Michael Carrick was over the moon to see Kobbie Mainoo commit his future to Manchester United and hopes to give him the platform to thrive in Sunday’s “standout” clash with rivals Liverpool.

The talented 21-year-old this week signed a new and improved contract to keep him at his boyhood club until 2031 having enjoyed a marked turnaround in circumstances since the turn of the year.

Mainoo’s United future looked up in the air having fallen down the pecking order under former boss Ruben Amorim, with an August request to leave on loan rejected before speculation ramped up in January.

But Carrick’s appointment changed the course for a player that director of football Jason Wilcox rates as “one of the most naturally gifted young footballers in the world”.

“I’ve been hugely impressed with Kobbie since I’ve been here,” the United head coach said. “I’ve known him quite some time in different capacities, but I’ve certainly been aware of him for a long time.

“He epitomises this football club – young players coming through the academy, living and breathing the club and coming through with real talent.

“The last couple of games particularly he’s been fantastic. The natural thing and evolution is to obviously sign a new contract, so everyone’s over the moon with that, including me because I think he deserves it.”

Mainoo’s development after a stunning breakthrough was stunted under Amorim, whose unwillingness to use him meant a first Premier League start of the season only arrived in January.

That was Carrick’s first game in charge and the head coach has played him wherever possible since then, putting the midfielder in with a great chance of going to the World Cup with England.

“Like with all the players, it’s about trying to get that connection and understanding, building relationships,” Carrick said.

“Certainly understanding what it had looked like for Kobbie over the last two, three years – the ups and the downs, and the big highs and some challenging times – and letting him thrive, just giving him that platform to be himself.

“I think he’s evolved, he’s improving all the time. I think you can see that.

“The more responsibility, the more confidence and the more belief he keeps adding to his game and he’s certainly done that.

“Just giving him that platform and opportunity to go and be the best version.

“He’s done fantastic but there’s more to come, there’s loads more to come. I keep saying that because he’s a such a young man but he’s in a great spot at the moment.”

Mainoo’s form and new contract is a boost heading into Sunday’s match against Liverpool, who are a place and three points behind third-placed United.

It is a great chance for Carrick to further his case for the job beyond this season and victory would guarantee Champions League qualification with three games to spare.

“It’s certainly one of my favourite games, without doubt,” the former United midfielder said. “It’s a standout game.

“I think there’s obviously big games and big rivalries that we have with other teams but certainly this one is right up there.

“The history, the ups and downs that past has produced in these type of game, and the excitement, entertainment and emotion, which is a huge part of it, makes it a really special game.”

United will assess Matheus Cunha before facing Liverpool, but Lisandro Martinez is suspended and Matthijs de Ligt remains absent.

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a potential brain-driven mechanism behind the physical benefits of exercise – in findings that could reshape how the health and fitness industry understands training and performance.

The study, which was published in the journal Neuron, shows that exercise stimulates neurogenesis, stronger neural connectivity and reduced neuroinflammation – changes that appear to play an active role in improving endurance and overall health.

The research suggests a shift away from the traditional model, where exercise is thought to condition the body first, with the brain responding secondarily. Instead, the team found evidence that specific brain pathways may help regulate physical adaptation, effectively coordinating how the body responds to training.

“Most people think of the body adapting to exercise through the muscles, heart, lungs, and other tissues, but our study shows that the brain itself can programme endurance capacity,” says Kevin Williams, associate professor of internal medicine and a senior author on the study. His colleagues, including Nicholas Betley and Erik Bloss, identified neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus that appear to influence how efficiently the body adapts to exercise.

In controlled laboratory research, modulating these neurons altered endurance outcomes, pointing to a more integrated relationship between brain function and physical performance than previously understood. The findings suggest that improvements in fitness may be partly driven by central nervous system adaptations, rather than muscle and cardiovascular changes alone.

For health club operators, the implications are significant. Framing exercise around brain health, cognitive performance and resilience – rather than purely aesthetics or strength – could broaden the appeal of exercise, particularly among new or less confident users. The research also supports the growing focus in the sector on recovery, stress reduction and mental wellbeing as core parts of the fitness offering.

More broadly, the study reinforces the idea of exercise as a whole-system intervention, with tightly linked neurological and physiological benefits. While further research is needed to understand how these mechanisms translate in real-world settings, the findings open up new avenues for both programming and positioning across the sector.

The findings could also lead to treatments that reproduce the benefits of exercise training when movement is limited.

The study, exercise-induced activation of ventromedial hypothalamic steroidogenic factor-1 neurons mediates improvements in endurance, was published in the journal Neuron.

WWE NXT on Tuesday night was filled with surprise debuts, but one wrestler made more noise than the rest as she entered the ring.

Lizzy Rain, the niece of late Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, vowed to keep heavy metal alive as she came to WWE from PROGRESS Wrestling, where she was the PROGRESS women’s champion. The British wrestler, formerly known in the ring as Rayne Leverkusen, squared off against Nikkita Lyons in her first NXT match.

