good evening. coming up tonight — hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm jane dougall. england and scotland have both qualified for the euros — but who else willjoin them in germany? scotland drew last night, but southgate says england have to improve when they play north macedonia later. what about the defending champions? can italy come full circle and qualify for this tournament? it's not guaranteed — they must avoid defeat to ukraine later. we look at the impact a winter world cup in qatar has had on the premier league. and injuries lasting longer and costing clubs more money. also coming up on sportsday... a record sixth world cup for australia — we look at what went wrong for hosts india. and, it's a new sport for the 2028 olympics, we look at the growth of flag football in the uk. it's a safer version of american football, so i think this is better. it's a safer version, you don't have to worry about the kids getting injured in flag football. welcome to the programme. the group stage qualifiers for next summer's european championship come to a close this week. england are already through, but they face north macedonia later — and will be trying to end the group on a high, southgate has said he wants them to become the number one ranked side in the world. scotland have also already qualified and they rounded off their campaign with a 3—3 draw against norway last night. they are among 17 teams who have guaranteed their spots in germany next summer — as you can see there are some familiar names including the hosts; belgium; france and portugal. familiar names including the hosts — belgium, france and portugal. well, gareth southgate took england all the way to the final last time around, are they equipped to go one better in germany? the manager says they'll have to improve upon friday's un—inspiring display. performance is priority. we have set a standard. we didn't reach that standard on friday. we have to get back to what we're good at. there is always a chance within that to have a look at a couple of things we would like to see, as well, but the biggest thing is making sure we hit the level of performance we have set ourselves. italy are also in group c, along with england but find themselves in all too familiar territory. defeat for the defending champions against ukraine tonight would see them relying on the play—offs to reach germany next summer. the italians have also failed to qualify for the last two world cups, so missing out on another major tournament is almost unthinkable for a team who have been world champions four times. craig templeton reports. italy are the champions of europe! it's less_ italy are the champions of europe! it's less than three years since italy were crowned kings of the continent, now that the chance to defend their trophy is at risk. they need to avoid defeat against ukraine tonight, orface the need to avoid defeat against ukraine tonight, or face the lottery of the playoffs. translation: �* , ., playoffs. translation: ., translation: it's one of those matches where _ translation: it's one of those matches where there _ translation: it's one of those matches where there is - translation: it's one of those | matches where there is obviously more pressure. when you go onto the pitch, and we'll see who is stronger and who has more qualities. i've heard people say you have to win it. it's mandatory to win it. you have to bring it home. and all this is clear, but the right question is whether we can make it or not. this is a match where we absolutely can make it. we will play, and then we'll see what we are truly made of. images of football history have been italian made. for world cups and two european championships makes them major tournament royalty. with the exception of 2021 in recent years they've struggled to even get through qualification. playoff defeat against sweden means they missed out on the world cup in russia in 2016, the first time they had failed to reach the big stage in 60 years. stoppage time winner for north macedonia because one of italian football's darkest days. no place in qatar last year.— place in qatar last year. there are elements that _ place in qatar last year. there are elements that are _ place in qatar last year. there are elements that are specific - place in qatar last year. there are elements that are specific to - place in qatar last year. there are elements that are specific to each j elements that are specific to each cycle _ elements that are specific to each cycle and — elements that are specific to each cycle and each _ elements that are specific to each cycle and each moment, - elements that are specific to each cycle and each moment, there's l cycle and each moment, there's certainly— cycle and each moment, there's certainly a — cycle and each moment, there's certainly a big _ cycle and each moment, there's certainly a big picture _ cycle and each moment, there's certainly a big picture we - cycle and each moment, there's certainly a big picture we can i cycle and each moment, there's i certainly a big picture we can look at and _ certainly a big picture we can look at and say— certainly a big picture we can look at and say in _ certainly a big picture we can look at and say in certain— certainly a big picture we can look at and say in certain areas- certainly a big picture we can look at and say in certain areas if- certainly a big picture we can look at and say in certain areas if the l at and say in certain areas if the learn— at and say in certain areas if the team isnl— at and say in certain areas if the team isn't short _ at and say in certain areas if the team isn't short of _ at and say in certain areas if the team isn't short of talent, - team isn't short of talent, where are these — team isn't short of talent, where are these people _ team isn't short of talent, where are these people that _ team isn't short of talent, where are these people that used - team isn't short of talent, where are these people that used to i team isn't short of talent, where - are these people that used to define italian _ are these people that used to define italian teams. — are these people that used to define italian teams, and _ are these people that used to define italian teams, and those _ are these people that used to define italian teams, and those players - italian teams, and those players haven't — italian teams, and those players haven't llee“— italian teams, and those players haven't been there _ italian teams, and those players haven't been there in _ italian teams, and those players haven't been there in the - italian teams, and those players haven't been there in the last i italian teams, and those players. haven't been there in the last few years _ haven't been there in the last few ears. , ., ., ., ., . years. the desire for automatic qualification — years. the desire for automatic qualification is _ years. the desire for automaticj qualification is understandable. years. the desire for automatic i qualification is understandable. to do that they need points against a ukrainian side fighting for more thanjust football. £311" ukrainian side fighting for more than just football.