Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea says he and his teammates will "fight to the death" for struggling boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Pressure is mounting on the Norwegian manager, as United have won twice in the league this season and needed penalties to beat League One side Rochdale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

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"The most important thing is that everyone is behind him," De Gea told DAZN when asked about Solskjaer. "We are with him. We will fight to the death for him. He is a good coach, and we will be with him until the end."

Solskjaer replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in December and picked up 25 points in his first nine Premier League games in charge. He signed a three-year deal to continue at Old Trafford back in March, but fortunes have turned since. De Gea still has confidence Solskjaer is the right man for the job.

"You could see that since the first day he arrived, we won 10 or 12 [eight] straight games," De Gea said. "He took over at a difficult time. He is part of this [United] family, he's been here for many years, and he knows the club well and the people who work here."

This month, De Gea, who joined United in 2011 from Atletico Madrid, signed a contract extension with the Red Devils, thus ending speculation regarding his future.

The Spain international had been linked with a return to La Liga over the summer but put pen to paper on a contract until at least June 2023.

"It is a special club, the biggest in England, and it gives me great pride and pleasure to have been at this club for so many years," De Gea said of United. "I am happy, I've been here for a long time and I'm really happy. It's a wonderful club with extraordinary fans.

"We have had some tough years, but that is why we're here, to try and help. I hope we can achieve big things in the years to come."

St Lucia Zouks 169 for 6 (Cornwall 51, Viljoen 32, Imran Khan 2-34) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 165 for 7 (Dwayne Smith 58, Williams 3-24, Santokie 2-31) by four wickets

Rahkeem Cornwall's blistering 25-ball 51 followed by sensational hitting from Darren Sammy ensured St Lucia Zouks came up trumps to knock Jamaica Tallawahs out of the playoffs race for CPL 2019. A 38-ball 58 from Dwayne Smith had headlined Tallawahs' 165 for 7 and even though they made the hosts huff and puff towards the end of the chase, Zouks' 11 sixes were too much to handle for them.

Zouks are now only one point behind third-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with both teams left with a match each. Barbados Tridents, on fifth spot, still have two games in hand and could also make the playoffs, being only one point behind Zouks.

With rain looming in Gros Islet on Friday night, Zouks needed 35 off 30 with five wickets in hand. Sammy had yet to get off the mark while his partner Chris Barnwell adopted a cautious approach, tip-toeing to 5 off seven deliveries. A six-run over from Springer - the medium-pacer's third - did little too alleviate the pressure in the Zouks dressing room.

The Khans - Zahir and Imran - tightened the screws further around the hosts as the next two overs gave away only 10 runs without a single boundary and fetched Zahir a reward for his persistence with the around-the-off stump line, in Barnwell's wicket. The momentum, however, swung Zouks' way decisively as Springer strode in to bowl his last.

Sammy sizzles in the nervous 19th

With 19 needed off the last 12 balls, Shamar Springer began the penultimate over with two wides down leg to the left-hander Krishmar Santokie. Springer came over the wicket to bowl the first legal delivery of the over, which Santokie nudged to point for a risky single as Sammy put in a desperate dive at the wicketkeeper's end to survive a missed run-out opportunity.

Back on strike, Sammy swung the next ball over cow corner for a six to bring the equation to 10 off 10. Springer followed it with a full toss breaching the waist-high mark, meaning the slog-sweep that Trevon Griffith pouched at deep midwicket came off a no-ball. Sammy, however, decided against taking a single to keep strike for the free hit, although the yorker the next ball ended in a dot ball.

Two singles off the next two deliveries preluded the defining six of the innings as Sammy bludgeoned a waist-high full toss over the roof beyond midwicket. Scores level, the first ball of the 20th over had Sammy get down on his knees as the most successful bowler on the night, Kesrick Williams, struck a powerful drive over extra cover for four to seal the game.

Full report to follow...

