Sport shorts: Lando Norris injury ‘looks more dramatic than it is’ and Cristiano Ronaldo praises Lionel Messi for rivalry

McLaren driver Lando Norris is currently in his rookie season in Formula 1

(Image credit: Charles Coates/Getty Images)

published 27 August 2019

1. McLaren play down Lando’s injury

Formula 1 returns from its summer break with the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday and there are fears that McLaren driver Lando Norris could miss the race because of injury.

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Cristiano Ronaldo believes the rivalry with Lionel Messi has made both players better footballers. When asked about Barcelona star Messi, Juventus striker Ronaldo said: “I have no doubt that Messi has made me a better player and vice-versa. When I am winning trophies it must sting him and it’s the same for me when he wins. I really admire the career he [Messi] has had and from his side, he has already talked of the disappointment when I left Spain because it was a rivalry that he appreciated.”

Rory McIlroy insists that lifting trophies is far more important to him than winners’ cheques after the Northern Irish golfer secured the PGA Tour’s FedExCup and $15m (£12.2m). After winning the Tour Championship, the PGA’s final event of the season, the 30-year-old said: “I was thinking about winning this tournament, winning the stroke average, getting back to second in the world. All those things are way more important to me. I realise I’m in a very privileged position that I can say that but at this stage in my career they are way more important to me.”

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt admits his side did not play well in the 57-15 thrashing by England on Saturday, but says all that matters is what happens when the Rugby World Cup starts next month. “What really matters is in four weeks’ time,” said Schmidt. “You do get some disproportionate scores [in warm-ups], but we weren’t good enough.” On Saturday 31 August Ireland continue their World Cup preparations with a trip to Cardiff to take on Wales.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hinted he will leave the club and take a sabbatical from football when his Anfield contract expires in 2022. The German told Kicker: “Who can now say if he can give it his all in three years’ time? If I decide for myself that I can’t go on anymore, I’ll take a break and in that year I’d have to make a definite decision [over my career]. I have absolute energy, but I have one problem; I can’t do ‘a little bit’. I can only do ‘all or nothing’.”

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that Tottenham’s Premier League title hopes are already over after their 1-0 defeat at home against Newcastle. Merson said: “Spurs look in disarray, a worrying sign this early in the season. They are out of the title race already, five points behind Liverpool with three games played. That may sound harsh, but would you back Spurs to win the league over Liverpool if Liverpool had a five-point head start?”