— ukrainian side fighting for more than just football. than “ust football. our country all over than just football. our country all over the place — than just football. our country all over the place playing _ than just football. our country all over the place playing for - than just football. our country all over the place playing for my - over the place playing for my people, we need support now, and i think for all our people we are missing emotions. now with more than one of the half years of war, people are missing emotions. big sports like football gives emotions. the match is in _ like football gives emotions. the match is in a _ like football gives emotions. the match is in a different place tonight because of russia's invasion. but whether they return is remains to be seen. let's look at the other home nations. northern ireland play denmark at windsor park later — but their hopes of qualifying from group h are over. after their 4—0 loss to finland on friday, they have just six points from nine games — and are 16 points behind group winners denmark. games — and are 16 points behind it'll be a tough match in belfast, but michael o'neill has said it is "imperative" northern ireland end a disappointing qualifying campaign on a positive note. obviously we want to finish on a high if we can't, on a high if we can, it's a difficult game against a top nation who have already secured their place for the summer in germany, so we just got to try and bounce back from the disappointment of the game on friday where the second half of the game ran away from us a little bit and we have to make amends for that. wales can still qualify automatically from group d, but their fate now largely depends on results elsewhere. winning against turkey tomorrow is now a must, but wales will also have to hope that croatia drop points against armenia. if those results don't happen wheels can still qualify to the playoffs next year, but manager rod paige says he and the squad are refusing to dig about that. you'd see they don't believe that for one minute, continue to talk of playoffs you might as welljust call the game off tuesday. that's our mentality. we are fully focused on the job he got, mentality. we are fully focused on thejob he got, we don't want mentality. we are fully focused on the job he got, we don't want any regrets at the final tomorrow evening because we want to keep take control of it ourselves. the last thing we want is not to give a level of performance we gave croatia, that would be a devastating blow for us to take, so we can control what we can control and that is going to give is a performance that wins us. we put in some amazing performances in cardiff— we put in some amazing performances in cardiff over the years, we've had some _ in cardiff over the years, we've had some good — in cardiff over the years, we've had some good nights there. we have to be hopeful— some good nights there. we have to be hopeful we can do it again, we can only— be hopeful we can do it again, we can only control what's in our control, _ can only control what's in our control, and on the night we'll have to hope _ control, and on the night we'll have to hope that some things go our way. but we _ to hope that some things go our way. but we can't — to hope that some things go our way. but we can't give up that hope. staying with football — it's exactly a year to the day since the men's world cup in qatar began, which, if you'll remember, had to be moved to the winter months because of the high temperatures. well, a study has found that — perhaps unsurprisingly — well, a study has found that players involved in the tournament spent more time injured — an average of eight days more — with the financial cost to the top five european leagues increasing by 30% compared with the previous season. the men's european football injury index found that the premier league had the second highest number of injuries across the continent, behind the bundesliga. earlier i spoke to the author of the report for howden, james burrows, and began by asking him how harmful it had been holding a world cup during the season? it's always difficult to say definitively, and what we've seen from previous reports is that there is a peak in injury occurrence and severity which usually occurs in january and february, during the season because that's the point at which player workloads tend to peak. what we've seen around the world cup is that that length of injury lay—off which for us is the most concerning factor, that showed the biggest difference really, that's the difference between october and january, and the level of severity of the injuries were being sustained particularly by players who are participating in the world cup finals. ,, , finals. quite tellingly, in the enalish finals. quite tellingly, in the english premier— finals. quite tellingly, in the english premier league, - finals. quite tellingly, in the | english premier league, they finals. quite tellingly, in the - english premier league, they had the second—highest injuries, why is that? second-highest in'uries, why is that? �* , ., second-highest in'uries, why is that? �*, ., , second-highest in'uries, why is that? , that? there's a couple factors behind that. _ that? there's a couple factors behind that. the _ that? there's a couple factors behind that. the premier- that? there's a couple factors i behind that. the premier league contributed the most players of the top five leaks, just over 23% of players in the premier league went to represent their countries. the other four leagues were between 9% 14%, the other four leagues were between 9% 1a%, the premier league are sending more players to world cup finals so therefore it's a pretty clear line of argument that they are going to see more injuries being... versus those of the european leaks that perhaps is an argument there's a time forfootball perhaps is an argument there's a time for football that's being played and the intensity is being played and the intensity is being played out is also contributing to the number of injuries that are being sustained. the number of in'uries that are being sustained.