Man Utd have made formal contact, and the USMNT camp can feel what's coming.

Mauricio Pochettino is set to succeed Michael Carrick at Old Trafford. The Athletic reports that United have made formal contact with U.S. Soccer. His buyout is in the region of $10million (£7.4m) and would need to be paid to release him from his USA contract.

Sky Sports News reveals that United's bosses met Pochettino two years ago, shortly after Chelsea sacked him. They considered him then as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag. On the American side, USMNT players say they want him to stay but can sense what's coming. Antonee Robinson says the speculation has not affected the team's preparations for their Concacaf Nations League campaign.

The Wild Card take: Some relationships take two years to get going. This one just needed a Chelsea sacking and a long wait.

The manager is gone with the club bottom of the table.

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Pierre Sage after just 16 games in charge. The club are bottom of the table.

The record belongs to Kane alone now.

Harry Kane has broken the record for the most senior England caps by a single player in history, winning his 126th against Croatia. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Burn started in the same game.

BBC Sport has looked back at his journey, from the 21-year-old who scored 79 seconds into his debut to the man who has now passed his nation's appearance record. It has also picked 10 of his most iconic England moments. The Athletic explores how he chased down Peter Shilton's long-standing record.

The Wild Card take: 79 seconds to score on debut. Some of us take longer to find our seat at the stadium.

Safety concerns and the risk of armed conflict end their plans before the tournament starts.

The USA have withdrawn from the Under-17 World Cup, which starts in Qatar next week. BBC Sport says the reason is the risk of armed conflict. The Athletic's sources describe it as a decision over safety concerns.

The Americans were due to face Montenegro, Chile and Algeria at the youth tournament.

Big names have left, but the Barca way keeps going.

Arsenal face a much-changed Barcelona in the Women's Champions League on Thursday. BBC Sport asks how the Spanish giants have coped so well with losing key players.

The answer on offer is that the "Barca way" continues despite the big-name exits.

The Wild Card take: Losing stars and carrying on regardless. We'd like to know how, because our fantasy team can't manage it.