Exeter hope to have South African forward Jacques Vermeulen available next week after he had to stay in his homeland after having documents stolen.

He is due back over the weekend but will miss Sunday's game at Worcester.

He had gone back home to get a new passport in order to apply for a visa to play in Exeter's European games.

"While waiting to pick up his new passport he had other documents stolen from a car break-in which meant other elements had to be re-applied for including his residency card for South Africa, which he wasn't allowed to fly without," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport.

"Ironically his new passport wasn't stolen, he was able to pick that up, so the one thing he went over there for he was able to get pretty easily, and then he had to re-apply for everything else that he lost."

Vermeulen, who was part of the Exeter side that won the Premiership and European Champions Cup double in 2020, spent 10 months on the sidelines with a serious hamstring injury, only returning last March.

"The important thing is no-one got hurt," added Baxter.

"We dealt with last weekend's game and I'm pretty certain that all the conversations we've had that Jacques will come back ready to play and ready to go.

"We'll have a good look at him this weekend when he gets back and then we'll assess him for next week."

Nevin Spence has been described as "a great man and a great friend" on the 10th anniversary of his death.

It was a tragedy that not only hit the local community but rippled through the sport right across Ireland.

Paddy McAllister, who came through Ulster's ranks with Spence, said he had "fond memories of Nevin that I remember like yesterday".

"At times like now, when anniversaries come, thoughts, funny moments and arguments, things like that which brothers and friends do, they linger," he added.

"I count myself lucky to have met Nevin. As a 16-year-old playing rugby for Ulster Schools, unfortunately we had a similarity where we were both injured quite regularly, so we spent a lot of time with each other.

"That grew into a good friendship. Ten years on, as a man and a father now, and there are a lot more happy memories."

McAllister, who left Ulster in 2014 before playing for Gloucester and Connacht, said that he will cherish his friendship with Spence.

"The first time we shared personal time together was at an Irish Academy camp down at UCD," he recalled.

"We were walking down the hallway of campus and he jumped on me from behind to try and wrestle me.

"Now, I've got two older brothers and Nevin had Graham, so it was a physical relationship."

McAllister said his room-mate Spence was "full of life and loved to learn" and "always had a smile on his face".

"To share the pitch with somebody is a brotherhood, but to be best friends and have a relationship off the pitch is very special.

"That is something I had with Nevin and will cherish.

"He loved to help, he loved to have fun, he took his family to heart and he loved going back to the farm and his family.

"He was extremely messy. His poor mum [Essie]. He had all his meals cooked for him and he didn't even wash the dishes to bring back to her. She had to do the dirty washing."

Spence would have played for Ireland

Spence was first introduced to rugby at Dromore High School and Wallace High School, and he played his club rugby with Ballynahinch. He was also a capable footballer, playing for Northern Ireland Under-16s.

A member of the Ulster Academy, Spence graduated to make his senior Ulster debut against Ospreys in April 2010 and in the little more than two seasons he played for Ulster he made 42 appearances, scoring five tries.

He made 11 appearances for the Ireland Under-20 rugby team, scoring four tries, and was called up to Ireland's senior training squad for the 2011 Six Nations.

"There are fond memories. People have asked me a lot about what Nev would have done in his career, and of course the trajectory was that he would have played for Ireland," McAllister added.

"We were young kids at that stage, loving life playing for Ulster. There is no better feeling and no better job.

"He was playing for Ireland 'A' already, and it is a nice conversation to have with friends and family, asking how far he could have gone.

"There are not memories of sadness, there are memories of someone doing something amazing in a short life and we take comfort in that."

Nevin and family moulded me

McAllister said it is "important" to remember the whole Spence family on the anniversary of the tragic accident.

Nevin, Graham and Noel are survived by mother Essie and sisters Emma and Laura.

"Nevin was a prominent member of the rugby community at such a young age, but there was Noel and Graham who left their family as well.

"Words can't describe how a family can even grieve or move on from that. It's strange, at the beginning when the event happened we tried to comfort them but I found I was getting strength from Essie, Emma and Laura.

"They are an amazingly strong family, with their faith and community, and to see their families blossom through Emma and Laura is amazing to see.

"The memory does live on of all three men and everyone in their respective communities will have their own fond memories."

McAllister added he was "very fortunate" that he grew up with Spence and they bonded over their shared Christian faith.

"Moving through Ulster's ranks, mine and Nevin's careers were very much mirrored.

"He was a young Christian man and so am I, and we were each other's safety blankets on certain occasions. It was hard losing that but faith is the most amazing thing to have.

"I had a friendship and a relationship with Nevin which instilled something inside of me that enables me to live a certain way.

"I live my life as good a man as I can be and a part of me was moulded by Nevin and his family."

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag faces a potential crisis up front after confirming Marcus Rashford has picked up a "muscle injury."

