A police officer said he felt "belittled and upset" following an incident involving Chelsea forward Sam Kerr, but insisted he "didn't make something up to get a charge over the line," a court heard on Tuesday.

Kerr, Australia's captain, is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to Metropolitan police officer Stephen Lovell in south-west London in the early hours of Jan. 30, 2023.

It is alleged that Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham and United States midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained that they had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them smashed the vehicle's rear window.

The women told officers the driver had been "acting in a crazy way" by driving very fast, repeatedly stopping and speeding up again, locking them in the car, and refusing to let them go for about 15 minutes, Kingston Crown Court heard as the trial continued on Tuesday.

At the police station, Kerr is alleged to have become "abusive and insulting" towards Lovell, calling him "stupid and white."

Kerr, who is one of the best women's football players in the world, accepts making the comments but denies that they amount to the charge.

The Crown Prosecution Service originally decided not to charge Kerr, the court heard.

It was put to Lovell that he only provided a statement alleging that Kerr's comments had caused alarm or harassment after that CPS decision.

In his first statement to the CPS, the officer made no mention of the "stupid and white" comment having an impact on him, the jury was told.

Police submitted a request to review the CPS decision not to prosecute, and it responded that the outcome would be limited to an apology, the court heard.

Prosecutors later requested further evidence, and a second statement from Lovell was provided in December 2023 mentioning the alleged impact.

He read a section of the statement to the court which said the comments made him "shocked, upset, and [left] me feeling humiliated."

The charge was authorised later in December 2023, nearly a year after the incident.

Grace Forbes, defending Kerr, said during cross-examination: "The only reason you made that statement was because the Crown Prosecution Service had declined to authorise a criminal charge to prosecute Ms Kerr."

He responded "no" before agreeing that officers were dealing with whether to pursue prosecution in August 2023.

"Throughout July and August 2023, the Women's World Cup was playing," the defense lawyer said.

Lovell responded: "If you say so, yes."

Forbes said "Ms Kerr was playing for her country" and "she would have been all over TV -- do you recall seeing her?"

The officer denied seeing the striker on TV before the defense barrister said "this person who made you feel unimportant."

She added: "You were determined to pursue this person, weren't you?"

Lovell said "yes" and Forbes asked "through the criminal courts?"

The officer said "yes" again.

During re-examination by prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones, Lovell told the jury that being called "stupid" had made him feel "belittled and upset."

Jones asked if his race had "any relevance as far as you can see to what was going on," and Lovell said "no" and later added that the reference to him being white "upset me, I guess."

The prosecutor asked: "Is that correct, Pc Lovell, that you just made something up to get a charge over the line?" He replied: "No, I didn't make it up to get a charge over the line."

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alphonso Davies has agreed a new contract at Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga club announced on Tuesday, bringing an end to Real Madrid's long-term pursuit of the player.

Davies' deal with the Bavarian giants runs through the end of the 2029-30 season and would see his stay there reach 11 years should he play out the contract.

"I am very happy to have extended my contract at this great club," Davies said in a news release.

"I came to FC Bayern when I was 18 and just wanted to learn as much as possible every day to become one of the best in my position. Now I'm looking forward to another five years together. I've already achieved a lot here, but there's more to come."

ESPN reported last summer that Madrid wanted to sign Canada international Davies, 24 -- whose previous deal was due to expire in June 2025 -- if an agreement on a fee could be reached with Bayern.

When that move did not materialise, Madrid remained keen on bringing in Davies on a free transfer this summer as part of an overhaul of the defence that they also hope will see the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose Liverpool contract also expires at the end of the season.

However, Bayern continued to push for Davies to stay, offering the player an improved renewal.

"Alphonso Davies has become one of the best players in the world in his position at Bayern and has attracted a lot of interest," the German club's sporting director Christoph Freund said.

"The fact he wants to continue here with us shows Bayern's status in international football and that Alphonso has found his sporting home in Munich."

Davies was still considering his options last month, a source told ESPN, before eventually opting to stay with the German side.

Davies has made 16 appearances for Bayern in the Bundesliga this season under coach Vincent Kompany, scoring once as the team sit top of the league table.

