it? rant target is this man, tyson fury, next target is this man, tyson fury, as long as a defining unification mega— fight can be agreed for next summer. mega— fight can be agreed for next summer. me and him are competitive, it is massive. but for the world, the boxing show will be one of the biggest events in the uk since the world cup. it is going to boost the economy, boost the morale of the people. let's get behind boxing. how confident are you it will happen next year? i am certain, keen and ready. we can do it back at finchley if we have to. i want to be the undisputed heavyweight champion, thatis undisputed heavyweight champion, that is the legacy. whatever happens, joshua will hope he has helped others to follow in his footsteps in the sport he is close to conquering. dan roan, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's matt taylor. it is rain from the gathering clouds we have seen in the south giving us concern over the next 36 hours. the

rain totals are totting up. ground is saturated and river levels high, there could be minorflooding. we will see the rain tonight turning heavy across western areas. north and west will see most of the rain. some of it ventures into northern ireland and scotland but here they will be partly clear skies and the chance of a frost. this air of low pressure is responsible for propping up pressure is responsible for propping up the rain tomorrow and later it will bring some stronger winds. england and wales start with light winds, plenty of cloud and rain will come and go for many through the day. any person to the afternoon across the south west, wales, east anglia. maybe a rumble of thunder. scotla nd anglia. maybe a rumble of thunder. scotland and northern ireland that bit brighter. the wind will make it feel chilli later on across parts of northern england and wales. as the area of low pressure pulls a way we could see gales in the west for a time. that low pressure system will continue to go as we had was

christmas eve and christmas day but it does open the door to northerly winds. there is northerly winds will bring colder airfor winds. there is northerly winds will bring colder air for christmas eve and christmas day. maybe wintry showers on christmas eve are plenty of sunshine for many. frosty start for christmas day but rain will arrive later. we are getting news between some partial agreement between the uk and france. we will bring you more at ten o'clock. but hello and welcome to sportsday, i'mjane dougall. coming up on the programme. the premier league will ramp up covid testing with efl clubs reviewing their protocols, but does football need a circuit breaker? action continues on the pitch — we'll be at the emirates ahead of

arsenal's league cup quarter final against manchester city. and we hear from anthony joshua as he discusses the fight of the decade! a potential heavyweight unification bout against tyson fury. also coming up in the programme. the new nba season is hours from getting under way, we'll look ahead to a campaign like no other. and from prison to the touchline. livingston's new boss david martindale joins us to talk about his remarkable journey to the dugout. you have to take the responsibility on the chin. the only way you can move forward is looking at your past.

we start with the ongoing impact of coronavirus in football. as the new variant continues to spread across the country, the premier league have confirmed they'll be testing clubs in tier 4 twice a week, that's up from the current single test. all other clubs will then be tested twice from next month. it comes after several efl matches had to be called off. the league says their clubs will review and strengthen protocols, following the emergence of this new varient of covid. well, ipswich town is one of several clubs to have upcoming games postponed due to outbreaks, but their physio matt byard says it could have been avoided if more regular testing had already been in place. he's been speaking to our sports reporter laura scott. ido i do feel that it was very likely

that an asymptomatic player was within our group on tuesday the 15th and may well have transmitted the virus to my next four that may, in fa ct, virus to my next four that may, in fact, have had the virus to a greater degree. i think if i were tested on monday the 1ath, i would have been able to isolate that asymptomatic positive. in all likelihood, my one wouldn't have become five, my five wood and to become five, my five wood and to become seven, but it appears very strongly that this transmission is a reflection on the new strain of virus, which we have seen of had evidence of affecting the southeast and east of england. i think what is particularly relevant here is the fa ct particularly relevant here is the fact that our policies and procedures haven't evolved usually from july, insomuch that we still do not have access to dressing rooms on the training centre. we are not

showering communally, eating communally, players are leaving and arriving in their own training kit. if those procedures are being challenged by a new strain, i would welcome firstly a reintroduction of testing within the afl, but i think a small hiatus may be relevant to just re—establish protocols and assess that transmission rate. i recognise things might not be better all different in two weeks' time, but i would welcome it in regards to just re—establish things.|j but i would welcome it in regards to just re-establish things. i suppose what you're saying is that it would avoid clubs taking asymptomatic players? i think we are dealing with something new and that's true to say and asi something new and that's true to say and as i recognise the difficulties that we had this week, there are definite challenges ahead for teams coming up and we are moving around the country, routinely staying in hotels, we are crossing tears, maybe not with fans, but as groups of

players, we are spending a long time on the bus where transmission risks, traditionally, all the more great. that was ipswich physio speaking there. well, five ipswich players; the head of football operations and the manager paul lambert are all suffering with coronavirus. paul lambert is self isolating and hejoins us now. how are you feeling, paul? i'm not great. not bad either. the thing i find is that i've been really lethargic, which isn't like me at all. that certainly got to me. stomach cramps, headaches, runny nose, my sense of smell is not the greatest and i never saw this coming the way it was going. of course, a few members of your squad have also come down with it. what's it been like for them? i'm pretty sure it's

