Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is one of eight players shortlisted for the Player of the Season award.

Manchester United fans are desperate to see captain Bruno Fernandes win the Player of the Season award, insisting he is the standout candidate on the list of nominees.

Eight players have been shortlisted for the 2025/26 award with Fernandes named alongside Arsenal trio Gabriel, David Raya and Declan Rice, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, Brentford’s Igor Thiago and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.

Fernandes has made 33 Premier League appearances this season, registering eight goals and 19 assists, but supporters have been keen to stress his influence goes far beyond the numbers.

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Fernandes has been the driving force behind United’s return to the top three, stepping up in key moments and often being the player United rely on to create chances and make things happen.

Many supporters described the nomination as overdue recognition for Fernandes after several seasons consistently delivering for the club during difficult periods.

Lifetime supporter James Flemming, 71, said Fernandes’ influence is impossible to ignore.

“You can see the difference when he’s not in the team,” he said. “His leadership, his goals and assists, he’s central to everything.”

Aryan Anand, 18, said Fernandes’ importance becomes even clearer when he is not on the team.

“If you take him out of the team his impact is clearly seen,” he said. “I just think the numbers he’s been putting up, he’s brought us to third place, brought us back into Europe. I think he deserves it.”

He added: “He embraces what it means to be the captain of United: Leadership, vocal, everything that a captain should be for this club.”

“He’s not selfish, he creates everything and leads the team,” said United fan Adejumo Oluwaseun. “Every player listens to him. He has that leadership quality.”

Nana Agyemang, 43, said Fernandes’ impact on the side could not be matched by any other nominee.

“I don’t think there’s any player who can compare to Bruno. Look at the way he has led the United team, I think he deserves the award more than any player.”

Jonathan, 22, said Fernandes has repeatedly proven himself during difficult periods for the club.

“He’s one of the best midfielders I’ve seen,” he said. “Even when things were difficult at the beginning of the season, he’s really taken that captain role and proven himself.”

United fans insist Fernandes’ all-round impact and leadership make him the standout candidate for the award.

With the winner to be announced next week, many supporters believe Bruno has done what it takes to receive the individual recognition they feel he has deserved for years.

Daniil Medvedev has struggled mightily on clay during his career. The Russian was notoriously blanked 6-0, 6-0 in Monte Carlo last month. On his way to an early exit from that ATP Masters 1000 event, the former world No. 1 drew ire and received a fine for smashing his racket seven times in a contest that lasted all of 49 minutes.

But on Friday, against the current world No. 1, Medvedev found himself playing much longer in Rome, on the very surface that’s caused him so much trouble over the years. The 30-year-old Medvedev, seeded seventh in the Italian Open, gave top-seeded Italian Jannik Sinner everything he could handle in the semifinals.

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Medvedev forced a third set, threatening Sinner’s 32-match win streak in Masters 1000 events — a record-breaking mark he set on Thursday, surpassing Serbian great Novak Djokovic — and, by extension, jeopardizing Sinner’s similarly trail-blazing streak of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles.

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Ultimately, Sinner escaped unscathed in a match that saw him physically taxed, bent over and taking a medical timeout in the third set. After all of that, play was suspended due to rain in the seventh game of that fateful set. Following a postponement, Sinner, already up 4-2, finished off Medvedev on Saturday after 15 minutes, advancing to the final, thanks to a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 triumph.

The month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is all about speed, nerves and history. This weekend, INDYCAR’s biggest stars will push their cars to the limit in qualifying for the 2026 Indy 500. 

Drivers will battle for pole position across two days of qualifying action. With speeds expected to top 230 mph as teams chase a spot in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Indy 500 qualifying, including the TV schedule, streaming information and format.

How to Watch Indy 500 Qualifying

• Dates: Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17
• Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN
• TV channels: FOX, FS1, FS2
• Streaming: FOX One, FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com

Indy 500 Qualifying Schedule

Saturday Qualifying – Day 1

Full-Field Qualifying:

• Practice: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. ET (FS2)
• Qualifying: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET (FS2)
• Qualifying: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Qualifying: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET (FOX)

Sunday Qualifying – Day 2

• Practice: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET (FS2)
• Final 15 Qualifying: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET (FOX)
• Top 12 Qualifying: 5 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. ET (FOX)
• Firestone Fast Six: 6:35 p.m. to 6:55 p.m. ET (FOX)

How Does Indy 500 Qualifying Work?

Drivers will get to practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, with drivers getting the extra boost Friday to prepare for qualifying. There will be a draw for qualifying order after practice Friday.

On Saturday, each driver can do the four-lap run in the order from the qualifying draw. A driver does not have to post a time but typically the driver goes out and posts a speed.