He joined Bayern from Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019 and has since become one of the most highly rated left-sided players in world football.

Madrid have been looking to improve their options at left-back, with doubts over their two existing options, Ferland Mendy and Fran García.

The LaLiga giants have made a habit of signing elite players on free transfers in recent seasons, including Kylian Mbappé in 2024, Antonio Rüdiger in 2022 and David Alaba in 2021.

Tiger Woods' mother Kultida, whom the 15-time major champion has described as his "biggest fan," died Tuesday, the golfer announced in a statement on social media. She was 78.

Woods' mother had attended his TGL match in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, last week.

"My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable," Woods said in a statement on X. "She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible.

"She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom."

It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning. My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter,... pic.twitter.com/RoKd0fsM9J

Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) February 4, 2025

While Woods' late father, Earl, was often credited with helping his son develop his game and creating a competitive fire that would make him one of the greatest golfers in history, Tiger described his mother as "the enforcer" throughout his career.

Tiger said in the past that his mother influenced his tradition of wearing red on Sunday because she believed it was his "power color." In her native Thailand, people choose colors to wear on days of the week, and Sunday's color is red.

"It started with Mom," Woods said during a launch event for his Sun Day Red clothing line in Los Angeles in February 2024. "Mom thought being a Capricorn that my power color was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments.

"Lo and behold, I go to a university that is red, Stanford is red. We wore red on the final day of every single tournament, and then every single tournament I've played as a professional I've worn red. It's just become synonymous with me."

Kultida Woods was born in Thailand and was working as a civilian in the U.S. Army's Bangkok office in the 1960s when she met Earl Woods, a soldier in U.S. Army Special Forces. She left for the U.S. in 1968. They were married in New York and moved to Cypress, California, where Tiger was born in 1975.

Kultida and Earl Woods were married 37 years until his death from cancer in May 2006. He was 74.

Last year, when Woods was presented with the Bob Jones Award, the United States Golf Association's highest honor, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, he thanked his mother for being a stabilizing force for him at home.

"I accept it in humbleness and just unbelievable regard for the past recipients, but I also accept it for my mommy, too," Woods said during his acceptance speech. "She has allowed me to get here. She allowed me to do these things, chase my dreams, and the support and love -- I didn't do this alone. I had the greatest rock that any child could possibly have: my mom. Thank you, Mommy."

Woods' mother was standing near the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club with Tiger's children when he won his last major championship at the 2019 Masters.

"My mom doesn't get enough credit," Woods said last year. "Everyone thought it was my dad when I went on the road, which it was, but Mom was at home. If you don't know, Mom has been there my entire life. She's always been there through thick and thin."

PHILADELPHIA -- Anthony Davis was sitting down for a movie night with his wife Saturday night in Los Angeles, shortly after watching his Los Angeles Lakers pull off arguably their best win of the season in beating the New York Knicks without him 3,000 or so miles away at Madison Square Garden, when the future Hall of Fame center received a call from Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and coach J.J. Redick.

What he heard in that conversation -- that he was being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for fellow future Hall of Famer Luka Doncic -- stunned him as much as it did the rest of the world when it was announced a short time later.

"I was shocked," Davis, while wearing a full Mavericks sweatsuit, said after Dallas held its morning shootaround here at Wells Fargo Center before facing the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. "I had no idea.

"I had just sent the team a text about congratulations on the win against the Knicks, big win, and then looking forward to Tuesday's game against the Clippers, as far as standing purposes. And then, found out like an hour later I was no longer with the team. I was in shock, obviously. Had no idea that it was happening.

"But, I mean, now I'm kind of over it, and just kind of getting ready to play with Dallas."

Davis won't play with Dallas for the first time Tuesday night, as he remains sidelined with an abdominal strain that he suffered, ironically, one week ago here against the Philadelphia 76ers in what turned out to be the last game Davis would play for the Lakers.

He then returned home to get the injury examined and treated, with the expectation coming out of Saturday's win being that he would return sometime this week. After Saturday's stunning trade, however, that return to the court will also coincide with a debut with a new franchise -- one that Davis said would either come Thursday in Boston against the defending champion Celtics, or at home Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

"I'll go through a workout today, see how I feel, and depending on that, get another one in tomorrow," Davis said. "And then depending on that, see how I feel.