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said in a video blog released Friday that he was hiding just how much his left foot sprain was hurting prior to the season and that he won't return to the field until it is 100% healed.

Newton, who appeared in the video smoking a cigar and drinking a glass of wine, confirmed he suffered a mild Lisfranc sprain in the third preseason game against the New England Patriots and aggravated it in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.

The Panthers have called the injury a midfoot sprain, which technically is a Lisfranc sprain.

Newton, who will miss his second consecutive game Sunday when the Panthers (1-2) visit the Houston Texans (2-1), did not put a timetable on his return.

"I've decided I will take time away from the game,'' Newton, 30, said in his first public comments since reinjuring the foot. "This is me being the bigger person and being real with myself and saying, 'Look, what's the ultimate goal you're trying to accomplish? Win the Super Bowl. OK, if you want to win the Super Bowl, this is the step you've got to take.'

"It could very well be a week. Or two weeks. It could be three weeks, it could be four weeks, it could be six weeks. But I have to understand and know if it takes that time, I trust in this team that they will -- we will -- still be in a great situation by the time I get back.''

Newton admitted he probably should have stepped aside prior to the opener, a 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, to give the injury longer to heal.

"This is when I got in my own way,'' Newton said. "Because, automatically, I thought, 'I've got to play Week 1. I can't let my fans down. I've got to be there for my team.'"

Newton said he realized during his pregame ritual, a jog around the stadium, before the season opener that he couldn't run.

The 2015 NFL MVP has rushed for more yards (4,806) than any quarterback since entering the league in 2011, and he ranks third in NFL history behind Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham in rushing yards by a QB. But he rushed just three times for a career-low minus-2 yards against the Rams. And in Week 2, he had two carries for zero yards against Tampa Bay, slipping and falling short on a fourth-and-1 carry.

"I was hiding an injury where I could have easily said, 'You know what, Coach, I don't think I'm ready. Maybe I need to kind of consider sitting this one out for the betterment [of the team],'" Newton said.

The quarterback said Carolina coaches asked if he was all right prior to the game, and he said yes.

"With that Superman title, tag, I'm, 'Nah, Coach, I'm good. Let me play,''' said Newton, known for his "Superman'' celebrations since leading Auburn to the 2010 national title.

But Newton realized during the opener and again against Tampa Bay that he couldn't do normal things such as running and planting his left foot on follow-throughs confidently enough to make accurate throws.

He completed 49% of his passes in the loss to Tampa Bay and was used as a decoy on a potential game-winning fourth-down play at the goal line, when running back Christian McCaffrey lined up in the Wildcat formation. McCaffrey was stopped on fourth-and-1 from the 2.

"Even if somebody is not close to you, you're trying to guard your foot,'' Newton said. "I don't want nobody to touch it, I don't want nobody to sack me. So all these things are going on in my head in actual play.

"For so long I played this game one way, I played this game the only way I know how to play. And at this particular time, that No. 1 that's out there, that hasn't been that same person.''

Newton said he realized when the decision was made last week to start second-year, undrafted quarterback Kyle Allen against the Arizona Cardinals that it was time for him to focus on recovery.

Allen threw four touchdown passes and led the Panthers to a 38-20 victory in Arizona.

Newton said he will do whatever he can to support Allen while rehabbing.

"This is the ultimate team sport,'' Newton said. "And I want to be the best player for this team. And right now I cannot be the best player for this team if I have an injury that needs time for it to heal.''

Newton said it "rejuvenated'' him that he felt no pressure from coach Ron Rivera or general manager Marty Hurney to try to play through the injury when the decision came to shut him down.

"It takes the Superman out of it,'' Newton said. "I really didn't want that mantra to be there. You feel like you're immortal. You feel you can't do no wrong. You feel like you're this big, bad guy, but truth be told, I'm human. Through this whole time, I'm realizing this.''

Newton said if he played now it wouldn't be the "Cam Newton everyone is accustomed to seeing.''