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Lizzy Rain celebrates her win during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on April 28, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

She avoided a mid-rope splash from Lyons and then nailed her opponent with a step-up knee shot to Lyons, which was dubbed Thunderstruck. She pinned Lyons and picked up her first win.

Rain talked about how her uncle inspired her in her life on “Busted Open After Dark.”

“Clive, he inspired me so much. To be honest, when I was younger, I didn’t really know who he was,” she said, via Wrestle Talk. “He died, I think it’s 13 years ago now, something like that, so I was 15 years old. And when I was growing up, and he was well, he died from MS, unfortunately so he wasn’t very well by the time I got into my teens, he was not verbal or anything.

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“Then I was younger and around him I didn’t have a clue who he was. I liked music, I always liked Alice Cooper, I always liked Iron Maiden but as a child I didn’t really know, ‘Oh, my uncle is the original drummer of Iron Maiden,’ until I got into my teens.”

Unfortunately, Rain said, she was unable to really talk to Burr about his life in Iron Maiden before he died in 2013.

Elsewhere, a few other newcomers appeared.

Evil confronts Tony D’Angelo during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)

Former IWGP champion known as EVIL stepped up to Tony D’Angelo, the current NXT champion. After EVIL left the ring, former PROGRESS atlas champion known as Will Kroos assaulted D’Angelo.

Kam Hendrix, Tristan Angels and Tate Wilder also appeared on NXT for the first time.

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Ricky Saints enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)

NXT Results

Myles Borne def. Saquon Shugars to retain the NXT North American Championship.

EK Prosper and Sean Legacy def. Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors.

Lizzy Rain def. Nikkita Lyons.

Kelani Jordan def. Wren Sinclair.

Shiloh Hill def. Ricky Saints.

Floyd Mayweather Sr only had one name in mind when asked who he believes to be boxing’s biggest ever puncher.

Mayweather Sr is well equipped to answer that question after being around the sport for over 50 years. He made his professional debut back in 1974 and competed 35 times, including a bout against the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard.

It is his training career that Mayweather Sr is perhaps best known for, having notably coached his son Floyd Jr to numerous world title wins, along with spending periods in the corner for the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

In recent years, Mayweather Sr has shared his thoughts on a wide range of topics from within the boxing world, and in a resurfaced clip, he revealed that he deems Earnie Shavers to be the hardest hitter in the history of the sport.

“Earnie Shavers! [Asked, not Mike Tyson?] Earnie Shavers!”

It is a view that many others also share, and it is easy to see why, with 70 of the 76 wins Shavers claimed coming by knockout, 23 of them inside the first round.

While he may have unsuccessfully challenged for the world heavyweight champion on two occasions, he displayed his huge power in both of those contests, rocking Muhammad Ali in the second round of their 1977 clash, and dropping Larry Holmes in round seven of their 1979 battle.

Shavers sadly passed away in September 2022 at the age of 78 following a short illness, but it is clear that boxing fans will forever remember him as one of the most powerful men to ever grace the sport.

Man Utd face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday and Michael Carrick is hopeful one player can return to the matchday squad.

Manchester United are hopeful Matheus Cunha will be back in the squad against Liverpool on Sunday after he returned to training at Carrington this week.

The Brazilian missed Monday’s win against Brentford at Old Trafford with a sore hip flexor, but he is back in with a chance of returning to the side for what is always a huge game.

Luke Shaw also limped out of the win against the Bees that moved United to within one win of a return to the Champions League. Carrick didn’t offer an update on the left-back but did say the squad was in good shape, with Matthijs de Ligt the only ongoing absentee with a back problem.

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“Matheus has done a little bit of work so we’re hopeful. We’re not sure, but we’re hopeful. Mata still a bit further and not involved in the game,” said Carrick.

The 44-year-old will be taking charge of his first United game against Liverpool, with his side hunting a Premier League double against Arne Slot’s side after a 2-1 win at Anfield earlier in the season.

Carrick is looking forward to the occasion and said as a player it was always the first game he would look out for and one he loved to play in. This contest is third vs fourth heading into the weekend, with United holding a three-point advantage.

“One of my favourite games, without doubt,” he said. “It’s a standout game, there are big games and big rivalries we have with other teams but this is right up there. The history, ups and downs, excitement, entertainment and emotion makes it a really special game.

“It shows the improvements of the group and getting stronger to be coming into this game in such a good position. We’re fully aware of the situation in the league and how close it is. It’s a one-off game, they’re a good team, they won the league this [last] year. We’re treating it as a one-off game and the league position is what it is.”

Jasprit Bumrah is widely regarded as one of the best bowlers in the world today, but it is surprising to see that his average is currently among the worst in this IPL season. Bumrah went wicketless in his first five games and picked up his first wicket only in the sixth match against the Gujarat Titans, dismissing Sai Sudharsan on the very first ball he bowled in that game.

Before this match, Bumrah had struggled, going wicketless in Mumbai Indians’ first five matches against Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings. His wicket of Sudharsan, who was dismissed for a golden duck, helped to set the tone for Mumbai Indians victory, as Gujarat Titans suffered a heavy 99-run defeat.