Rashford has been ruled out of Thursday's Europa League clash at FC Sheriff and with Anthony Martial also injured, Cristiano Ronaldo is the only main option in attack.

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"He's not available," Ten Hag told a news conference on Wednesday. "The consequence after Arsenal. He has a muscle injury.

"No, I don't think [he will be out] too long, but I cannot tell how long. It's not really bad and we expect him to be back quite soon."

Rashford's rejuvenated form has raised questions as to whether he should be included in Gareth Southgate's England World Cup squad and Ten Hag believes he deserves the chance.

"It's quite clear [he can make England squad], sure, yes," the Dutchman said. "He's shown his great potential and quality."

The appearance of Cristiano Ronaldo has been highly anticipated by Sheriff supporters but the Portuguese forward has only started two matches in all competitions since the start of the Premier League season.

Ten Hag remained tight-lipped on whether Ronaldo would feature in Moldova.

"I'm sorry but the Moldovan fans will have to wait until tomorrow," he said.

It will be the first time United and Sheriff have met, and both had opposing starts to their Europa League campaign.

Ten Hag's side slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad while Sheriff picked up a 3-0 win over Omonia -- the United boss is not underestimating his opposition and is expecting a tough match.

"It's quite clear, they beat Real Madrid and Shakhtar, they are capable," he said.

"We have to make it our game but we are conscious of that fact. They are a serious and decent opponent and we have to play our best for the win."

Meanwhile, United goalkeeper David de Gea reiterated the significance of the match, despite believing his side should not be competing in the Europa League.

"I think it's a great competition," the Spain goalkeeper said. "We should be playing the Champions League, but this is the competition we play for, so we play for everything.

"I have great memories of this competition and tomorrow we have another big game against Sheriff."

De Gea, who is in his 12th season with the club, still claims United's spot for first-choice goalkeeper.

Dean Henderson, who left to join Nottingham Forest on loan in the summer, previously said he was "fuming" about his treatment at the club and their failure to deliver the promise of making him their No. 1.

But De Gea said that it is important to focus on the future of the club.

"Well, I'm just here to do my job, to try to better every day, so I don't think it's the time to talk about what happened last season," he said. "I think we should focus on the season now."

Matchday Two of the Champions League group stage is wrapped up, providing fans with late drama, upsets and plenty of goals. We asked our writers Rob Dawson, Alex Kirkland and Mark Ogden to answer some of our burning questions.

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What caught your attention from Matchday Two?

Kirkland: Last year's winners Real Madrid have a habit of underperforming in the first Champions League game of the season at the Bernabeu -- they were beaten 2-1 by unfancied Sheriff Tiraspol last year, lost 3-2 to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2020 and came back to draw 2-2 with Club Brugge in 2019 -- but there was no such slip-up this time against RB Leipzig.

The visitors had looked dangerous, creating some early chances, but it was Madrid who were more clinical: Fede Valverde opening the scoring with his fifth goal involvement in his last six games before Marco Asensio finished the job in added time.

Dawson: Club Brugge have never been beyond the group stages of the Champions League but after thumping FC Porto 4-0 in Portugal on Tuesday, the Belgian side sit top of Group B with two wins from two. On Matchday One, they beat Bayer Leverkusen, who recorded an impressive result of their own on Tuesday with 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

It means that Club Brugge are three points clear at the top after two games ahead of back-to-back games against Atletico in October. Despite being the lowest-ranked seeds in the group, they have given themselves a great chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Ogden: Joao Cancelo's pass. Everyone will rightly talk about the audacity of Erling Haaland's late goal for Manchester City in their 2-1 win over his former club Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad -- a left-foot volley at the far post -- but you will not see a better pass all season than the one which Cancelo delivered for Haaland to score.

Cancelo, City's right-footed left-back, sent the ball into the Dortmund penalty area with the outside of his right foot and the curl of the ball enabled saw it move away from the goalkeeper and enable Haaland to score. It was a stunning pass which only a world-class player could produce.

Which big clubs will struggle to make it to the knockout stage?

Kirkland: Atletico Madrid never have an easy time in the groups. In each of the last three seasons, they've only confirmed their progression to the knockout stage on Matchday Six, needing nervy away wins at FC Salzburg in 2020-21 and Porto in 2021-22. This year, Atletico's Group B could be just as unpredictable and another trip to Porto on Nov. 1 could be decisive.

- O'Hanlon: Ranking every Champions League team this season (E+)

As for the other LaLiga teams, Barcelona did enough in defeat at Bayern to suggest last year's group stage exit won't be repeated, while Sevilla are in trouble already with a point from two games.

Dawson: Rangers are back in the group stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 but they're finding it tough on their return. Bottom of Group A after two defeats and with a record of no goals scored and seven conceded, it's going to be very hard to qualify from here.

