Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey was notably absent from the team’s practice on Wednesday.

The reason why showed up on the team’s injury report, even though Aubrey did not have an injury.

He had jury duty.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Aubrey has been selected to a 12-person jury presiding over a felony trial in a court in Tarrant County. That’s the county just west of Dallas that includes Fort Worth and Arlington, where the Cowboys play their home games at AT&T Stadium. 

It’s unknown how Aubrey’s participation in the trial will affect his avaliability in the coming days as the Cowboys gear up to play the San Francisco 49ers on the road Sunday night. 

Aubrey, who the Cowboys signed in 2023 after he had a star turn for the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions the previous spring, has remained excellent in his second year in the NFL. He has made 17 of his 19 field goal attempts this season, including a 65-yarder in Week 3 that caused NFL on FOX analyst Tom Brady to compare him to Steph Curry. That 65-yard kick is the longest made field goal among all NFL kickers this season and just one yard shy of Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s NFL-record 66-yarder in 2021.

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FRANK SINATRA never did perform in a crowded hut by the tradesman’s entrance of a football training ground in Istanbul.

And Robert De Niro never fielded questions about the absence of a fit, recognised left-back for the fourth-best team in the Turkish Super Lig.

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But had they ever done so, it would have gone something like this. An audience with Jose Mourinho never grows old.

Even now that his vagabond shoes have strayed all the way to this outbuilding at Fenerbahce’s Can Bartu training complex.

As a coach, he may be past his prime. Indeed, he claims he wasn’t even one of the ten candidates spoken to by the FA to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager.

But as a media operator, Mourinho is Ol’ Blue Eyes, he’s Bobby De Niro.

He’s a song-and-dance man and a box-office sensation. He’s the manager the Premier League craves because of his charisma, his take-downs, his mindgames and his wisecracks.

Just not his football.

Here he was, simultaneously spitting poison at Turkish journalists, who have been critical of his underwhelming start as Fenerbahce boss, while greeting the English press pack as if we were lifelong friends who’d never had a bad word to say about him.

Which, believe me, was never the case.

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Tonight, Mourinho goes head to head with his former club Manchester United in a meeting of two once-great footballing institutions.

Between them, United and Mourinho won 16 of the first 21 Premier League titles, as well as four European Cups during that same era.

Both are now faded and in exile — Mourinho on the Asian side of this chaotic, sprawling, city and United in the bottom half of the table, a world away from the elite.

A decade ago, both would have scoffed at the idea of second-tier Thursday night football.

Yet here they are. Still, Mourinho, the old rascal with the glint in his eye, was shaking hands, slapping backs and throwing signed Fenerbahce shirts to a couple of English journalists.

He’d read a newspaper story which claimed he had been ordering the same room-service meal every night in his Istanbul hotel suite — chicken soup, margarita pizza and ice cream.

“You English guys know where I live,” he giggled, “you know what I eat. Come round and make yourselves at home. I’m staying here at the training ground tonight, so does anyone need a room for the night?”

Mourinho saved his best jibe for Manchester City and his old El Clasico sparring partner Pep Guardiola — claiming he could yet win a title with United if City — who face 115 Premier League charges of financial wrongdoing — are stripped of their 2017-18 crown, when his Red Devils were runners up.

Mourinho, wary of motivating tonight’s opponents too much, was selective in his criticism of United boss Erik ten Hag.

He merely stated United’s ‘potential was far higher than their results’ and noted the Old Trafford board had shown more patience with Ten Hag than they did with him.

There was also the assertion that United and another of his former clubs, Spurs, should be the two clear favourites to win the Europa League — given that the Premier League was ‘far superior in terms of quality, intensity and finance’ than any other league.

While claiming that he wishes United well and believes ‘they will succeed sooner or later, hopefully sooner before one day I go back to the Premier League’, Mourinho suggested it was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ he returns to England. But is that so?

