hello, and welcome to sportsday. i'm sarah mulkerrins. yet another game off due to covid — newcastle's trip to southampton in the premier league is cancelled as the club battles an outbreak. "noise that we don't need" — thomas tuchel hits back at an interview from romelu lukaku in which he suggested he was unhappy. and we look ahead to one of the big events of 2022, the winter olympics in beijing, with former ski racer chemmy alcott giving us her tips for team gb. hello, and welcome along to sportsday. we're ending the year with yet another game of football called off due to covid. the latest fixture to fall is sunday's match between southampton and newcastle at st mary's. eddie howe�*s side are unable to fulfil the fixture because of covid cases and injuries in the sqaud. their match at everton on thursday had already been postponed because of the issues, issues that many football clubs across the leagues have been facing all month. ourfootball reporter simon stone has more. this had been kind of flagged up by eddie howell earlier this week when he suggested that newcastle were struggling for players after the united game. they had a midweek match called off and i think it was just a matter of time in the premier league agreeing to end a request from newcastle. so that brings to 17 now games that have been called off across six match rounds going back into the middle of december. the premier league obviously are trying to sort this matter out. it's not easy. they have already announced new dates for three of those games in the middle ofjanuary. new dates for three of those games in the middle of january. maybe we will be in a better place by then, but it's definitely an unstable situation at the moment. you mentioned — situation at the moment. you mentioned those _ situation at the moment. you mentioned those figures of the match is cancelled, lots of clubs really struggling with a and one of the clubs liverpool struggling as well. let's have a listen tojurgen klopp because they are awaiting the results now of three further pcr tests on their players and we know that they have been struggling with covid—i9 cases in their squad. it’s covid-19 cases in their squad. it's like a covid—19 cases in their squad. it's like a lottery in the morning. you stand _ like a lottery in the morning. you stand there — like a lottery in the morning. you stand there and you wait for the result — stand there and you wait for the result it — stand there and you wait for the result. it was pretty much denied always— result. it was pretty much denied always one case and today another one and _ always one case and today another one and we — always one case and today another one and we have to wait. the are not even _ one and we have to wait. the are not even in _ one and we have to wait. the are not even in vet. — one and we have to wait. the are not even in vet. so— one and we have to wait. the are not even in yet, so we have to wait. in this moment, _ even in yet, so we have to wait. in this moment, probably not, but we don't _ this moment, probably not, but we don't know— this moment, probably not, but we don't know for a few hours.- don't know for a few hours. jurgen klo - don't know for a few hours. jurgen klopp they're describing _ don't know for a few hours. jurgen klopp they're describing it - don't know for a few hours. jurgen klopp they're describing it as - don't know for a few hours. jurgen klopp they're describing it as a - klopp they're describing it as a lottery. it does feel like that at the moment for the clubs and i suppose if you look at sunday and that give me particular liverpool against chelsea and particularly how much impact it could have in terms of their placing with the teams in second and third, do we get a sense that that may fall away? i second and third, do we get a sense that that may fall away?— that that may fall away? i don't think we can — that that may fall away? i don't think we can say _ that that may fall away? i don't think we can say for _ that that may fall away? i don't think we can say for certain - that that may fall away? i don't| think we can say for certain that any game is safe until it actually kicks off also i think we have learned that. funnily enough, chelsea along with city are the only two that have not had a game called off yet and i don't know how long that situation will last and clearly whatjurgen klopp is saying there is that he cannot know today how many players will be positive. more importantly tomorrow and then into match day on sunday. it is a desperately difficult time for all the managers. a lot of press conference calls, they all say the uncertainty is very difficult, they never know in trading how many players they are going to have and that means on match day they cannot be sure how many players they will have either. if cases are going up in normal life around the country, how will that stop happening in football grounds and in football clubs when the players are living the same lives anyway? it's very difficult to see how the premier league can keep a lid on it. clearly if the government brought in sanctions, we may end up going behind closed doors again but that necessarily is going to stop players testing positive. it's a very, very difficult situation and we are certainly not clear of it