"If not Thursday, then more than likely Saturday at home."

Max Christie, on the other hand, participated in shootaround Tuesday and will play Tuesday night against the 76ers.

What will await Davis and the Mavericks when they do get back to Texas later this week is a fanbase that is still reeling from arguably the most shocking trade in the history of the NBA -- one that no one, from Davis to Doncic, saw coming, and that the entire sport is even now still in the process of coming to grips with.

As Davis walked over to talk to the media, new co-star Kyrie Irving jokingly said twice to "take it easy" on the 10-time All-Star and 6-time All-NBA selection, one who was averaging 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds this season with the Lakers in what has arguably been the best season of his career.

Now, though, Davis will be hoping to replicate that production Dallas, playing alongside Irving, someone Davis said he'd had conversations about playing together with dating back to when he was with the New Orleans Pelicans and Irving was with the Celtics in the 2018-19 season, when Davis had asked for the trade away from New Orleans that eventually landed him in Los Angeles.

He'll also be doing it for a coach in Jason Kidd that he won his lone championship with when Kidd was an assistant coach with the Lakers in 2020, and for general manager Nico Harrison, who ultimately chose to trade Doncic for a player he recruited to Nike and that Davis said he's known since high school.

"Nico believes in me, and what I can add to this team," Davis said. "We are both extremely excited about what we can do and I think we have a great opportunity to win a championship."

Arriving in Dallas also means that Davis will return to his preferred position of power forward -- something he openly spoke to ESPN's Shams Charania about wanting to do in an interview last month. At the time, Davis was hoping to see the Lakers acquire a big man to replicate the formula they had in the title run in 2020, when Davis played primarily at the four alongside both Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Now, in Dallas, that's what he'll do, with Daniel Gafford starting at center and, once he's healthy, second-year center Dereck Lively II spending time at the pivot next to him, as well.

"Right now I'm just excited to get back to playing basketball," Davis said with a smile, when asked about going back to power forward again. "Obviously dealing with the whole trade thing, but also just the injury. Anytime that I'm out on the floor I feel better. I haven't played power forward in a long time with another big. We saw some spurts in LA with Jaxson [Hayes], but to be back naturally at the four, I'm excited to see how it goes."

Davis also discussed his decision to waive his $6 million trade bonus as part of the deal. It was something Davis did willingly, and didn't have to do for him to make the trade happen. But, he said, he wanted to give Harrison and the Dallas front office every opportunity to improve the roster around him and Irving as much as he could.

"Trying to help the team," Davis said. "Obviously you always want to get better and losing a monumental piece like Luka ... it's a lot, right? So I'm just trying to do my part and help Nico and the organization on how we can continuously get better. That's just always the right thing to do."

When asked if that came with an expectation of more moves happening this week, Davis laughed and said that that's a question for Harrison, though he waived the trade bonus "just in case" it helped.

North Carolina's Providence Day School is used to seeing the biggest names in college football roam its halls.

In the 2024 class, the school's starting quarterback signed with Michigan. This cycle, one of its offensive tackles is the nation's No. 7 overall recruit and will play at Tennessee in the fall. Georgia's Kirby Smart, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, South Carolina's Shane Beamer and Virginia Tech's Brent Pry have all made visits to campus in the past month.

But there was something different about the morning of Jan. 7.

From the parade of coaches in their polos, quarter-zips and Air Force 1s, one coach stood out. Bill Belichick, winner of eight Super Bowls and renowned for his makeshift sleeveless hoodies, was the first coach any player had seen show up wearing a suit and square-toed dress shoes.

"The jacket and tie he wore was different -- I got a lot of funny comments on Twitter about that," offensive tackle Leo Delaney, ESPN's No. 62 recruit in the 2026 class, told ESPN. "But I think that represents the style of his recruiting and coaching. It's formal. It's straightforward. It's old-school. He's exactly how you expect him to be."

