LEEDS and Sheffield United go head-to-head in Friday’s Championship showdown at Elland Road.

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All eyes will be on Elland Road this Friday, but a flurry of goals looks unlikely given the strength of both defences.

The Blades have the very best record in the Championship having conceded just three goals in their opening nine league fixtures with five successive clean sheets.

Leeds are no slouches either having shipped seven goals in total, which ranks as the fifth best in the division with two clean sheets in their last three on home turf.

Three of the last four meetings between these sides have seen a scoreline of 1-0.

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During this two-week international break interim manager Carsley gave two confusing news conferences, on Thursday, 10 October and again on Sunday, 13 October.

Both were after England games in front of the media. Both times he seemed to tie himself in knots over whether he was in the running for the full-time England job and whether he even wanted it.

BBC Sport was told by a senior FA figure 10 days ago – before the damaging Greece defeat – that the recruitment process was going “very well”.

Perhaps that was a reference to the secret talks with Tuchel.

Maybe they had been stung by reports of inertia, or the risk of Tuchel being a target for Manchester United, who spoke to the German coach in the summer.

Could the fact United stuck with Erik ten Hag – despite their poor start to the season – have pushed Tuchel towards England?

There was a convenient theory that with Carsley’s candidacy effectively over after the defeat by Greece last week, the FA’s hand was forced.

But we now know Tuchel signed his contract with the governing body two days before that match.

Astonishingly, in the era of 24-7 media coverage and the interest in the England role as one of the biggest jobs in world football, Tuchel’s appointment did not leak.

There were a handful of reports of ‘talks’ in German media, which were played down at the time by Tuchel’s representatives when BBC Sport approached them for comment.

BBC Sport was told Bullingham led a call to the FA board late afternoon on Tuesday, 8 October, which lasted around half an hour.

The board was told the contract was ready to be signed, and that the FA’s remuneration committee had been through all the terms and conditions with Tuchel.

Board members were not asked for their views, but nor did anyone speak out against the appointment. The board members were told that a number of candidates had been interviewed but they were not told who they were, sources told BBC Sport.

VR46 Ducati rider Fabio di Giannantonio will miss the final two races of the year in favour of surgery on the shoulder he injured in practice for the Austrian Grand Prix in August.

The Italian will undergo an operation on his left shoulder after the Thailand Grand Prix, which follows this weekend’s round in Australia.

If all goes to plan, he will race two successive grands prix in Thailand, where the 2025 season kicks off on 2 March.

Di Giannantonio will remain with the VR46 team next year, but will be riding a factory-spec Ducati for the first time in his career.

“We’ll do the surgery after Thailand,” said di Giannantonio. “It’s the best compromise between doing as many races as possible this year and starting next year in the best condition.

“The plan is to be as ready as possible for the Sepang [pre-season] test and then 100% in time for the first race.

“It’s not fantastic for me because it’s never good to miss races. It’s never good to finish the season a bit earlier than the others.

“But at the same time, it’s an opportunity to be 100% physically fit for next year. So we have to accept this and work with it.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I wanted to do as many races as possible. If there was the opportunity to do all the races this year before the surgery, I would have taken it. But it wasn’t possible. The doctor said the limit would be Thailand.

“We also have to work at 100% for these two races so I can finish this year with a nice vibe.”

Despite the operation plan, Di Giannantonio said pain was becoming less of an issue and was upbeat for the weekend’s racing at a circuit where he scored a podium in 2023 aboard his Gresini Ducati.

“I’m actually feeling better already, but inside the shoulder it’s a bit weak. That’s the main reason for the surgery. I hope I can ride with fewer pain killers this weekend!

“This track is just amazing, I love the island vibe and the country too. Last year was super good for us so the goal is to try and get the same feeling on the bike as last year. I really hope to back fighting for the top five and maybe for the podium.”

Di Giannantonio’s best 2024 result thus far has been a fourth place at the Dutch Grand Prix and he sits level on points with his VR46 team-mate Marco Bezzecchi in 10th.

DARTS ace Luke Littler will be the guest player on the Bullseye reboot.

The World Championship runner-up will join new host Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff and throw for charity on the Christmas special of the revived quiz show.

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Excitement surrounding Luke’s surge to the final as a 16-year-old is said to have inspired ITV bosses to consider reviving the programme.

Professional darters were regular guests on the original series where they tried to score as many points as possible to bag money for charities chosen by the competing pairs of amateur player plus quizzer.

A TV insider said: “Luke wasn’t even born when Bullseye was on our screens with original host, Jim Bowen.

“But Luke knows this is a plum role to have landed.

“As he steps up to the Bullseye oche he knows he’s following in the footsteps of legends including Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson who all threw darts on the programme in its 1980s heyday.

“It’s also a coup for the makers of the new Bullseye as Luke is now one of Britain’s best-known players.

“Producers moved swiftly to sign him shortly after the programme was recommissioned by ITV.

“It all adds to the huge sense of excitement for the programme to return.” 

Luke, from Runcorn, Cheshire, who is now 17, was beaten by Luke Humphries in the world final. Both players have since helped raise the sport’s profile with younger fans.

The Sun exclusively revealed this month that Bullseye was returning with Freddie fronting the show, made by 12 Yard Productions.

The ex-England cricketer and former Top Gear presenter, 46, said at the announcement: “Bullseye was one of my favourite shows as a kid. I can’t quite believe I’ll get to host this.”

A date has yet to be revealed for his festive edition.

It is hoped the show will prove so popular that it could be turned into a full series next year.

The original Bullseye, known for its often-naff prizes, aired on ITV for 15 series from 1981 to 1995.

Host Bowen made it cult viewing with a string of catchphrases although he claimed he never used the most frequently quoted — “Super, smashing, great!”.

From series five in 1985 onwards, the professional who recorded the highest score during the charity segment of the show would be presented with a Bronze Bully trophy — a statuette of the programme’s bull mascot.

Past winners included five-time world champ Bristow, triple world champ John Lowe and “Limestone Cowboy” Bob Anderson.

The pro stars also featured in the animated opening titles of the show travelling in a bus driven by Bully.

It is hoped that if Bullseye is picked up for a full series, Littler, Humphries and other pros will take turns in the fundraising slot.

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Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori tells Roman Kemp why he joined Arsenal, how he is adapting to London life and how he felt after scoring THAT goal against Manchester City.

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