yet. thomas tuchel has responded to striker romelu lukaku's comments in an interview in which he said he was "not happy" with his situation at chelsea. it's understood the striker spoke three weeks ago, but it's not gone down well with his boss. i don't like it, of course, because it brings noise that we don't need and is not helpful but on the other side we don't want to make more out of it and it actually is. you know very well how it is, it is very easy to take lines out of context. it is very easy to shorten lines, make headlines, and then later realise that it's not so bad and may not be what he meant. but let's be honest, we don't like it, i don't like it, because it is a noise that we don't need. we need a calm environment and focus and it doesn't help. manchester city defender joao cancelo says he suffered cuts to the face after attempting to fight off a gang of robbers at his home. cancelo posted an image of his injuries on instagram, claiming "four cowards" took all his jewellery and left him with a facial injury. in a club statement, manchester city said... he will be part of the squad for city's game against arsenal on new year's day. former england all—rounder adam hollioake has been draughted into england's coaching team for the fourth test which starts in sydney, on tuesday evening uk time. england are without four coaches who are isolating, including head coach chris silverwood. australia batter travis head has tested positive for covid and will miss the test. he'll remain in melbourne and isolate for seven days in line with health requirements. head is australia's leading run—scorer in the series with 248 runs at an average of 62. there are doubts about whether cricket's twenty20 big bash league in australia can continue following multiple positive covid cases. today's adelaide strikers versus sydney thunder game did go ahead despite four thunder players testing positive. thunder made 187—3 after winning the toss and batting. the strikers were never really in the hunt and eventually lost by 22 runs. away from that match, seven players and eight support staff at the melbourne stars have tested positive, putting their next match onjanuary second in serious doubt. it's been a memorable year of sport in 2021, and there's plenty more to come over the next 12 months. the 2022 calendar has the winter olympics, the football world cup in qatar, a men's and women's cricket world cup, the open at st andrews and much more. to look ahead for us, here is ben croucher. right, three minutes or so to tell you all about sport in 2022. new rules in f1, novak djokovic chasing a record 2ist grand slam title in australia, and maybe, maybe not, hopefully, just hopefully, an end to all of these covid problems. we have a big map to help us out. where to start? how about in africa? cameroon and the africa cup of nations. it starts a week on sunday, the hosts taking on burkina faso, algeria, the defending champions and favourites. now to asia, beijing, which will become the first city to host both the summer and winter olympics and paralympic games. the alpine events will be about an hour or so away, just like they were in sochi. there are already political boycotts and strict covid measures in place. will they be the talking points? we will head south and move to the women's cricket world cup in new zealand. delayed by a year due to the pandemic, $1.5 million more in the prize pot for this one. england are the defending champions. australia and india will expect to be in the mix as well. new zealand the hosts, and england bowler kate cross says some of the returning stars will make them quite formidable. they have suzie bates back, who came back from a terrible injury, i think she had shoulder reconstruction and has been out for 12 months. we missed her in the hundred as well. sophie devine is back and took some time out as well. we were over in new zealand in february, we had three t20s and three 0dis. it was hard fought and england were favourites for most of it, but they are a good team. a busy 2022 in the uk, england hosting the rugby league world cup, the commonwealth games on the women's european championships as well. that was another event pushed back from 2021. what an occasion it will be for northern ireland, the lowest—ranked country in the tournament. their first major finals, and they've been drawn in england's group as well. the date for your diary, the 15th ofjuly in southampton, when they meet in the final group game. we have been underdogs our whole lives, so we will go into the tournament with the attitude we fear nobody, that is what got us here in the first place. we have nothing to lose in these games, and we are going to go in with true northern irish spirit and give it everything. four days until the end of the world athletics championships in united states, the start of the commonwealth games in the uk, athletes competing in both will have to manage their workloads very carefully. it's the first time the usa has ever hosted the championships. after shoe and track technologies saw records tumbling in tokyo, watch out for more in oregon. a month later, the world para—athletics take place injapan, and we head back to new zealand, where new zealand will be the heavy favourites to regain the women's rugby world cup. they have won