Once all the cars have had a chance to qualify, there will be two lines for qualifying:

• A priority line for any drivers who have not qualified or withdrawn their qualifying time.
• A secondary line for any driver who has not withdrawn the qualifying time.

Those in the priority line get to go out before anyone in the secondary line. If a driver who has not withdrawn an earlier time is on a pace slower than that earlier time, INDYCAR can force them to end the run — so that no one can just do a slow run to prevent another driver from getting on track before qualifying ends at 5:50 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The top 15 drivers from Saturday advance to Sunday to determine their order in the lineup. The drivers 16th-33rd will start the Indianapolis 500 in that order. If there were more than 33 cars, the drivers 31st and worse would have to re-qualify Sunday to determine the final three spots. 

Who Won the Indy 500 Pole Last Year?

Rookie Robert Shwartzman won the pole for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 232.790 mph.

When is the 2026 Indy 500?

The 2026 Indy 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on FOX and streaming on FOX One.

Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET and the green flag drops at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Ravichandran Ashwin has raised serious questions over Punjab Kings’ decision to split their home matches across two venues in IPL 2026, suggesting the constant shift in conditions has played a major role in the franchise’s dramatic collapse during the second half of the season.Punjab started their campaign strongly and went unbeaten in seven consecutive matches before their momentum completely disappeared. The side has now suffered five defeats in a row, with two of those losses coming at Dharamsala, their secondary home venue. Ashwin believes the move away from Mullanpur disrupted the team’s rhythm at a crucial stage of the tournament.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin pointed out that the IPL’s most successful franchises have always relied on stability by sticking to one primary home venue throughout the season.“Let me ask you a question. KKR, CSK, and MI, the three teams that have won the highest number of trophies-3, 5, and 5-out of the 19 seasons, they have won 13 trophies in total. SRH has won two (Deccan Chargers and SRH). Take it as 15. Have these teams ever changed their home venue?” Ashwin said in the video.The veteran spinner, who has previously represented Punjab in the IPL, said outside criticism often ignores the impact that changing venues can have on a side’s performances and preparation.“Look, we can say from the outside that Punjab aren’t doing well, but because I have personally been there, I know it is wrong. We won five matches in Mohali, then we changed venues and got knocked out of the tournament,” he added.Punjab Kings now find themselves under massive pressure heading into the business end of the league stage. The team must win both remaining fixtures to stay alive in the playoff race, but one of those matches is again scheduled to take place in Dharamsala.Ashwin believes the batting group has struggled to quickly adjust to the different nature of the surface at the hill venue, especially while batting first.“So, I am saying that, sure, Punjab have suffered consecutive defeats, but they are not playing in Mullanpur; they are playing in Dharamsala, where the wicket is not that good to bat first on. The ball stays a little low in the first half, so it will take time for them to adapt.”“Their batting order is scoring 30-40 runs fewer, or 20 runs fewer, because they have to adapt. We can all say that Punjab are struggling and have suffered five consecutive defeats, or that ‘this is what happens in Punjab’. No, they have played two of those games at a changed home venue,” he said.Ashwin also questioned the logic behind Punjab being one of the few franchises forced to alternate between venues during a season while established teams like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad continue to enjoy the consistency of playing all home matches at one ground.

For the third time in five years and fifth time since 2019, the Preakness Stakes will go without a true shot at a Triple Crown. This year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, is skipping the Preakness Stakes 2026 to concentrate on the June 6 Belmont Stakes. It is the second consecutive year that the Derby winner has chosen to skip the Preakness. Last year, Sovereignty skipped it before going on to win the Belmont.

The last Triple Crown winner was Justify in 2018. Saturday’s race from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., is scheduled to start at 6:50 p.m. ET. Iron Honor (9-2) enters as the favorite in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds, with four other horses at 6-1 or lower. With so much to consider while making your 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.

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Since 1909, when the starting gate was introduced at the Preakness, a majority of the starters have come from gate No. 8 or lower. Gate No. 6 has the most winners with 17. That bodes well for Chip Honcho (5-1), who will be at gate No. 6 on Saturday. Rombauer in 2021 was the last horse to win from that post position.

The last three Preakness winners have started at gate No. 5 or lower. Last year, Journalism won from gate No. 2. Seize the Grey was at post No. 5 in 2024, while National Treasure in 2023 was at post No. 1. Among gates 1-7, the No. 3 post has the longest drought with the last winner coming in 2014 when California Chrome was victorious.

Given all the history of the race, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Preakness Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2026 Preakness Stakes picks possible.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 21 Preakness winners, including 2023, when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta. He hit the trifecta in the 2024 Preakness Stakes and nailed Journalism as the 2025 Preakness winner. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.