"I refuse for that to happen,'' he added. "I've been doing that for two games. It's hard for me to watch film. It's hard for me to go about my everyday life knowing I'm being held back by an ailment knowing that all I have to do is be right by [it].

"It's hard to come to grips with that decision or having those options, but at the end of the day, I've got to get right. I've got to get right.''

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Oddsmakers in Las Vegas might consider them the favorites, and desire to repent for the 2018-19 debacle of a season might be palpable, but LeBron James is doing his best to keep the burden of expectations off the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

"I'm very motivated, but I'm right now not in talking-about-it mode," James said Friday at the team's annual media day. "Been very quiet this summer, for a reason. My mother always taught me, 'Don't talk about it, be about it.' That's where I'm at. As a team, me myself, need to get the Lakers back to what they've been accustomed to every year, so excited about that."

The 16-time champions have been in a rut lately, missing the playoffs for a franchise-worst six consecutive years. The joy surrounding James' arrival last summer was short-lived as injuries, trade speculation and Magic Johnson's shocking resignation sabotaged the four-time MVP's inaugural campaign.

Yet optimism floated through the Lakers' practice facility on the eve of training camp, with Anthony Davis, acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in a June trade, donning the purple and gold as the centerpiece of a new-look roster.

"We do all know how good Anthony Davis is, and if we are not playing through Anthony Davis while he is on the floor, then there's no sense to have him on the floor," James said. "He's that great. It doesn't mean every time down, we throw it to him, we throw it to him, we throw it to him. But we have the ability of doing it."

Davis, an All-Star in six of his seven seasons in the league, was taken aback by James' praise. "Aw, he said that?" Davis asked, almost blushing. "Very kind of him. We're going to feed off each other tremendously. I think we're two guys who are very selfless and just want to win, when we have two guys like that it makes both of our jobs easier."

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said coach Frank Vogel's address to the team Friday morning focused not only on L.A.'s big two in James and Davis, but the entire roster of players who will need to support one another.

"It's about one thing -- and it's the 15 guys in the locker room," Pelinka said. "I think our biggest opponent is in the mirror. We've got to look at ourselves as a team. We've got to figure out how we come together as 15 players to be the best team we can be. We have that focus."

Prioritizing camaraderie is paramount when trying to meld a collection of outsized personalities as the Lakers have. Among the Lakers' offseason signings was Dwight Howard, who was brought in as a potential franchise savior in 2012 only to clash with Kobe Bryant and the coaching staff and leave as a free agent after only one season.

"Just think it was divine timing," Howard told ESPN when asked to explain the reunion. "That's the only thing I can think of. Pretty sure nobody thought I'd be here. I didn't think that for a while, but everything happens for a reason."

Vogel credited the former defensive player of the year's humility, and Pelinka, in a rare moment of stark honesty, explained that bringing in Howard was a low-risk move because his salary -- the veterans minimum $2.6 million -- does not become fully vested until Jan. 7. Meaning if Howard doesn't ingratiate himself in the first three months, the Lakers can cut ties and move forward.

"It started with his openness to his concept of a non-guaranteed contract," Pelinka said. "So he put his money where his mouth was and showed this desire to be a part of a group of guys and to do something bigger than himself."

Howard was a late addition after DeMarcus Cousins tore the ACL in his left knee during an offseason pickup game. Cousins posed for photos in his Lakers No. 15 uniform separately from the rest of his teammates and did not speak to reporters. Cousins is facing a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend and mother of his 7-year-old son during a phone call this summer.

"The most important thing to say is the Lakers, as an organization, take allegations of domestic violence extremely seriously," Pelinka said. "That said, when allegations are made, for any NBA player, the league takes over and handles that investigation. We're going to abide by the league's lead on this as that's being investigated. And because it's a legal matter, we can't really speak any further about that. Right now, he's a member of our roster and a part of the team. We'll just have to wait for guidance from the league on next steps."