their last 18 in a row, and we will finish the year with the men's fifa world cup. qatar, a highly controversial host, before you even get to the fact that it's taking place in the european winter for the first time. leagues will come to a halt, players will have to get used to the warm weather very quickly. we have gone around the sporting world in 2022. where's the popcorn? let's end by focusing in on one of the big events ben spoke about there, the winter olympics in beijing, which get under way at the start of february. former alpine skier chemmy alcott competed in four winter games for great britain, and i spoke to her earlier about team gb�*s chances and also, of course, about the impact of covid. it's really soul destroying for the athletes who spent four years fighting for the chance to go to the olympics and showcase their talent. and you just hope that everyone can stay healthy and fit, but it's out of your control. if you get it, you get it. you cannot be to say. all on the torah try to present themselves as much as possible but it's around for everyone. you are not out of it even though you are an elite athlete and we are seeing that with the olympics. wejust hope and we are seeing that with the olympics. we just hope that everyone 0lympics. we just hope that everyone gets the chance to get there and i know that will be the case. as long as long as the majority are there, we can have a great competition. talk you through some of the names we will be hearing about competing from team gb. will he be talking about? i from team gb. will he be talking about? , ., ~ , about? i will start with alpine skiinu. about? i will start with alpine skiing- i'm — about? i will start with alpine skiing. i'm wearing _ about? i will start with alpine skiing. i'm wearing my - about? i will start with alpine j skiing. i'm wearing my british about? i will start with alpine - skiing. i'm wearing my british top because i'm so proud to be british, i'm wearing it all the time now and the lead up to the olympics because i'm so excited about our team that we are sending an alpine skiing. daveis we are sending an alpine skiing. dave is ourfigurehead, the we are sending an alpine skiing. dave is our figurehead, the veteran of rt but it's coming into his own and have a new passion for skiing and have a new passion for skiing and he is very fast right now. with him we have got lovely taylor and charlie guest who had a phenomenal performance recently and i think our alpine team can do very well in the team event. i say it is the girls at the games or games for the girls but i know what we should say women because i'm older now, but it does not work is whelped with the alliteration. we have got charlotte banks in snowboarding who is incredible. she is the current world champion and is on fire and border crossings that we have the atkins sisters and katie and i'm really hoping that greg rutherford and the bobsled makes it because as we all know, greg rutherford does things to win. �* , , know, greg rutherford does things to win. ., know, greg rutherford does things to win. �* , ., ., ., win. and everybody cannot follow the build u- to win. and everybody cannot follow the build up to the _ win. and everybody cannot follow the build up to the winter— win. and everybody cannot follow the build up to the winter olympics - win. and everybody cannot follow the build up to the winter olympics on i build up to the winter olympics on ski sunday, which is now back. yes. ski sunday, which is now back. yes, we are filming _ ski sunday, which is now back. yes, we are filming the _ ski sunday, which is now back. yes, we are filming the first _ ski sunday, which is now back. yes we are filming the first show right now it is why i'm in the mountains. and the first show starts on the 2nd of january on and the first show starts on the 2nd ofjanuary on 8pm on bbc two and we have got five shows, going all the events right now. there are crowds at some of the events so we are allowed to go and be there and i'm really excited. to hopefully share my passion and build the excitement. 0ne. also we will be watching it and looking forward to it and thank you so much for your time.— so much for your time. thank you, happy new— so much for your time. thank you, happy new year! — so much for your time. thank you, happy new year! happy _ so much for your time. thank you, happy new year! happy new - so much for your time. thank you, happy new year! happy new year! | that's all from sportsday. hgppy happy new year from all of us at sports day, bye—bye. one of sport's most iconic stars, siya kolisi made history by becoming the first black captain of south african test rugby, leading his team to world cup glory in 2019. for so long a symbol of white minority rule, the triumph of a diverse springbok side is a potent symbol of hope, progress and pride in the rainbow nation. the win capped a remarkable fairy tale for a man brought up amid poverty and violence in a township, but whose spirit and talent saw him rise to become one of the most inspirational figures in sport. now in a new autobiography, kolisi has revealed more about his life, and he agreed to speak to me from his home in south africa about what he wants to achieve now. this is his journey. i believe it's notjust my story, it's the story