— the number of in'uries that are being sustained. the number of in'uries that are bein: sustained. , ., , ~ ., ., being sustained. james, we know that there is going — being sustained. james, we know that there is going to _ being sustained. james, we know that there is going to be _ being sustained. james, we know that there is going to be a _ being sustained. james, we know that there is going to be a world _ being sustained. james, we know that there is going to be a world cup - being sustained. james, we know that there is going to be a world cup in - there is going to be a world cup in saudi arabia. so looking to the future, we can possibly predicted that that world cup will also be moved to the winter months because of the high temperatures there, as well as in qatar. do you feel that perhaps some of football's governing bodies haven't taken note of the higher amount of injuries and the impact that this has on players across the world? i impact that this has on players across the world?— across the world? i think it's a difficult challenge, _ across the world? i think it's a difficult challenge, really. - across the world? i think it's a difficult challenge, really. a i across the world? i think it's a i difficult challenge, really. a note of caution i would expound is this is the first iteration of the analysis that we've produced where there has been a sort of major midseason international and tournament. i think from our perspective we want the analysis to help inform the discussion between government and bodies and also the clubs and also the representative bodies. i think what we'd like to see is more iterations of the analysis with that midseason break and that midseason tournament before we can start drawing some certain conclusions. the former manchester city defender benjamin mendy is taking his ex club to an employment tribunal in an attempt to claim back millions of pounds in wage deductions. it is alleged city stopped paying mendy in september 2021. mendy left the club at the end of his contract this summer after being cleared of a series of rain and attempted rain charges of rain and attempted rape charges made against him by six women at a retrial injuly. he has sincejoined french league side lorient. it is expected the case will be heard next year. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the headlines... liverpool mayor steve rotheram has written to the chief executive of the premier league to raise concerns over the ten point deduction handed to everton on friday. he's described the punishment as ludicrous. everton have dropped to 19th in the table following the sanction. six of the shirts warm by lionel messi during argentina's world cup—winning campaign are to be sold at auction. his shirt from the final is included and all six are expected to fetch more than £8 million. that price would beat the record for a game—worn football shirt, held by diego maradona's �*hand of god' jersey, which sold for 7.1 million pounds in 2022. after he left county second bottom in scottish premiership. this is derek adams third time mentoring at the club where he made more than 100 appearances as a player. england netball captain natalie metcalf and shooter helen housby will miss the home series against south africa in december. the three—match series will take place in manchester and nottingham next month and will be england's first home games since the netball world cup. police have said they are investigating after former england international ugo monye accused a supporter of racist abuse at exeter chiefs on sunday. exeter later apologised to monye, who said on social media that he experienced "the most blatant racism i've seen from a supporter at a live game". the ao—year—old was working at the match as a tv pundit. well, who could have predicted australia winning the cricket world cup and not india — who were widely regarded as the favourites? it was an incredible feat for the aussie, feat for the aussies, in front of more than 100,000 indian supporters, on a pitch meant to suit the hosts, especially after starting the tournament with two losses. earlier, i spoke to our cricket reporter henry moran — who's covered the whole tournament — and began by asking him what the reaction has been in india. there is a real sense of shock here, nearly 2a hours on. from australia's six world cup title success, the car horns that you might be able to hear in the background seems to be almost a little bit more muted. all of those blue shirts we saw everywhere you looked yesterday, they've been packed away and the frustration for those supporters, having expected india to win this world cup, they won all their matches up to the game yesterday, it felt like a tour around india, their inevitable march towards vectra. australia got in their way as narendra modi, the crowd supported generously but i think there was a real sense of the party having rather passed them by, i'm not quite sure for those supporters, all 100,000 of them in the stadium yesterday, 1.4 billion around this cricket loving country wondering what on went earth wrong. henry, looking at australia's tournament, i think many people might not have expected them to maybe even get to the world cup final let alone win it. one of the highlights of this tournament the fact that there were so many surprises?— fact that there were so many surprises? fact that there were so many surrises? ~ , ., �*, , surprises? absolutely, that's why we love sort, surprises? absolutely, that's why we love sport. isn't _ surprises? absolutely, that's why we love sport, isn't it? _ surprises? absolutely, that's why we love sport, isn't it? the _ surprises? absolutely, that's why we love sport, isn't it? the fact - surprises? absolutely, that's why we love sport, isn't it? the fact you - love sport, isn't it? the fact you can go into a final like yesterday and you're not sure who is going to win it, and even if you have a fairly strong start, you can still lose it. all of this experience was perhaps being... it is a triumph for this team they retained the ashes this team they retained the ashes this year they won the world test championship against india, they won the 50 ever world cup, that is an absolutely stunning six months or so for this australian side and at the start of the term and that they had, is quite remarkable and many people are saying that this is unquestionably their finest world cup win. unqu