Great to meet Coach belichick! #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/B8mD9ZkHlm

Leo Delaney (@LeoDelaney110) January 7, 2025

If Belichick's arrival at North Carolina represents one of college football's most fascinating stories in 2025, the first chapter has been written on the recruiting trail over the past 54 days. And it has offered insight into an overhauled Tar Heels program and early answers to a central question surrounding Belichick's hiring: How will a 72-year-old who has coached in the NFL since 1975 deal with recruiting teenagers for the first time?

Belichick inherited a recruiting class in tatters upon landing at North Carolina on Dec. 12. Less than two months later, his remade class enters Wednesday's national signing day at No. 48 in ESPN's class rankings, up from its place outside the top 75 in late November, when the school fired Mack Brown. Since Dec. 20, Belichick's staff has added 15 pledges to the program's 2025 class. The class is headlined by ESPN 300 quarterback Bryce Baker.

North Carolina has also built a modest transfer portal class of 18 additions for Belichick's debut season, highlighted by Thaddeus Dixon (Washington), Daniel King (Troy) and Pryce Yates (Connecticut). Meanwhile, the Tar Heels managed to retain a number of starters who initially entered the portal this offseason with linebacker Amare Campbell and offensive linemen Austin Blaske and Aidan Banfield among the team's key returnees.

Belichick might seem like an unlikely recruiter. But he's leaning into an unmatched strength and delivering a clear pitch on the trail.

"The focus with this new staff is on preparing everything for the next level," North Carolina quarterback commit Au'Tori Newkirk said. "Everything is being run like it's the next level. The motto is that we're going to be the 33rd team in the NFL."

The full extent of Belichick and his staff's ability to recruit, identify talent and construct a roster at the college level will be better measured in the 2026 cycle and beyond. But Belichick's immediate recruiting appeal has been evident, built on decades of NFL success and a clear plan for what he intends to build in Chapel Hill.

"The opportunity to play for Bill Belichick? It's hard to pass up," said defensive tackle commit Nicco Maggio, a former Wake Forest signee who committed to the Tar Heels on Jan. 24.

BELICHICK MADE NORTH Carolina's Rolesville High School -- home to four-star ESPN Junior 300 defensive end and former Tar Heels pledge Zavion Griffin-Haynes -- his first official stop as a college coach on Jan. 6, kicking off an initial sprint across North Carolina, with other recruiting trips to New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and Tennessee.

During the 90 minutes in the office of Rolesville coach Ranier Rackley, Belichick broke down Griffin-Haynes' film, offered the same pass-rush pointers he used to coach Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor with the New York Giants in the 1980s and detailed a multiyear plan for Griffin-Haynes' future at North Carolina.

"He told Zavion straight up: You're going to college, but you're an NFL player," Rackley said. "I see you as a first-rounder already based on who you are and what you bring to the table."

Rackley was recruited by Brown during the coach's first run at North Carolina, which ran from 1988 to 1997. When Brown returned to the school in 2019, Rackley built a strong relationship with a Tar Heels staff that based its recruiting pitch on the program's family atmosphere. It's different now.

"This staff has been in the NFL," he said. "Going through the building a few weeks ago, you can just tell it's a different feel there. It's more structured in the sense of what they're trying to do there, and they needed that."

In his introductory news conference, Belichick outlined the "pro program" he planned to implement, a regimen geared to the NFL in everything from training to development to technique and verbiage. On Jan. 28, he carried the same message with him into the living room of five-star 2026 quarterback Jared Curtis.

"They're bringing their NFL playbook to North Carolina," said Curtis, ESPN's No. 4 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle. "It's going to be the exact same as the NFL, and it's the place you're going to go to get prepared for the league."

Before three-star 2025 running back Joseph Troupe -- a one-time Temple pledge -- committed to North Carolina on Jan. 26, he spent a weekend with the program. One theme was threaded through meetings with Belichick, running backs coach Natrone Means and general manager Michael Lombardi.

"I couldn't believe how often they talked about development throughout the visit," Troupe said. "This staff has gotten to experience what I want to experience. If you want to be the best, why not learn from the best?"

Among Belichick's still-to-be-completed coaching staff, offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, and assistants Matt Lombardi, Garrick McGee, Billy Miller and Mike Priefer have all spent time coaching in the NFL. Strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera joined the UNC program last month after working with the Patriots from 2011 to 2023.