They may already have their sights set on finishing third to earn a place in the Europa League but even that is going to be a big ask with back-to-back games against Liverpool next up. They need six points from their two remaining home games against Liverpool and Ajax to stand any chance of remaining in Europe beyond Christmas.

Ogden: It's not looking good for Juventus, who have yet to pick up a point in Group H following back-to-back defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica. Juve have lost Paulo Dybala, Matthijs de Ligt and Giorgio Chiellini since the end of last season, while injured summer signing Paul Pogba is facing weeks on the sidelines, so it is tough to see how Massimiliano Allegri's team can get out of the hole they're in.

If they fail to win twice against Maccabi Haifa in the next two games, it'll be all over for the Italian giants.

Who are the most impressive young players under 21?

Kirkland: The result didn't end up going their way but Pedri (19) and Gavi (18) showed why they're the midfield present and future for Barcelona -- and Spain -- in the 2-0 loss at Bayern. The performance was good enough to suggest that Barca are once again a team to be taken seriously at this level.

Elsewhere, an under-the-radar pick is Sevilla right-back Jose Angel Carmona (20). He's had quite a week, scoring twice in a 3-2 LaLiga win at Espanyol at the weekend and looking like one of Sevilla's most accomplished players in a 0-0 draw away at Copenhagen in just his second Champions League appearance.

Dawson: Jurrien Timber was linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer and you can see why after his performance for Ajax against Liverpool on Tuesday. Ajax lost the game at Anfield 2-1 thanks to a late Joel Matip header but Timber's valuation will only have increased after another impressive display.

Among other things, the 21-year-old Netherlands international showed a maturity to play in a complex role which saw him push into midfield from his position at centre-back. He might not have got his move this summer but it can only be a matter of time before Europe's heavyweight clubs come calling again.

Ogden: Jude Bellingham produced another top quality performance, and a goal, during Borussia Dortmund's clash with Manchester City on Wednesday, but the 19-year-old midfielder seems as though he has been on the Champions League scene for years. If you're looking for youngsters who are just bursting onto the scene, then Club Brugge defender Abakar Sylla is the breakout teenager this season. Just 19, the Ivorian has been outstanding for the Belgian team, who have won two out of two and are top of Group B so far.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Rams running back Cam Akers said Wednesday he didn't expect to have such a limited role during Los Angeles' 31-10 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills last Thursday night.

Rams coach Sean McVay, also speaking to reporters Wednesday, said he'd had a conversation with Akers about needing to play with more urgency, noting the reason the pair had that discussion is "a result of my confidence in him and the expectations we have and what we need him to be, which isn't anything more than what he's capable of."

Akers said that conversation happened during training camp, but that he wasn't expecting his limited workload in Week 1. Akers played just 12 snaps against the Bills, finishing with 3 carries for 0 yards.

And while Akers acknowledged that Thursday night was frustrating, he noted that the Rams still have 16 regular-season games remaining and said he didn't "want to make it too big, bigger than what it is."

"If Coach don't think I'm being urgent, then [I need to] be more urgent," Akers said. "That's what it comes down to."

When asked what he thought McVay was referencing when he cited a need for increased urgency, Akers said, "Probably more so in practice, I would think. Not in a game, obviously, because that was the first game. Probably practice.

"Whatever Coach says, I'm going to take it and I'm going to learn from it. Whatever you want to say. I'm going to take it and learn from it and go from there. Whether I think it's right or not, maybe I'm not always right."

Akers said he thought he "did decent" in the game on Thursday, but said there's "always room to improve, though."

"And I want to improve," Akers said. "I don't think I'm perfect."

McVay also on Wednesday discussed wide receiver Allen Robinson's limited role in Week 1, saying he needs to have "some more intentionality about" getting Robinson those targets.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Allen was targeted just twice on 45 routes run. The 4.4% target rate was the lowest of his career.

"Whatever I say is going to be an excuse, but there wasn't [a good enough job done] on my part in terms of the types of things that we were getting off to allow our players to be able to get into a rhythm," McVay said. "And you credit Buffalo, they did a great job, but I think it's just having a more specific approach to things that accentuate his skillset.

"That's what I've got to do a better job of and Allen is certainly somebody that needs to be more involved and get more opportunities."

Quarterback Matthew Stafford said the Rams are at their best on offense when they're getting everyone involved.

"I can do a better job of distributing the football to those guys, getting those guys touches early on in games and helping them feel in the rhythm of the game," Stafford said.

But despite the lack of targets, Robinson said he trusts Stafford's "judgment" on the field, and ultimately it's just "about us trying to win a game."

"At the end, everyone wants to get opportunities, but at the same time, some of the ways they played us and different things like that," Robinson said. "I've just got to continue to do what I can do and try to maximize my opportunities. But in some games, that's how it goes sometimes. This week [we] just need to go back to the drawing board, try to figure out how we can be better."