the same. i think everybody will have their own different symptoms and how they are feeling but it was touched on there, it's a protocols that are worrying me more than anything else. they are putting people's lives at risk. they are not getting tested regularly. the efl say they are reviewing and strengthening the procedures to minimise the spread of covid. how do you feel it has been handled so far? you might think it's been shocking. i really do. —— you might think it's been shocking. i really do. -- i think it's been shocking. in the bundesliga, i know people have been tested 50 times since they've been back. twice a week, an incredible amount. some players here have been paid for out of their own pockets, for testing. they have had maybe six tests, which isn't enough in this amount of time. again, we have been left out there to fend for ourselves. i think if

you have a protocol with the premier league and the championship, everybody else should follow suit. it's one governing body. regardless what team it is, liverpool, to ipswich town, it doesn't really matter. it's the same virus everybody is fighting. matt byard spoke about a circuit breaker to pause football. do you feel that i would be a good idea, do you think it would take the pressure of clubs? i think it will do, but i would only agree to that if everybody else was doing the same and that's why i think the premier league is the mainly. whatever that does, everybody follow suit. for some reason, the efl and corresponding. they not responding well to... hopefully he can try and sort out the mess, but we are one governing body, we play the same game, we are not any different. we are human, to use liverpool as an example of manchester united, we deserve to be treated the same and if not, things

like this will happen more and more. paul, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. we wish you a speedy recovery. arsenal are... tonight, they play manchester city in the league cup. john, not an easy match, but they're not making it easy for themselves. you might know, but mikel arteta says tonight mikel arteta says... the club that he was at, this time last year, many left is the assistant, pep guardiola to leave manchester city to get to arsenal.

they've won the fa cup, one match away from the semifinal but u nfortu nately, away from the semifinal but unfortunately, the position that they are in which is almost a powerless position in the premier league is the one that is dominating the thoughts when it comes to arsenal at the moment. so much speculation surrounding mikel arteta and his future. he says not walking away, but do think you will have a choice. i would be staggered if he walked away from this, because we know from what he said that he is determined to see this through and determined to see this through and determined to see this through and determined to turn it around. you don't have to go back too far to when it looked promising, really promising, in his early days as the manager of arsenal. 0k, they are going through a sticky spell. the concern for me is that he does not appear to be getting the best out of his players, for whatever reason thatis, his players, for whatever reason that is, and he must turn it around very quickly. they have to start climbing the premier league table because the position that there is simply not good enough for arsenal in the league. john murray at the

emirates. there's one game that's already under way tonight, it's championship club brentford against newcastle. after 55 minutes, it is still 0—0. newcastle started well, they were close early on with a shot on target from callum wilson, forcing the bre ntford from callum wilson, forcing the brentford keeper to make a save. but bre ntford brentford keeper to make a save. but brentford came back into it fairly quickly with a couple of chances of their own. they went wide of the target but they are holding their own. and you can keep up to date with all the goals from tonight's games with 5 live final score on the iplayer, bbc sport app or the red button now. let's take a look at some of the other sports news stories making the headlines today. everton women's manager willie kirk has signed a new contract until 2023. his side reached last season's fa cup final and are fifth in the women's super league, despite a 4—0 defeat to arsenal at the weekend. kirk has been in charge since december 2018. andy murray has beaten cameron norrie 6—4, 7—6 at the battle of the brits premier league event. it means murray has beaten both

norrie, who's the british number three, and british number one dan evans in consecutive days at the event in roehampton. it's a warm—up ahead of tennis‘ new season. no irish trained horses orjockeys will be allowed to race in the uk until december the 31st, following the ban on uk travel by the irish government. it means the likes of monalee will miss the king george vi chase on boxing day. anthonyjoshua has been talking about the fight that everyone wants to see. a potential all—british heavyweight showdown against that man, tyson fury. it would be the first fight in history in which all four heavyweight titles were on the line and joshua has been telling our sports editor dan roan he'll fight him anytime, anywhere. i'm certain. i'm keen, i'm ready. we

can do it back here in finchley if we have to do. honestly. it is about tyson fury, but at the same time it's not. it's about me challenging myself and getting my hands on that belt because i want to be an undisputed heavyweight champion, that's a legacy. also, touching on the subject again, it brings the attention to boxing and i think me and tyson fury, aside from the trash talk and the hype and the fight, we can doa talk and the hype and the fight, we can do a greatjob of bringing attention to boxing, so guys, look, this is the biggest fight in history. we've come from a little community gym. give us some support and who knows what the future can hold for the next generation. just how big an occasion will it be if this historic unification fight with tyson fury is able to be organised. how exciting a prospect is it for you as a gay now? it means everything to me. ——

you as a gay now? it means everything to me. -- how exciting a prospect is it for you as a fighter now? we share this gem in 2010. we have a great history, he spoke highly of me, he is a great talent. especially in its current climate, you have two of the best heavyweights in the world, for me and him, it's massive. but for the world and for the world to now see the importance of grassroots boxing, it is bigger than me and him. it is the worlds eyes on boxing, the government's eyes on boxing, especially in this time, to say that these kids have come through the grassroots, through the olympic system, to the professional, to bring on a boxing show that will be one of the biggest events since the world cup. it will boost the economy, the morale of the people. let's get behind boxing. talking of getting behind boxing, joshua also said he's giving a six