Michael Lombardi spent nearly 30 years working in NFL front offices, then went into media work before joining Belichick to lead the Tar Heels' player personnel operation.

"[Michael] Lombardi was the first contact I got from North Carolina," Maggio said. "My dad realized who he was after the call and said he used to watch him on TV for fantasy football advice. That made you realize how crazy all this is."

The Tar Heels were able to fill out their 2025 class by plucking a series of late-cycle commitments, including Maggio and two other Wake Forest recruits who moved on after Dave Clawson's retirement in December. Three-star defensive end Chinedu Onyeagoro, an SMU signee who parted ways with the Mustangs, marks another intriguing addition. In the 2026 class, North Carolina has already secured four commitments since Belichick's arrival.

Programs across the state are feeling a stronger presence from the Tar Heels. And among the class of 2026, Belichick's arrival has stoked renewed interest from top in-state recruits, such as Delaney, who were not previously considering the program.

"I honestly felt like North Carolina wasn't home for me under the previous staff," Delaney said. "But I'm excited to take a deeper look at them now. Everyone knows when he walks in the door that you're looking at one of the greatest to ever do it."

Of course, North Carolina is not the first or only school to sell itself in the mold of an NFL-style program.

From Alabama to Georgia to Ohio State and across the Power 4, coaching staffs market themselves as elite developers of talent, boasting rings and long lists of NFL alumni who have sprouted from their programs to support the claim. The edge North Carolina has on all those other programs in recruiting in 2025, at least until the Tar Heels play a game under their new coach, is Belichick himself.

"It's Bill," Griffin-Hayes said. "That separates him from every coach in the country. Being coached by a guy who has been there and done the thing? He can get you where you need to be."

THE TAR HEELS have hit the trail with vigor in 2025. And Belichick appears to genuinely enjoy the opportunity to drop in on schools to talk football, pepper coaches with questions about their programs and mix with prospects.

"It's been great to get out on the road and see some of the great high school coaches and programs and players," Belichick said on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Jan. 24. "Still got a lot more to hit, but it's been fun connecting with so many people. Some new, some old. It's been a great process. There's a lot of really good kids out there."

However fun it might be, Belichick will face many of the same hurdles Brown was met with from 2019 to 2024, including heavy competition within the state and from nearby programs such as Georgia, Clemson and South Carolina. North Carolina's lack of history as a consistent winner in football has also dragged recruiting in the past.

Brown initially elevated the Tar Heels' recruiting, identifying future ACC Rookie of the Year Sam Howell in the 2019 class and signing three consecutive top-20 classes from 2020 to 2022. But of the eight top-100 prospects Brown landed in the 2021 and 2022 classes that ranked 12th and 10th overall, respectively, only one -- two-year starting quarterback and first-round NFL draft pick Drake Maye -- developed into a significant contributor for the Tar Heels, with six transferring to play elsewhere in 2025.

Belichick will have more resources to work with than Brown did. Under the contract Belichick signed Jan. 23, the football program will have access to $13 million of the $20.5 million schools will be permitted to use for revenue sharing under the prospective House settlement. Salaries for assistant coaches ($10 million) and support staff ($5.3 million) outlined in the deal will keep Belichick and the Tar Heels among the most competitive programs in the recruiting and personnel spaces.

More importantly, in a short span of time, North Carolina has laid the foundation of what it expects its program to be and a clear picture to sell in recruiting.

That plan will be tested next in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The Tar Heels are aiming high, extending offers to a slew of top-100 prospects, including Curtis, fellow top quarterbacks Ryder Lyons and Keisean Henderson, and five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho. Within the state, Griffin-Haynes remains one of the Tar Heels' top targets within a talented local class, which includes 13 recruits inside the ESPN Junior 300. In 2025, North Carolina has already added 2026 commitments from athlete Jaden Jefferson, cornerbacks Justin Lewis and Marcellous Ryan, and running back Crew Davis, while three-star Providence Day quarterback Zaid Lott remains as a holdover from Brown's tenure.

