Reds defeat and O2.5 goals 5/1 The Reds return to the King Power Stadium in Premier League action after goals from Shinji Okazaki and Islam Slimani dumped them out of the Carabao Cup at the same venue on Tuesday. Lovren missed that match due to a back injury and Matip, along with Germany international midfielder Emre Can, sustained a knock. “It’s nothing major but it was enough to keep him out of two games and he is not in training so far, so that means he is also a doubt for the weekend....

The Reds had gone five top-flight matches without a win before Saturday’s triumph, their barren streak culminating in last weekend’s 2-0 loss at struggling Hull City. Man Utd set Premier League record Sadio Mane was the hero against Spurs, scoring twice in 138 first-half seconds to cap a fine start from the hosts, laying the platform for a win that moved them to within one point of their second-placed visitors....

‘Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a major asset to Liverpool’ Klopp and Guardiola played out a head-to-head record of four wins apiece while in charge of Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich and will clash on English soil for the first time when Liverpool host City at Anfield on Saturday. The Merseyside club are a point and a place ahead of their visitors in second, with both teams on a run of three consecutive wins having wobbled during the early weeks of December....

The Reds suffered a 3-1 defeat to Sevilla in Klopp’s first season at the helm, but the German looks to have used the experience to spur his side on. Having guided the club back to Europe’s elite competition with a fourth-placed Premier League finish in 2016-17, Klopp will lead his side out against holders Real Madrid in Saturday’s Champions League final. And captain Henderson believes he saw this weekend’s Kiev showdown coming after a post-match rallying call from the former Borussia Dortmund boss....

Symptoms The most common symptoms of knee dislocation are the visible swelling and deformity of the knee joint. The lower extremity will often look shortened and misaligned, and any movement of the joint will cause extreme pain. About half of all knee dislocations are repositioned prior to arrival at the hospital. This is problematic as it may result in even greater injury and an increased risk of complications, including: Compression or damage of the peroneal nerve that runs along the outer edge of the calf Rupture or obstruction the popliteal artery and vein located at the back of the knee The development of deep venous thrombosis (DVT)...

Cablevision owns Newsday, and Dolan has appearantly set up a team of bankers to explore the purchase of the Daily News as well. MORE: Jackson: Knicks gave basketball gods “heartburn” | Future of Knicks Dolan and MSG have been in a decade-long feud with the News, so it could put the paper’s staff in a difficult position should he buy it. The rift between the News and Dolan started when the paper backed a plan by former Mayor Mike Bloomberg to build the West Side Stadium in 2005....

The historic Knicks-Celtics rivalry provided a thrilling entertainer. It had everything but in the end, the hosts outlasted the visitors after 58 minutes of action. Julius Randle dropped 35 while Evan Fournier put up 32, most of them in the second half, as they helped the Knicks overcome a franchise record 46 points from Jaylen Brown. Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Knicks vs. Celtics on Wednesday night....

He achieved the feat during what appeared to be another Lakers blowout loss (LA staged a big rally in the fourth quarter, only to lose 118-115), but Bryant did have 28 points through three quarters against the Kings and looked rejuvenated on both ends of the court. (UPDATE: Bryant went scoreless in the fourth and did not play in the closing minutes.) MORE: Kobe’s final season, in photos | Kobe’s farewell tour as performance art | Get live NBA scores and stats...

Bryant, who retired from the NBA in 2016, has remained attached to the game as a youth coach. He clearly passed down his “Mamba Mentality” to the girls on his roster, as his team recently defeated an opponent by 88 points. You know, just a super chill 115-27 victory. MORE: Kobe Bryant clarifies recent Shaquille O’Neal comments That’s why Bryant’s Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon was both ridiculous and unsurprising....

Bryant has said he would move to small forward to help allow some of the Lakers younger players to develop, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers have a talented group of newcomers in their backcourt, including rookie D’Angelo Russell and second-year man Jordan Clarkson, both of whom can play either guard position. MORE: Classic photos of Kobe Bryant | Many skeptical of Lakers’ youth Lakers trainer Garry Vitti told the Times about a recent conversation he and Bryant had about the team’s new, athletic duo....