He is already being criticised for negative football here, Fenerbahce lost their first major derby, 3-1 at home to leaders Galatasaray and were beaten in a Champions League play-off against Lille to end up in the Thursday night club.

Yet still Mourinho possesses the capacity to fascinate. Still, owners of Premier League club clubs, who should probably know better, will remain intrigued.

When I asked about United’s decision to terminate Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2million-per-year role as a club ambassador, Mourinho was keen to plug a documentary about his life to be screened on Netflix next year.

He said: “My relationship with Sir Alex was amazing, incredible, when my Netflix documentary comes out you will know more about the reasons I have so much respect for him. The ambassadorial role, I don’t know that situation. It doesn’t matter.

“Sir Alex has the most important thing: the love and respect of every Manchester United fan around the world. That is more important than a few more pounds he doesn’t need.”

It was very different when questions arrived from the Turkish media.

Jose Mourinho explains reason behind his Man Utd exit

By NEIL CUSTIS

JOSE MOURINHO says a lack of trust from the top denied him more success at Manchester United.

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Mourinho spent two-and-a-half years in the Old Trafford hotseat, winning two trophies, reaching an FA Cup final and finishing second in the Premier League.

But he was sacked in  December 2018 and believes he was not backed properly in the transfer market by then executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

Mourinho said: “What Erik ten Hag has in his time at United I didn’t.

“I didn’t have that level of support or trust.

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“So I left sad, because I felt I was in the beginning of the process. I felt if they trusted me and believed in my experience, things could be different.”

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Told that Fenerbahce were playing at a slower pace than last season, his response was simply: “That is your opinion and I respect it.” A line delivered with about as much respect as a cobra spitting venom from its fangs.

There were sarcastic swipes at TV pundits ‘the specialists have all the answers’. If they told Jose to play his misfiring attacking midfielder Sebastian Szymanski at left-back then perhaps he’d do so to avoid criticism.

When a TV reporter asked a perfectly-reasonable question, he was given a lecture about the need to stop showing endless replays of a ‘non-penalty’ incident involving Sofyan Amrabat, who will play tonight alongside a fellow former United midfielder, Fred.

That was the modern-day reality of Mourinho’s career — an argument over the use of TV footage in Turkish domestic football.

A spat he could never have imagined having when winning titles at Chelsea, Champions Leagues with Porto and Inter Milan or ruling the roost at the two most famous clubs on Earth, United and Real Madrid.

Yet at 61, something still motivates him to keep going.

Perhaps the prospect of returning to the Premier League — where press conferences now tend to be interminably dull and the whole soap opera is a need of a great brooding, anti-hero.

For now, he performs in a hut by the tradesman’s entrance and eats margarita pizza in his room.

But one day he thinks he’ll be back in the bright lights. Like Sinatra, he’ll never truly retire.

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Alexander Volkanovski hopes he can get the opportunity to rematch Ilia Topuria at UFC 312.

But first featherweight champion Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has to get past Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Volkanovski says the UFC promised him a title fight next, and if Topuria is victorious, “The Great” will look to avenge his loss against the man who dethroned him. After more than a year off, Volkanovski is eager to return at UFC 312, which takes place Feb. 8 in Sydney.

”Perfect world is Ilia in Sydney,” Volkanovski told MMA Junkie. “But my head’s telling me if Ilia wins, he’s not fighting probably straight away, and he’s not fighting in Sydney definitely. Max would fight in Sydney, but he’ll probably do BMF and probably fight featherweight a bit later. So, while that’s happening maybe I dance for an interim or something.

“So again, it’s just – the only reason why I bring that up is just because I want to fight soon. … I’ve waited long enough, I’ve rested, did what I had to do, but now ready to get back in there. So, perfect world would be Ilia in February but in Sydney, but I just don’t know if that’s likely.”

Volkanovski’s inkling was correct. Topuria said if the pair do end up running things back, it will be on his home turf.