"There's a lot of talent in this state right now," said Edwin Campbell, the head football coach at North Carolina's Southeast Raleigh High School. "And Belichick has put the state on notice in recruiting."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Luka Doncic says he was just as shocked as the rest of the basketball world when the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The superstar scorer has begun to recover from the move after his first two days in LA, and he's already excited about a new chapter with LeBron James and his famed new team.

"It was a big shock," Doncic said. "It was hard moments for me. I had to check if it was April 1. ... [But now] I get to play in the greatest club in the world, and I'm excited for this new journey."

Doncic officially joined the Lakers on Tuesday, just over two days after the Mavericks sent him to Los Angeles in that seismic trade.

The Lakers traded Anthony Davis and Max Christie in a three-team deal to acquire Doncic, who won his first scoring title last season before leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals. Doncic is a five-time All-NBA selection.

Stars of Doncic's age and accomplishments are almost never traded, but Dallas decided to move on from its 25-year-old centerpiece -- and the Lakers eagerly accepted. Doncic acknowledged he was stunned.

"Honestly, it was hard at first," Doncic said. "That first day was really hard. I felt like these last 48 hours was one month. Emotionally, it was really hard, but today was much better. I'm just very happy to be here for this opportunity. This is the Lakers. It's one of the best clubs in history, so I'm excited to be here."

General manager Rob Pelinka didn't hide his excitement at landing Doncic when they met with the media at the Lakers' training complex.

"We have one of the game's biggest superstars and an international player coming to join the Lakers," Pelinka said. "I think it's going to be something incredibly special that the NBA and basketball has never seen before."

The trade stunned the sports world, leaving many Mavs fans furious -- including Doncic's father, Sasa, who said his son "absolutely did not deserve this."

Doncic hasn't played since Christmas because of a calf strain, but he is thought to be close to a return to the court. The Lakers have four games in the Los Angeles area in the next seven days, including a road game against the Clippers on Tuesday night.

The Lakers also acquired Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the trade with Dallas.

Britain's Emma Raducanu lost in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open as she went down in straight sets to former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.

Raducanu, 22, was beaten 6-3 6-4 as she proved unable to take advantage of her late wildcard entry to the main draw.

She made a positive start against Czech Vondrousova and led 3-1 after an early break of serve, but she then surrendered the first set by losing five consecutive games.

Vondrousova, who returned from a six-month lay-off in January following shoulder surgery, saved four break points early in the second set before breaking for a 5-3 lead and the chance to serve out the match.

While Raducanu offered an immediate response to stay in contention by winning the next game, the 2021 US Open champion's hopes of making a comeback were soon ended.

It was all over when Vondrousova, the 2023 winner at Wimbledon, clinched her third match point.

Raducanu was promoted into the main 28-player field in Abu Dhabi at the weekend, having initially been set to compete in qualifying for the first time since her fairytale run in New York three and a half years ago.

The world number 56 reached the third round of the Australian Open last month. She climbed back into the world's top 60 last year after missing most of the 2023 season following surgery on both wrists and her left ankle.

Vondrousova will play Kazakh fourth seed Yulia Putintseva next.

Dragons number eight Wainwright avoided a suspected broken cheekbone but has suffered a nasty gash.

"The main issue was a fracture," said Humphreys.

"He doesn't have that fracture, so we are pretty hopeful he will be available.

"He had an unbelievable gash in terms of you could see his teeth through that.

"That's the thing for us. He's a tough kid and he's like 'I'll be all right, they can just stitch me back up', but it's a pretty bad gash.

"He's got eight days to turn around [between games] so we are hopeful, especially since he's desperate to play."

Scarlets back row Taine Plumtree has been flown in to join up with the squad while James Botham switched from flanker to number eight for the game in Paris.

Cardiff number eight Faletau has not played an international since the World Cup pool victory against Georgia in October 2023, the last time Wales won a Test match.

Gatland's side have since suffered 13 successive international defeats, including seven Six Nations losses on the bounce.

The defeat in Paris was the first time Wales had failed to score in a tournament match since 1998, while it is 18 years since they previously finished pointless, in a 31-0 loss to Australia in 2007.