Now, with the 2026 Preakness Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2026 Preakness Stakes betting predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Top 2026 Preakness Stakes expert picks

Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:

Preakness Stakes Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $33.80 at the 2025 Preakness Stakes with Journalism and Gosger.

Preakness Stakes Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $73.50 at the 2025 Preakness Stakes with Journalism, Gosger and Sandman.

Preakness Stakes Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $303.40 at the 2025 Preakness Stakes with Journalism, Gosger, Sandman and Goal Oriented.

While Iron Honor is the 9-2 favorite, Demling is high on Napoleon Solo (8-1), despite the colt not being among the top five favorites. “The son of Liam’s Map will likely be near the front of the pack; he finished fifth in the Wood Memorial and is not without a shot to hit the board,” Demling told SportsLine. He is also building his tickets around an epic double-digit longshot “with a chance” to win it all”, spicing up his 2026 Preakness Stakes exotics. You can see his picks here. 

Bet the Preakness Stakes at 1/ST BET, where you can get up to $500 in wagering credits ($20 per $100 wagered):

How to make 2026 Preakness Stakes bets

Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Preakness Stakes 2026. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.

So which horses do you take, and in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2026 Preakness Stakes.

2026 Preakness Stakes odds, futures, horses, post positions

Teddy Atlas has assessed the chances of Dave Allen pulling off an almighty upset against world-ranked heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic.

The pair will lock horns this evening at Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, with fan-favourite Allen boasting a home advantage in what has been billed as ‘Dave vs Goliath’.

When considering in-ring advantages, however, it must be said that former world title challenger Hrgovic has his man outgunned in most departments.

The 33-year-old’s last outing saw him unanimously outpoint David Adeleye in August, albeit after a prickly 8th round where he appeared to be in some degree of trouble.

Nevertheless, he proved to be a level above the former British champion, who many would regard as a strong favourite to defeat Allen.

‘The White Rhino’ has drastically turned his career around since suffering a sixth-round stoppage defeat to Frazer Clarke in 2023.

This resurgence saw him lose a controversial split decision to Johnny Fisher the following year, before winning their rematch by fifth-round stoppage.

But still, there is no escaping the fact that Allen has always lost to tougher opponents, hence why he was handed a unanimous decision defeat against Arslanbek Makhmudov last October.

For this reason, legendary trainer Atlas has said on his YouTube channel that the 34-year-old can hardly hope for much more than a few competitive rounds with Hrgovic.

“I love Allen; he’s Rocky-esque. He keeps trying; he can punch; he’s tough as hell; he’s got a good chin; he comes in the front door all night long. He’s trying to back you down; he’s trying to trap you in the corner.

“He’ll have his moments, but he’s always come up short at the next level. It’s that simple. Hrgovic is just that next level of class, and I think [Allen] comes up short at that level.

“I think [Hrgovic will] look to keep the shorter Allen at the end of his jab and catch him coming in. He’ll look to do damage.”

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Should Hrgovic come through unscathed, he may land another British headline slot against Moses Itauma in August, though a gruelling fight, or any cuts or injuries, would make that turnaround impossible.

Jake Paul’s claim to have found $200m, specifically for a potential clash with Canelo Alvarez, has triggered a direct response from the Mexican great.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer was set to collide with Canelo in May 2025, only for Turki Alalshikh to step in and sign the then-super-middleweight king to a multi-fight deal.

This saw Alvarez become a two-time undisputed champion against William Scull, before losing his four major titles via a unanimous decision defeat to Terence Crawford last September.

With Crawford having since announced his retirement and vacated the belts, however, Canelo is set to enter a world title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this September.

The most likely opponent appears to be WBC champion Christian Mbilli, who comes off an enthralling draw with Lester Martinez on the undercard of Canelo-Crawford.

Yet despite this plan, Paul seems to be attempting to revisit his showdown with the 35-year-old, insisting that a $200m purse remains up for grabs.

The 29-year-old revealed this information via a live stream earlier this week, suggesting that it is the “biggest fight” in boxing.

“Canelo, I have the $200m for you. Easy money. Jake Paul vs Canelo – let’s get it done. This is what the fans have been waiting for; this is the biggest fight that can possibly be made in boxing. I think that’s going to be the next fight.”

Jake Paul just said Canelo Alvarez will be his next fight and he’s paying him $200M 🤯

“This is the biggest fight that can be made in boxing. Jake Paul vs Canelo. Official.” pic.twitter.com/QJRLuPjO9r

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 13, 2026

In response, Canelo just simply posted three laughing emojis on his Instagram story, signalling that Paul’s offer is not to be taken seriously.

There is, after all, a chance that the American may never box again, given the damage he sustained to his jaw while getting knocked out by Anthony Joshua in December.