Cousins' status isn't the only setback facing the Lakers heading into the season. Swingman Kyle Kuzma is sidelined indefinitely because of a stress reaction in his left foot suffered this summer while training with USA Basketball. However, the third-year forward expressed optimism about his progress.

"It's good that we caught what I had at the right time, because it is serious, but it's not serious," he said. "It's all about just rehabbing, getting back to it, progressing well and getting back out there with my teammates."

His outlook fit the tone of the day for the Lakers, as James even managed to find a positive spin to his team losing out on Kawhi Leonard to the LA Clippers in free agency.

"Everyone's talking about the big winners of the summertime: Is it the Nets? The Clippers? The Lakers? It's actually Staples Center," James said. "If you're a fan of the game of basketball, you get an opportunity to see the Clippers one night and then get an opportunity to see the Lakers. ... Staples Center is the place to be."

DENVER -- Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun left Friday night's game at the Colorado Rockies with a left calf sprain. He is expected to undergo an MRI to determine the severity.

Braun singled and drove in a run in the top of the first inning and then played the field in the bottom half. He said after the game he felt the injury as he was running to first base.

Braun left after Milwaukee batted in the second inning and was replaced by Ben Gamel.

"I feel a bit better now than when it first happened, so I'm encouraged by that," Braun told reporters after the game. "Just trying to stay optimistic and gather more information and see where we're at."

The 35-year-old Braun has been in and out of the lineup all season because of back issues. He is hitting .285 with 22 home runs and 75 RBIs.

The Brewers already have locked up a playoff berth but are still in a race with the Nationals to see who will host the National League wild-card game.

"The timing [of the injury] is not ideal, but it's a part of baseball," Braun said.

Milwaukee is also dealing with a hobbled Mike Moustakas, who has missed time dealing with a bruised hand and was out of the lineup on Friday with a sore right elbow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A short game left a lasting memory for the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins became the record fourth team in the major leagues to win 100 games this season, beating the Kansas City Royals 6-2 Friday night behind two-run homers from Miguel Sano and Ryan LaMarre in a game shortened to 6 1/2 innings because of rain.

Minnesota, which plays the New York Yankees in the Division Series starting next Friday, reached the century mark in wins for just the second time in franchise history. The 1965 Twins went 102-60, then lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

"It was really cool," said Rocco Baldelli, the Twins' first-year manager. "We just had a moment as a group here in the clubhouse -- it was really nice in a season full of really cool, exciting times and accomplishments."

Houston, the Dodgers and the New York Yankees also have 100 wins. Before this year, the only seasons with as many as three 100-game winners were 1942, 1977, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2016 and 2017.

This is the second season with three 100-win teams in one league after the AL last year, and the first with all three division winners in one league reaching the century mark.

At 58-102, the Royals are among a record-tying four teams with 100 losses, joining Detroit, Baltimore and Miami. Kansas City has reached triple figures in losses for the sixth time. The only previous season with four 100-loss clubs was 2002.

Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario hit RBI singles in the first off Eric Skoglund (0-3), and Sano boosted the lead to 4-0 in the second with his 34th homer. LaMarre's second home run of the season made it 6-1 in the third.

Baldelli became the seventh manager to lead his team to 100 wins in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, after the Yankees' Ralph Houk (1961) and Aaron Boone (2018), Detroit's Mickey Cochrane (1934), Cincinnati's Sparky Anderson (1970), San Francisco's Dusty Baker (1993) and Boston's Alex Cora (2018).

Baldelli set a franchise record for a rookie manager, surpassing Joe Cronin's 99 for the 1933 the Washington Senators.

"For us, it's unbelievable, that's great," Sano said. "Great team, good people, good coaches. It's a big moment for Rocco -- his first time out winning 100 games."

Minnesota's 303 home runs are second in the major leagues behind the Yankees' 305. The Twins didn't seem concerned about falling behind.

"That's not something that's going to be overly upsetting to anyone," Baldelli said.

