1. RACISM ROW Liverpool FC are to appeal the eight-game ban handed down to Luis Suarez last night.
The Anfielld club are furious at the decision and have set themselves on a collision course with the Football Association, having challenged their handling of the charge.
2. SACK RACE Owen Coyle last night backed Blackburn manager Steve Kean after Bolton won their crunch clash 2-1 at Ewood Park.
The Trotters now leapfrog Blackburn off the bottom of the table – yet the under-pressure Kean remains optimistic, he says. In the other game Wolves and Norwich played out a 2-2 draw.
3. PREMIER LEAGUE After last night’s starter, it’s time to move on to the main. There’s a packed slate of games in the Premier League with the Aston Villa hosting Arsenal, Man City welcoming Stoke to Eastlands, Newcastle and West Brom clashing on Tyneside and Swnasea travelling to Everton.
Elsewhere, Fulham face Manchester United in London, QPR and Sunderland clash across town at Loftus Road and Wigan face Liverpool at the JW Stadium.
We’ll liveblog the action throughout.
4. #STAN Those hoping Steve Staunton’s rumoured link to the vacant job at Dundalk FC would come to something were yesterday left dissapointed as a spokesman for the club said media reports were wide of the mark. We’ll wait and see.
Derry City boss Stephen Kenny meanwhile is now odds on to take over the vacant Shamrock Rovers position.
5. TENNIS Venus Williams’ appearance at next month’s Australian Open has been thrown into doubt by her ongoing health issues.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was forced to withdraw from January’s ASB Classic in Auckland as she continues to cope with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease.
6. #GAA Croke Park have confirmed that both AIB All-Ireland Club Football semi-finals will take place on Saturday, 18 February.
