Forty-seven players were barred from practising for a fortnight yesterday in a major setback to their Australian Open preparations after passengers on two charter flights that brought them to Melbourne tested positive to Covid-19.

Mason Mount put Chelsea back on track with the late strike that sealed a vital 1-0 win at 10-man Fulham, while Sam Allardyce got his first victory as West Bromwich Albion boss in a 3-2 success at Wolves yesterday.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has told Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to stop moaning about the number of penalties given to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

RB Leipzig were left rueing their squandered chance to usurp Bayern Munich as Bundesliga leaders yesterday after being held to a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg. For the second consecutive Saturday, Leipzig, who lost 3-1 last weekend at home to Borussia Dortmund, missed out on first place.

Faleh Suwead al-Ajami led 13-year-old chestnut stallion Demilion to Big Tour class victory during the eighth round of the Longines Hathab Tour supported by The Social & Sport Contribution Fund at the outdoor arena of Qatar Equestrian Federation yesterday.

Al Rayyan’s Michael Efevberha drives to the basket during their match against Qatar Sports Club in the Qatar Men’s League match at the Al Gharafa Sports Club yesterday.

Joe Root completed his fourth double century for England yesterday but insisted it will mean nothing if his side cannot overcome a defiant Sri Lanka in the first Test.

A heavy downpour frustrated Australia on day two of the fourth Test decider in Brisbane yesterday, with play abandoned after tea and India spared from resuming on 62 for two in reply to the home side’s first innings 369.

The South African cricket team arrived in Karachi yesterday to play two Tests and three Twenty20 internationals on their first tour of Pakistan in 14 years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and had nine rebounds to power the Milwaukee Bucks to a 112-109 victory over Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks in a battle between the two early frontrunners for NBA Most Valuable Player honours.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Gabriel Landeskog scored twice to reach 200 goals for his career, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 8-0 on Friday night in Denver.

Canada’s Nick Taylor, chasing his third US PGA title, birdied five of his last seven holes to grab a two-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.