Jose Berrios (14-8) struck out nine, allowing two runs and six hits in his first complete game this season, the third of his big league career. By finishing six innings, he reached 200 1/3 for the season.

"Every great athlete prepares himself to do great things and that was one of my goals this year. Every good pitcher wants to throw at least 200 innings in a season," Berrios said.

Whit Merrifield singled in the first for his 202nd hit, advanced to third on Hunter Dozier's double and scored on Alex Gordon's groundout. Merrifield tripled in the fifth and scored on Jorge Soler's sacrifice fly, his 113th RBI.

With rain moving into the area, the Twins turned aggressive, intent on getting at least five innings in after taking the lead. Royals reliever Kevin McCarthy needed just four pitches to retire them in the fifth.

"We knew we were racing against the rain," Baldelli said. "We knew it was going to get pretty ugly out there quick."

Umpires called the game after a 40-minute delay.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics both clinched playoff berths as the American League wild cards on Friday, filling out the 10-team field for the postseason and leaving the Cleveland Indians on the outside looking in.

The A's locked up their spot first when the Indians lost 8-2 on the road to the Nationals, before the Rays joined Oakland with a 6-2 victory at Toronto.

They will face each other in the AL wild-card game Wednesday, though the right to host the game is still up for grabs this weekend. Oakland (96-63) leads Tampa Bay (96-64) by a half-game ahead of the Athletics' game in Seattle later Friday night. If the teams are tied at the end of Sunday's slate, the A's would be the home team after winning the season series 4-3.

"This is a small step in the right direction," Rays outfielder Tommy Pham said. "Oakland is a tough team. We have to get through them first. We're going to probably have to get through Houston next. It's a long road ahead of us, but it's a step in the right direction."

The wild-card winner will indeed face the Astros in the division series, after Houston (105-55) secured home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs with a 4-0 win over the Angels. The New York Yankees will host the Minnesota Twins to open the other ALDS.

The Rays return to the postseason for the first time since 2013, and they did it despite having the smallest Opening Day payroll in baseball at $62.1 million -- and the second-lowest home attendance at slightly under 15,000 fans per game.

They have the club's most victories since 2010 and can still equal the team record of 97 set in 2008, when they won the American League pennant.

"This organization has created a very winning culture, and there's been a little bit of a drought," fifth-year manager Kevin Cash said. "We get to hang another banner, we want to hang some more. Really happy to be a part of it."

Oakland will play in October for the second consecutive year, after falling to the Yankees in last season's wild-card game despite winning 97 games in the regular season.

A's manager Bob Melvin will pass Tony La Russa for the second-most postseason appearances in franchise history, behind only Hall of Famer Connie Mack, who took the Philadelphia A's to eight World Series between 1905 and 1931.

The Indians (93-67) failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015, having won the AL Central each of the past three years. But their third consecutive loss Friday, following two defeats to the Chicago White Sox this week, sealed their fate this season.

Asked what he could have differently with his team struggling down the stretch, manager Terry Francona said, "Whatever you can do, I didn't do it right.

"You try to be there for guys not just through the good times, but when it's difficult. When I say we win and lose together, I actually mean it. They're not just our guys when they play great. When it's hard like tonight, it's us. We'll hurt together."

Cleveland is only the sixth team with at least 93 wins to miss the playoffs since the introduction of the wild card in 1994, and the first since the franchise also won 93 games but fell short in 2005.

"We did the best we could, and sometimes things happen, and you've got to accept that and move on,'' outfielder Oscar Mercado said. "Obviously, we're not going to say we're content, because the ultimate goal here is to win and be in the playoffs. But we just have to accept it and understand that we did the best we could and be able to sleep at night knowing that.''

Kenyan takes first major title with the slowest ever winning time at a world championships, while large numbers of runners fail to finish

Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich became the first winner of the 2019 IAAF World Championships but there seemed little cause for celebration at the women’s marathon as some of the fears which had surrounded the staging of the event in Doha were well and truly realised.