Bumrah has historically dominated some of the biggest T20 batters. He had never conceded a six to players like Travis Head and Sanju Samson, but during this rough phase in IPL 2026, both managed to hit him for sixes. Young prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also took him on, smashing two sixes in a single over. This highlights the lean patch Bumrah is currently going through.

Bumrah’s current IPL bowling average stands at 132, the worst of his T20 career. Compared to other bowlers who have bowled 30 or more overs this season, his average is nearly double, placing him among the most underperforming bowlers for Mumbai Indians. This dip in form could be one of the reasons why the Mumbai Indians have struggled to maintain momentum.

Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was only the second time in IPL history that Mumbai Indians failed to defend a total of 200 or more, and the first time at Wankhede Stadium. In that match, Bumrah conceded 54 runs in his four overs, getting hit for sixes by Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Salil Arora. It is rare to see Bumrah conceding so many sixes, especially in situations where his team relies on him the most.

What is behind Jasprit Bumrah’s struggle?

Bumrah entered IPL 2026 after an intense and packed international schedule that included the Asia Cup, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, series against Australia and South Africa, and a demanding five-match Test series in England. During that England tour alone, he bowled 119 overs across three matches, despite managing a long-standing back issue.

Cricket experts have pointed to multiple possible reasons for his dip in form. Some believe Bumrah may not have had adequate rest after continuous international cricket, while others suggest he has struggled to find his usual rhythm and lengths.

Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth was blunt in his assessment after Bumrah’s outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad:
“Bumrah is not getting that zip at all. Not one delivery looked threatening. Maybe he is tired, so I am not blaming him. But he is clearly not at his best. He is trying hard but looking very ordinary.” His statement narrates that Bumrah might be exhausted after packed schduled.

On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted the mental aspect of the game. During Bumrah’s wicketless run in the first five matches, Ashwin suggested that external narratives and pressure may have affected his rhythm.

“I still think Bumrah bowled really well in the first two matches, but then the team started losing. Then the narrative also started that Bumrah was not getting wickets. That was probably playing on his mind,” Ashwin said, adding that the best of Bumrah could still be around the corner.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif also weighed in, suggesting that Bumrah’s body may not be fully supporting him at the moment and that a short break could help him regain peak fitness.

Meanwhile, Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians’ batting coach, downplayed concerns over Bumrah’s form. He emphasized that the pacer is human and occasional dips are natural, urging people to remember his immense contributions to the team over the years.

Here’s a look at the bowling averages this season among players who have bowled 30 or more overs, along with their averages and economy rates:-

In contrast, during IPL 2025, Bumrah led the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack with an outstanding season, taking 18 wickets in 12 matches. Despite missing the first four games due to a back injury, he returned strongly and delivered what many analysts considered his most economical season, maintaining an economy rate of 6.68, the best in the league among bowlers with more than 10 wickets.

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Before the IPL, Bumrah was a key figure in India national cricket team’s successful title defence at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in 8 matches. His campaign peaked in the final on March 8, 2026, where he was named Player of the Match for his outstanding figures of 4/15 against New Zealand national cricket team. Earlier, in a match against England at Wankhede Stadium, he reached the milestone of 500 international wickets by dismissing Harry Brook with the very first ball.

The hosts do have 23 stone-plus Ben Tameifuna on the bench to supplement their set-piece in the second half.

Bath are contesting their first top-tier European semi-final in 20 years since they lost a tryless and bad-tempered encounter with Biarritz 18-9 in 2006.

Toulon and Leinster will face off in the other semi-final on Saturday, with the winners progressing to the final on 23 May at Bilbao’s 53,000-capacity San Mames stadium.

Bordeaux-Begles: Rayasi; Uberti, Penaud, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu (c); Perchaud, Lamothe, Sadie, Palu, Coleman, Bochaton, Woki, Gazzotti

Replacements: Barlot, Boniface, Tameifuna, Cazeaux, Vergnes-Taillefer, Matiu, Retiere, Hugo Reus

Bath: Carreras; Arundell, Hennessey, Lawrence, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Barbeary

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Sela, Hill, Underhill, Carr-Smith, De Glanville, Reid

In the other semi-final, Crystal Palace took a significant step towards the final with a 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

In the Europa League, Nottingham Forest beat Aston Villa 1-0, while Braga secured a 2-1 victory against Freiburg thanks to a late winner.

In the EuroLeague, Monaco suffered a second consecutive defeat in their quarter-final series, losing 94-64 away to Olympiakos.

Meanwhile, at the Madrid Masters 1000, Belgium’s Alexander Blockx produced a major upset by defeating defending champion Casper Ruud (6-4, 6-4) to reach his first Masters 1000 semi-final, where he will face Alexander Zverev, who beat Flavio Cobolli (6-1, 6-4). The other semi-final will see France’s Arthur Fils take on world number one Jannik Sinner.

In the women’s draw, a day after her 19th birthday, Mirra Andreeva defeated Hailey Baptiste (6-4, 7-6) and will face Marta Kostyuk in the final, after the Ukrainian beat Anastasia Potapova.