchester City. United also became the only team to take points from runaway leaders Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in October.

At times, United have missed Pogba's game-changing qualities, his ability to create a chance with a visionary pass or his box-to-box energy.

What United certainly haven't missed is Pogba's habit of failing to track back, loss of possession in dangerous areas and infuriating inconsistency. Solskjaer must either decide if he should introduce him back into the starting XI quickly, or stick with what has worked so well in the wins against Spurs and City over the past week.

There is also the not insignificant matter of Pogba's future and the ongoing interest from Real Madrid, speculation which the player has done little to dampen. That may influence Solskjaer because if he no longer wants to be at United, is there any value in trying to find a way to accommodate him in the team?

It is a big dilemma, because if Solskjaer makes the wrong call, he risks jeopardising the momentum and team ethic that his young team have worked so hard on in recent weeks.

Saturday's win at City emphasised the potential, with Marcus Rashford, Daniel James and Anthony Martial, in tandem with Jesse Lingard, tearing the champions apart with their pace on the counter attack. Scott McTominay was outstanding at the heart of Solskjaer's midfield, as was the much-maligned Brazilian, Fred.

Pogba arguably has more natural talent than any of those players. He is a player capable of improving virtually any team in the world. But it's difficult to see how he fits in to Solskjaer's tactics and formation.

He lacks the defensive discipline required to displace McTominay or Fred, so deploying him as a deep-lying midfielder would be a mistake. While his attacking talents have always been his strength, Pogba is not a player best-suited to a team which relies so heavily on fast counter-attacks. Replacing Lingard would seem the obvious step, but his contribution at City should not go unnoticed and he played his role with tenacity and industry that, too often, Pogba has failed to show.

As they did under Jose Mourinho, United statistically win more games under Solskjaer without Pogba. They had a 64% win rate without Pogba under Mourinho, compared to 56% with. It's 58% under Solskjaer, compared to 45%.

He has become an enigma. A player blessed with undoubted talent, but one which can often diminish the overall quality of his team. Perhaps he has turned out to be the right player at the wrong time for the club, one who is incompatible with the requirements of this transitional side.

The coming weeks will tell us whether Solskjaer sees him as a player who can take United to the next level, but he can't waste too much time trying to find the answer.

Nottinghamshire have signed Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas as one of their overseas players for 2020. Abbas will be available to play in nine Championship games for Notts before joining up with Pakistan's Test squad to play England in July.

Having suffered relegation to Division Two last summer, Notts will be hoping Abbas can spearhead an immediate return to the top tier. As well as an outstanding Test record, with 66 wickets at 20.37 in his 15 appearances, Abbas has enjoyed two spells in county cricket with Leicestershire, claiming 79 victims at 20.67.

"He's a high-calibre player," Nottinghamshire head coach, Peter Moores, said. "He came into Test cricket late, but his impact at that level has been fantastic; almost unprecedented actually.

"We also know from what he's done with Leicestershire that he can perform in English conditions and can excel within a county schedule that can be quite demanding on quick bowlers. He'll strengthen our bowling considerably, as well as being a mentor for our younger bowlers who can learn a lot from the way he plays the game."

Abbas, 29, was Man of the Series on Pakistan's last visit to England, in 2017, with match figures of 8 for 64 helping his team to win at Lord's. He has, however, recently had some trouble coming back from a shoulder injury and was left out of Pakistan's side for the first Test against Australia before taking 0 for 100 at Adelaide.

Abbas said: "Trent Bridge is a brilliant venue to call home and I can't wait to join Nottinghamshire next summer. The club is steeped in history and I'm looking forward to giving my all to get them back up into the top division of Championship cricket.

"I've really enjoyed my past couple of summers playing in England and I'm excited for the domestic season to start again in April."

NEW ORLEANS -- You couldn't watch Sunday's breathless 49ers-Saints game without concluding that either of those teams could beat the other anywhere, anytime. This is an overreactions column, but that is most definitely not an overreaction.

The game saw two of the NFL's top offensive playcallers, Kyle Shanahan and Sean Payton, trading haymakers all afternoon. It made one of the league's best defenses look as if it was using only 10 guys. It literally lived up to the old cliché about "the last team that has the ball will win this thing."

And oh yes, the Niners and Saints could absolutely meet again in next month's NFC playoffs. Could be right back here in the Superdome. Could be in sunny California. Could be in the first round. Could be in the NFC Championship Game. And if it happens ... how are you going to know whom to pick?

The NFL playoffs are setting up this way. With the perpetually unbeatable Patriots showing legitimate wobble, the league's postseason landscape looks wide, wide open. There are four NFC teams with double-digit win totals already and two more in the AFC. The aforementioned Patriots haven't even clinched their division yet and could still conceivably (not likely, but conceivably) see it slip away to Buffalo. The Packers aren't yet clear of the Vikings in the NFC North. The Titans have won four in a row to catch the Texans for first place in the AFC South, and they play them in two of their remaining three games. And yes, the NFL's rules continue to stipulate that one team from the NFC East will qualify for the postseason.

Lots still to be determined, and once the playoff games start next month, we still won't know what to think. The 2019 postseason field will be stocked with very good teams, some of which will find themselves on the road in the first round, which really only means there will be first-round home teams ripe for upset. So in honor of the wide-open NFL landscape, we kick off our Overreaction Monday column with a series of simple ones:

The 49ers will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. They've lost twice -- in overtime to Seattle and by a field goal in the rain in Baltimore. These are not bad losses in any way, but what really came out of Sunday that encourages the 49ers is that they won a game in a different way. Their defense had carried them all season. They were allowing 15.2 points per game coming into Week 14 and they gave up 46 ... and still won. If you were wondering, "Can Jimmy Garoppolo win the Niners a game if their defense lays an egg?" you got an affirmative answer Sunday in the Superdome. The Niners left this place on a cloud.