Despite starting at 11:59pm in a bid to provide cooler conditions, several athletes, including British hopeful Charlotte Purdue, succumbed and were forced to stop running after the 68-strong field of starters was met with an air temperature of 32.7 degrees centigrade and humidity levels of 73.3% as they set off on a journey which many of them were unable to finish.

A third of the field failed to cover the multi-lap course along the Corniche in the Qatari capital and there will be major concerns now over the race walking and men’s marathon events due to take place over the coming days.

Chepngetich, the third-fastest female marathon runner in history after clocking 2:17:08 in Dubai back in January, took victory in a time of 2:32:42, which replaces Catherine Ndereba’s 2:30:37 from 2007 in Osaka as the slowest ever winning women’s marathon time at a world championships.

Defending champion Rose Chelimo of Bahrain claimed silver 63 seconds back in 2:33:46 and Namibia’s Commonwealth champion Helalia Johannes was third in 2:34:15. In a race at which a top 10 finish brings with it an Olympic qualifying place, only the top seven broke the 2:40 mark.

Chepngetich, who had broken away with the other medallists, as well as two-time winner Edna Kiplagat, made her decisive move not long after passing the 35km mark in 2:07:03 and began to create daylight between herself and her pursuers.

Her lead was 30 seconds as she entered the closing two kilometres and she only pulled away further, while Kiplagat’s bid for a medal at the age of 39 faltered.

European 10,000m champion Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, who had led the field through 5km in 18:21, faded during the second half of the race and was among the many athletes not to finish.

Purdue withdrew just after the start of the third loop of six, while Tish Jones had withdrawn through injury earlier in the day and did not start.

Check out the dedicated Doha 2019 section on our website here.

CONCORD, N.C. – William Byron improved his odds of advancing to the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs by winning the pole Friday for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Byron, who enters Sunday’s playoff cutoff race with a slim two-point edge over teammate Alex Bowman in the battle for the final spot in the second round of the playoffs, secured his fifth pole of the year with an 80.932-second lap in the second round of qualifying around the 2.28-mile circuit.

The guys did a great job with this car and it really takes every corner around this race track to get a pole,” Byron said. “I knew we could qualify top-five, but I really wanted the pole and really kind of went out there and got it.

“So, I’m really proud of this UniFirst team, it’s going to be great to start up front.”

Byron won’t have much of a gap to Bowman, who will join him on the front row for Sunday’s race after turning an 81.026-second lap in his No. 88 Chevrolet.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano qualified third, followed by seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson and another playoff bubble driver, Clint Bowyer.

Playoff drivers make up the next four positions in the starting order, with Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and defending ROVAL winner Ryan Blaney starting sixth through ninth.

Paul Menard will start 10th, followed by playoff driver Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher.

Other playoff drivers in the starting order include Erik Jones in 15th, Kyle Busch in 17th, Chase Elliott in 19th, Kurt Busch in 23rd, Ryan Newman in 24th and Denny Hamlin in 28th.

Bank of America ROVAL 400 Starting Lineup

1. William Byron
2. Alex Bowman
3. Joey Logano
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Kyle Larson
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Paul Menard
11. Brad Keselowski
12. Chris Buescher
13. Daniel Suarez
14. Ryan Preece
15. Erik Jones
16. Aric Almirola
17. Kyle Busch
18. Matt DiBenedetto
19. Chase Elliott
20. Daniel Hemric
21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
22. Michael McDowell
23. Kurt Busch
24. Ryan Newman
25. Bubba Wallace
26. Corey LaJoie
27. David Ragan
28. Denny Hamlin
29. Ty Dillon
30. Austin Dillon
31. Cody Ware
32. Landon Cassill
33. Timmy Hill
34. Josh Bilicki
35. Garrett Smithley
36. Matt Tifft
37. Ross Chastain
38. Reed Sorenson
39. Joe Nemechek
40. Parker Kligerman