Andrew Smith won't play this weekend unless he trains tomorrow. Ashley Crowden / INPHO Ashley Crowden / INPHO / INPHO

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• Munster may be forced into a midfield switch because of a knee injury to centre Andrew Smith.
• Mayo football bosses have apologised for the way they handled their search for James Horan‘s replacement.
• DJ Carey was on the sidelines as IT Carlow won the Higher Education senior hurling league final this afternoon.
• Ireland’s James McCarthy is going nowhere according to his boss at Everton.
• The Irish Roller Derby team is getting set for the World Cup in Texas tomorrow.

Lambert and Keane together at Villa. Stephen Pond / PA Archive/Press Association Images Stephen Pond / PA Archive/Press Association Images / PA Archive/Press Association Images

Away

• Paul Lambert insists there was no bust-up involving Roy Keane despite media reports. 
• Sergio Aguero is doing his best to convince Messi to come to Manchester City.
• Michael Clarke paid an emotional final tribute as Phil Hughes was laid to rest in Australia today.

The best thing we shared

Dortmund may be doing okay in the Champions League but they’re currently propping up the Bundesliga. To make amends, the players volunteered to pull pints for up to 1,000 fans at the club’s Christmas Party.

Dortmund try to make up for their poor season. BVB BVB

On the record

“France is hypocritical and cowardly. Sometimes I think that if we’d been overrun by the Germans, we’d be better run.”

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Emmanuel Petit has accused the French nation of being “hypocritical and cowardly” over their lack of love for Thierry Henry and he traces it all back to that handball.

The fixture list

• La Rochelle and Exeter Chiefs kick off the latest round of European Challenge Cup.
• Week 14 of the NFL gets under way with the under-pressure Dallas Cowboys travelling to Chicago to take on the Bears

Showbiz, baby!

Love him or loathe him, Danny Cipriani is still pretty good at rugby:

“Hang on, I’m just trying to find a Paul McCartney GIF”

DJ Carey manages IT Carlow to senior hurling league title win against UCC

‘I’d like to think I’ll stay healthy enough that I’d love to have a go again’ – Dalo’s managerial future