The former Kentucky Wildcat, drafted No. 7 overall in June’s NBA Draft, has the privilege of learning the pro game from players like Carlos Boozer, Steve Nash, and of course, Kobe Bryant. Very few high level rookies get the opportunity to work with such a strong core of elite and world class players in their very first year. MORE: Breakout players to watch for | Players most likely to get traded | Alec Burks shreds Kobe with crossover...

This was the net effect of a nine-minute night in an overtime win over the Heat on Wednesday night here at Staples Center, one in which Bryant scored two points on seven shots. If there had been doubt about whether Bryant’s decision to retire after this year was either prudent or immutable, the sight of Bryant coping with nearly head-to-toe pain would have extinguished it. MORE: Greatest Lakers ever | Weird fan smells Kobe’s arm sleeve...

The retired Lakers star and his wife, Vanessa, have welcomed their third daughter, according to TMZ. The baby was reportedly born earlier this week extending Kobe’s family to five. The couple have two other daughters — Natalia, 13, and Gianna, 10. Back in July, Bryant took to instagram to announce his wife’s pregnancy. MORE: Kobe Bryant doesn’t miss playing, ’not even a little bit' The baby’s name has not yet been revealed, but we’re completely happy calling her Baby Mamba for now....

The timing couldn’t have been better, according to Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, who is overseeing team operations during the sale process. MORE: Danny Ferry will be punished for racial comments on Luol Deng | Civil rights leaders ask for meeting with Hawks In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Koonin said he “was shocked” that Levenson’s announcement has already attracted more than a half-dozen “multi-billionaires” who have reached out to Koonin since the news broke....

So much for a business brotherhood of the Koreas. In 1998 South Korea elected a new president, Kim Dae Jung, who vowed to end five decades of hostile division between the Koreas. He soon lifted laws making it illegal to travel to North Korea for business or pleasure. The message to business was clear: go North, and begin the work of reuniting the Korean nation. With a sense of patriotic zeal, dozens of companies answered the call....

France 11/2 to win the World Cup The Arsenal and France defender has represented Les Bleus on 49 occasions but is now ready to step back from the international game. “Yes I think (I will retire from France),” Koscielny told a press conference. “I have six months left to enjoy my time with France. After that, it will be time to give my place to young players behind me....

Following the reinstatement of Muhoroni Youth and Sofapaka to KPL, the two teams will now play their first matches over the weekend as they await catch-up dates for the matches missed in the first week. Baraza: Sofapaka are ready to play, even now! On Sunday, Muhoroni Youth will host Kariobangi Sharks at Muhoroni Stadium as from 3:00pm, 45 minutes before Sofapaka take to the pitch against Sony Sugar at Afraha Stadium....

At a meeting in the Kazakhstani capital of Astana last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said 222,000 people within Russia have already been mobilized to offset the personnel losses accrued throughout its near yearlong incursion into Ukraine, and that he expected the country’s draft to end within the next two weeks. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that it was uncertain whether the country would actually honor Putin’s assertions, emphasizing “there is no more specific date” for the partial mobilization, which started on September 21, to officially end....

Yes, sure, we’ve heard plenty recently about the plight the NBA’s smaller markets, how impossible it is these days for them to keep star players in place. But someone should be out there speaking up for the sad-sack big markets, whose billions in franchise worth apparently offer no discernable advantage in building a championship (or even playoff) team. MORE: The complete Porzingis trade timeline Thursday was a watershed day for the bad times in big markets....

The Knicks’ young star closed down his postgame on-court interview Tuesday after being asked by MSG reporter Rebecca Haarlow whether his team ever feels as though it can’t come back in a game. New York had just rallied for a 118-113 win over the Hornets after trailing by 15 in the second half and nine midway through the fourth quarter. They also came back to beat the Pacers on Sunday....