The Saints will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. There are reasons to worry, of course. The offense looked great Sunday, but Alvin Kamara still doesn't seem all the way like himself, and tight end Jared Cook left with a concussion after catching touchdown passes on the first two drives of the game. The Saints can get a little Michael Thomas-dependent, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because Thomas is an Avenger, but you'd like to see them diversify. Sunday was encouraging from that standpoint even though it was a loss. You'd feel better if Kamara could get on a roll in the next three weeks and if Cook could come back soon. And the way the Saints got knocked out of the playoffs last season and the year before, dread will accompany any close game until we see them holding up that Lombardi trophy in Miami.

The Chiefs will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. I don't care how shaky Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense looks -- if you win a game as a visiting team in Foxborough, you can win anywhere. The Pats had won 21 in a row at home before Sunday (including the playoffs), and the Chiefs' much-maligned defense came up with the final-minute stop it needed. Kansas City wouldn't have been afraid of the Patriots in January anyway. It played them too close two times last season. But with this win in their pockets, the Chiefs don't have to worry about going through Foxborough in January. Patrick Mahomes & Co. know they can do it.

The Patriots will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. But really only because history grants them the benefit of the doubt. They do not look like a team capable of outscoring other playoff teams right now. Houston beat them up a week ago, and Kansas City held them off in their place this week. All is not well in House Belichick, and there are real problems to be solved if they're to repeat. We've just seen Brady and Belichick solve their problems too many times to rule them out.

The Ravens will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. Buffalo's defense was game, but like San Francisco's a week earlier, just couldn't stop Lamar Jackson enough times when it counted. Who can? There are theories out there that teams seeing the Ravens a second time might be able to solve their offense, as the Chargers did in last season's playoffs. But Jackson is a mismatch factory, and until we see someone come up with a solution, it's tough to envision what it would look like.

The Seahawks will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. I'll take Russell Wilson with the ball in his hands and two minutes to go needing a score. You can have anyone else. I like my chances. No team plays more close games than Seattle does -- Sunday night's lousy performance was an outlier -- and the Seahawks seem to win them all.

The Packers will win the Super Bowl: Not an overreaction. You might take Aaron Rodgers if you had the second pick in that draft I just mentioned. Would like to see the Green Bay defense look the way it did in September, but the Packers have a formula that translates most weeks and a quarterback who has worked January magic before. Let's get on to the rest of this week's column.

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Jameis Winston will be the Buccaneers' starting QB in 2020

Winston is a maddening player, a turnover machine with tantalizing talent who is likely to convince the Bucs he's a better option than the quarterback wilderness would be. He's an unrestricted free agent when this season ends, so all options are on the table. But after spending the first half of Sunday's game playing his way out of town, he spent the second half playing his way back into fans' and coaches' hearts, authoring a comeback victory over the Colts.

The verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Jason Licht is still the general manager, and he drafted Winston. Bruce Arians went there to coach, in large part, due to his connection with Winston. This is a player the Bucs still believe has greatness inside of him, and coaches always think they can fix a guy's problems.

It remains to be seen what the contract looks like, but I'd expect there to be one that keeps Winston fumbling and throwing interceptions in a Bucs uniform for next year and likely one or two more after that.

John Elway has finally gotten it right with Drew Lock

Outside of signing Peyton Manning as a free agent, Elway the GM has famously struggled to find a solution for the Broncos at quarterback. He drafted Lock in the second round last April, and the rookie spent the bulk of the season on injured reserve before taking over as the Broncos' starter in Week 13.

Now, he's 2-0 with five touchdown passes and two interceptions while completing 72.7% of his passes in two games. He led the Broncos to a 31-3 halftime lead in Houston en route to the most shocking result of Sunday.

The verdict: OVERREACTION. Just because we've seen this movie before, right? We need more than two games to decide whether we believe Lock is the Broncos' savior or whether we're just in for a summer's worth of "Elway finally got it right!" stories before a 15-touchdown, 13-interception season. Love what Lock's doing, always root for the young guys to succeed, would be great if he were the answer. But it's too soon to know. Pump the brakes.

The Bills are not serious contenders

Buffalo had a chance to make a statement at home against the hottest team in the league. Its defense did what it could, holding Lamar Jackson & Co. to 257 yards. Buffalo trailed Baltimore 10-6 at the half and looked as if it had a shot before a big play from Jackson to Hayden Hurst gave the Ravens some breathing room and an eventual 24-17 win.

The Bills are 9-4, only a game behind the Patriots in the AFC East, but the only team they've beaten that has a winning record is Tennessee, back when Marcus Mariota was still the Titans' quarterback.

The verdict: OVERREACTION. Look, the defense is legit, and Josh Allen has seemed to find a way in big spots. I'm not here to ding the Bills for their schedule, and whatever you want to say about the way the Cowboys look right now, winning (and dominating) in Dallas on Thanksgiving is no small thing for a team on the rise.

If the Patriots mess up in either of their very winnable remaining games, and if Buffalo can spring the Week 16 upset, it's not at all out of the question that the Bills could still swipe the division. Losing to the Ravens is not an indictment of any team.