“That’s never going to happen,” Topuria said during Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “I’m the champion, and if you want to fight for the title again, it has to be in Madrid instead of fighting in Australia in front of your people. Why I would give you that advantage?”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

MANCHESTER UNITED have suffered a blow as Mason Mount has had another injury setback.

The midfielder has struggled for consistent fitness since his arrival from Chelsea in 2023.

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Mount, 25, has only featured in five games in all competitions this season and has failed to score or assist a single goal.

He was last in the Premier League squad in September for the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.

However, he has since been out with an injury, his second of the season having had a hamstring problem.

Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has now confirmed that Mount will not be back when expected.

He said: “I think a bit longer [to wait for Mount], that’s what we expected.

“I think he will be back soon.”

Mount joins nine other players who are absent for the Europa League clash against Fenerbahce.

Defenders Jonny Evans, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are all out of the match.

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Kobbie Mainoo, Dan Gore, and Toby Collyer will also miss out.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is also unavailable for Ten Hag as he is suspended from the match after picking up two yellow cards against Porto.

Man United squad to face Fenerbahce

Here is the Red Devils’ 20-man squad to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League…

Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Andre Onana.

Defenders: Harry Amass, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Habeeb Ogunneye. 

Midfielders: Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte.

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Forwards: Amad, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Ethan Wheatley, Joshua Zirkzee.

However, the underfire Dutchman remains optimistic about getting a good result.

Ten Hag has insisted that the fit members of the squad are “capable” of getting a result.

He added: “The players who are available have to do the job and they are capable of doing the job.

“I think we have enough players in the team that are so experienced. Our team is so experienced.

“We’ve faced such situations more often.

“I think we’re looking forward, I think it will be a great ambience that’s fuel for the team and it’s a real challenge, it’s a motivation, it’s really good for us.”

Man United’s missing stars

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Here are the ten players out of the game against Fenerbahce…

• Mason Mount – Midfielder
• Kobbie Mainoo – Midfielder
• Toby Collyer – Midfielder
• Bruno Fernandes – Midfielder
• Dan Gore – Midfielder
• Luke Shaw – Defender
• Harry Maguire – Defender
• Leny Yoro – Defender
• Jonny Evans – Defender
• Tyrell Malacia – Defender

ABU DHABI – Magomed Ankalaev is confident what’s at stake for him Saturday at UFC 308.

At Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) takes on Aleksandar Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a fight he says will guarantee him a title shot with a victory.

“It’s up to the UFC (what’s next),” Ankalaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday. “I was pretty much told that, with this win, I’m next in line for the title. That’s what I hope is going to happen. But if, for some reason, I don’t get the title shot, and somebody else is put in front of me, then I’m going to have to get there, and I’m going to have to crush that person in order to get to the title shot.”

Ankalaev, 32, is a fighter many followers of the UFC thought should’ve been the most recent challenge for light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira. However, the promotion elected to book Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree, whom he defeated by fourth-round knockout Oct. 5 at UFC 307.

With the narrative largely revolving around Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), Ankalaev is sick of talking about the champion.

“To be honest, I don’t want to keep talking about Pereira, but people keep asking me questions about Pereira,” Ankalaev said. “If they ask me, then I have to answer. But really I’m focused on my fight. I’m worried about the opponent in front of me. I’m out there. I’m looking to win, something like that.”

If the two eventually face off, Ankalaev sees a clear difference in one skill set category that would set him apart from Pereira.

“It’s not like he’s that tough, but the fact is he is well rounded,” Ankalaev said. “He does have striking. He does have the ground game. When it comes to the champion, he just has the strikes and we know those strikes. We haven’t seen him wrestle ever.”

Ankalaev indicated he’ll be seeking a finish against Rakic, but said he doesn’t think his potential title shot will be contingent on whether the fight goes 15 seconds or 15 minutes.

“It wasn’t a condition that it was a finish and a title (shot),” Anakalev said. “I was just told by Dana that it has to be a good fight. I have to show myself well, and then I’ll get a title shot.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.