The Decathlon: ten things from the world of sport today

1. Miller will appeal

Jarrell Miller has denied that he “knowingly” took a banned substance ahead of his world heavyweight title fight against Anthony Joshua, Sky Sports reports. After an “adverse finding” in a drugs test the American has been refused a boxing licence for his bout against Joshua in New York on 1 June. In a report by the BBC Miller says he has “done nothing wrong”. The Daily Telegraph says that Joshua has vowed to keep his US debut plans and will fight anybody. The British boxer said: “Just get me an opponent.”

2. Champions League semi-final dates

After the drama in the last eight the four teams have been confirmed for the Uefa Champions League semi-finals. Tottenham Hotspur will play Ajax at home in the first leg on Tuesday 30 April. Spurs then travel to Amsterdam on Wednesday 8 May. Barcelona will host Liverpool at the Camp Nou on Wednesday 1 May with the return fixture taking place at Anfield on Tuesday 7 May.

3. Archer: I’ll give it my best shot

Jofra Archer has not been named in England’s preliminary squad for the Cricket World Cup but the all-rounder says he will give it his “best shot” to impress and force his way into the final selection. Quoted by the BBC, he said: “I’m going to give it my best shot. Of course I want to play in the World Cup, but if it doesn’t happen for me I’m not going to get upset.”

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4. Rashford future in doubt?

Could Marcus Rashford be set to leave Manchester United? The Daily Mail reports that the England striker is stalling over a new contract at Old Trafford and is demanding £200,000-a-week. The 21-year-old’s current deal expires in 2020 and he is reportedly a target for Barcelona.

5. United’s women get promoted

Manchester United Women will play in the Women’s Super League next season after securing promotion from the Championship. They beat Aston Villa 5-0 on Wednesday night to take their season league record to 15 wins in 17 matches.

6. 2019 NFL London games confirmed

American football will return to London this year with four NFL matches being played in the UK capital. Two games will be played at Wembley and two will take place at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

• 6 October: Chicago Bears vs. Oakland Raiders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• 13 October: Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• 27 October: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium
• 3 November: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium

7. Salah included in Time 100

Liverpool and Egypt footballer Mohamed Salah has been named as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2019 by Time magazine. British comedian and Liverpool fan John Oliver wrote: “Mo Salah is a better human being than he is a football player. And he’s one of the best football players in the world. I absolutely love him.”

8. BBC could lose live Masters coverage

The Daily Telegraph reports that the BBC is set to lose the final two days of live coverage of The Masters. Sky Sports is “highly likely” to land exclusive UK rights to the broadcast deal for the golf major.

9. Wolff ‘laughs off’ Verstappen claims

It was reported recently that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had repeatedly been on phone calls with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen about his future in Formula 1. However, Planet F1 reports that the Mercedes chief has laughed off the claims. Wolff said: “I haven’t got Max’s number and I’ve never had him on the phone. There is no talking about Max nor his contract. For the right reasons Max is very committed to the Honda-Red Bull situation, and rightly so. We are committed to our drivers.”

10. Chelsea and Arsenal aim for the semi-finals

Premier League sides Chelsea and Arsenal will tonight aim to secure their places in the Uefa Europa League semi-finals. The Blues are 1-0 up on aggregate ahead of their quarter-final second-leg clash against Slavia Prague at Stamford Bridge, while the Gunners take a two-goal lead to Italy for their match against Napoli. All fixtures kick off at 8pm (UK time) and are live on BT Sport.

Europa League fixtures Thursday 18 April: quarter-final second legs

• Chelsea vs. Slavia Prague (8pm; 1-0 on aggregate)
• Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Benfica (8pm; 2-4 on aggregate)
• Napoli vs. Arsenal (8pm; 0-2 on aggregate)
• Valencia vs. Villarreal (8pm; 3-1 on aggregate)