Stephen Kenny will be in Poland tomorrow to watch Legia Warsaw host Piast Gliwice as Dundalk accelerate preparations for their huge Champions League play-off games against the Polish champions at Aviva Stadium on August 17 and in Warsaw on August 23.

New Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has rubbished rumours striker Diego Costa could be set to leave Stamford Bridge.

New Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante has revealed a speech from Antonio Conte helped convince him to leave Premier League champions Leicester for Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham 2  Qarabag 1 Europa League Group J

Celtic have the prospect of facing Robin van Persie and Nani’s new side Fenerbahce plus Ajax and Molde from Norway in Group A after they were drawn together in the Europa League group stages.

Jermain Defoe’s hat-trick spared Sunderland’s blushes as they defeated Exeter 6-3 in a thrilling Capital One Cup clash last night.

Angel di Maria is sure he will find contentment at Paris St Germain after a woeful and unsettling year at Manchester United.

Louis van Gaal hosted a frank Q&A session in San Jose last night. Plenty of the questions Manchester United fans have been asking were tackled.

Brian O’Driscoll… Pray for us… AP McCoy… Pray for us… Henry Shefflin… Pray for us… Ruby Walsh…. Pray for us.

Celtic captain Scott Brown will undergo a scan after suffering a hamstring injury that could hamper his club’s Champions League qualification efforts.

Celtic could play a Champions League game in Dublin next season.

Swansea’s Spanish stars face a daunting trip to Valencia in their first-ever Europa League group stage campaign as long-haul journeys to Russia, Moldova and northern Norway beckon for Tottenham.

Swedish coach Erik Hamren has warned that Ireland will set out to be party poopers in Stockholm when the countries meet in a World Cup qualifier on Friday week.

Aston Villa are relaxed over the future of striker Andreas Weimann after holding initial talks over a new contract.

Newcastle 0 Metalist Kharkiv 0

In recent years, the moments at which successive Ireland managers have reached the point of no return have usually been accompanied by howls of rage and frustration from the stands.

Tottenham and Liverpool were both handed Italian jobs after being paired with Lazio and Udinese in today’s Europa League group-stage draw.

PAOK and Rapid Vienna have been punished by UEFA following the crowd disturbances that marred their Europa League play-off first leg in Salonika last Thursday.

Last season’s beaten finalists Athletic Bilbao were made to work hard by Croatian side Slaven Belupo before edging through 4-3 on aggregate in the Europa League third qualifying round.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised the “desire and commitment” of his side following their 1-0 Europa League third qualifying round first leg win over Gomel last night.

Slaven Bilic has neglected to ape Giovanni Trapattoni by naming his team in advance of Sunday’s Group C opener against Ireland in Poznan but it now seems certain the Croatian coach will ask Everton’s Nikica Jelavic to spearhead his attack.

QPR were the Barclay’s Premier League’s biggest spenders on transfer deadline day with almost £9million invested on strikers Bobby Zamora and Djibril Cisse.

Chelsea have made a £1.5m bid for Nottingham Forest striker Patrick Bamford, according to Forest boss Steve Cotterill.

Rapid Vienna striker Hamdi Salihi would welcome a move to Celtic.

UEFA have made up for an injustice perpetrated on Celtic 27 years ago by reinstating the club in the Europa League, according to Hoops legend Frank McGarvey.

Porto 1 Braga 0

THE meeting of Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium was the big Europa League clash last night to see who would qualify from Group J and a 2-2 draw insured the Spanish side took the spoils.

Aston Villa handed a Barclays Premier League debut to midfielder Jonathan Hogg for the home clash with Manchester United.

Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is battling to be fit for Sunday’s derby clash with Wolves at Molineux.

RANGERS manager Walter Smith insists he has no intention of following in the footsteps of Alex Ferguson by having a change of heart over retiring at the end of the season.

Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell has started on the comeback trail after missing the opening five games of the campaign.

Rapid Vienna have signed Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink on a two-year deal.

RANDY LERNER’S smile returned yesterday after the storm clouds that enveloped Aston Villa since last Sunday were given a gentle shove, although not entirely blown away.

Aston Villa 1 Everton 0

Gabriel Agbonlahor has given Aston Villa a massive boost by declaring he wants to remain with the midlands club for the rest of his career.

Nikica Jelavic is free to make his Rangers debut in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with St Johnstone after being granted a work permit.

Big-spending Manchester City face a glamorous clash with Italian giants Juventus in the Europa League group stage.

Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne will have a late fitness test on his back injury ahead of Sunday’s home Premier League clash with Everton.

ASTON VILLA crashed out of the Europa League last night at the final qualifying hurdle against Rapid Vienna for the second successive season despite twice being in front.

Aston Villa 2 Rapid Vienna 0

ASTON VILLA caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald has admitted managing the club on a permanent basis would be a “great opportunity” for him.