Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris is "feeling great" after ankle surgeries derailed his 2021-22 season and is expected to be 100% heading into training camp later this month, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.

"He's doing great," Bartelstein told ESPN. "Feeling great, ready to roll."

Harris played in just 14 games last season while dealing with recurring issues in his left ankle. After initially having surgery on the ankle in late November, Harris underwent another procedure in March after he tried to rehab and couldn't get back on the floor.

Bartelstein reiterated what he told the New York Post in an earlier interview -- noting that Harris would "absolutely" be ready to start the season fully healthy. Harris, 31, averaged 11.6 points and 30.1 minutes per game last season.

The Nets remain confident that with a healthy Harris and Seth Curry, who was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers at last season's trade deadline, they will have some strong outside shooting to go along with stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons.

Robert Baloucoune, Nathan Doak and Ethan McIlroy are among nine Ulster players named in the Emerging Ireland squad for the Toyota Challenge.

The team will play against against the Griquas, Pumas and Cheetahs in Bloemfontein later this month.

Baloucoune is one of four capped players selected for the trip.

Critics have suggested that the tour puts the performance of the four Irish provinces in the United Rugby Championship (URC) at risk with players missing at least two rounds of fixtures.

However, a number of established Ireland internationals say the benefits of the tour far outweigh any short-term selection problems it poses for the provinces.

Caolin Blade, Shane Daly and Max Deegan are the other capped players in the young squad.

With Ireland head coach Andy Farrell staying at home, the tour will be led by defence coach Simon Easterby, with Paul O'Connell, Mike Catt and John Fogarty joining him in South Africa.

"The coaching group are really excited about working with this squad and broadening the selection pool for the national team," said Easterby.

"We will look to replicate the national team environment and training intensity, so players get a good understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest level.

"The players will have to adapt to the national team's tactical and technical approach in a very short window of time and deal with the pressure of performing in a green jersey."

Emerging Ireland squad

Backs: Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Caolin Blade (Connacht), Jack Crowley (Munster), Shane Daly (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Jake Flannery (Ulster), Antoine Frisch (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Michael McDonald (Ulster), Ethan McIlroy (Ulster) Stewart Moore (Ulster), Chay Mullins (Connacht) Calvin Nash (Munster), Jamie Osbourne (Leinster), Andrew Smith (Leinster).

Forwards: Tom Ahern (Munster), Diarmuid Barron (Munster), Tom Clarkson (Leinster), James Culhane (Leinster), Max Deegan (Leinster), Brian Deeny (Leinster), John Hodnett (Munster), Sam Illo (Connacht), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ulster), Alex Kendellen (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Michael Milne (Leinster), Scott Penny (Leinster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), Callum Reid (Ulster), Roman Salonoa (Munster), Alex Soroka (Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Dylan Tierney-Martin (Connacht) Josh Wycherley (Munster).

Bath's Niall Annett has been banned for two matches for his unusual red card against Bristol Bears.

He was among the replacements for the match and was dismissed for "acts contrary to good sportsmanship" after becoming involved in a melee after Luke Morahan's try for the Bears.

Annett, 31, attended an independent disciplinary hearing.

He accepted the charge and his ban means he will be unavailable for matches against Sale Sharks and Wasps.

In a Twitter post after the match, Annett wrote: "Just want to apologise to everyone associated with Bath Rugby. Not how I saw my first game going and deeply embarrassed and disappointed in myself. Players, staff, fans and everyone else associated, sorry for my actions."

New Zealand Rugby has lost $280,000 (£145,000) of funding for failing to meet a quota of at least 40% of their board consisting of female officials.

"While this funding is valuable to NZ Rugby, it will not impact our current work streams," said NZ Rugby board chair Stewart Mitchell.

New Zealand hosts the women's version of the Rugby World Cup next month.

New Zealand's nine-strong board includes three women, including former Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer.

Mitchell emphasised that the board had "50% overall diversity".

"Rugby benefits when there is a range of demographics, skills, backgrounds and personal characteristics on boards. Moving forward it is critical that we maintain a long-term focus to ensure sustainable and meaningful change," he added.

New Zealand go into the Rugby World Cup as defending champions after their victory over England in 2017.

However their preparations have been marked by coaching changes, with former All Blacks coaches Wayne Smith and Sir Graham Henry coming in, and a critical review of the culture overseen by the previous regime.

The hosts have slipped behind tournament-favourites England on the field, suffering two heavy defeats to the Red Roses last autumn.

Portia Woodman and Sarah Hirini, who both started New Zealand's win over England in the last World Cup final, have been included in the Black Ferns' 32-strong squad despite their recent focus on Sevens.

Half-back Kendra Cocksedge, the most-capped women's player in New Zealand history, is also selected before her imminent retirement.

Chelsea Semple and Tyla Nathan-Wong missed out however.

Alexandra Mandrycky has been promoted by the Seattle Kraken to assistant general manager, becoming the sixth woman elevated to that position this offseason and the first to specialize in analytics.

Mandrycky, 31, joins a growing group of women in assistant general manager roles, along with Kate Madigan (New Jersey), Meghan Hunter (Chicago), Hayley Wickenheiser (Toronto) and Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato (Vancouver). Prior to this year, no woman had served as an assistant general manager for an NHL team.

"I've always been in the school of thought that you find the best person available for the job," Seattle general manager Ron Francis told ESPN. "Alex isn't getting this promotion because she's a female. It's because she's earned this promotion, there's no doubt about it. She's already been involved in all facets of our organization, from the pro side to amateur to management discussions."

Mandrycky was one of Seattle's first hires, as director of hockey administration, and was part of the general manager search committee that hired Francis in 2018.

Since then, Mandrycky has gained influence within the organization. She now oversees an analytics team of four other employees and said her department is expected to grow even more this season with additional hires.

"I'm honored that Ron and the rest of the team value data and technology and what that means to the organization," Mandrycky told ESPN. "I think there are now more women AGMs in the NHL than AGMs that have an analytical background. But the role of analytics has evolved around the league, and we're now involved in all facets of hockey operations. When I started, it was, 'Oh, if they have one person in analytics, they're so innovative.' Now if you don't have more than one person, you're behind."

Mandrycky began working in hockey in 2015 when she was hired by the Minnesota Wild as a data analyst. Prior to that, she worked in software sales, which she said overlaps with her current job, essentially building out and providing data and technology to help improve decisions. Mandrycky has an industrial engineering degree from Georgia Tech.

"When I was hired by Minnesota, I didn't really have any goals in hockey or know what I was getting into," Mandrycky said. "I just thought it was great to think about hockey and watch hockey as a job. But I've learned a lot during my tenure in the game, and I'm going to continue to grow and I look forward to opportunities to learn more about the business aspect as well."

It was a disappointing inaugural season on the ice for the expansion Kraken, who finished last in the Pacific Division with 60 points.

Francis said a priority this offseason was addressing their goal-scoring struggles; Seattle finished with 216 goals, fourth fewest in the NHL. The Kraken signed winger Andre Burakovsky from the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche to a five-year deal and traded for Columbus Blue Jackets winger Oliver Bjorkstrand. Mandrycky and her analytics team were involved in both moves and are included in all key decisions, with seats at the war room for the amateur draft, free agency and trade deadline.

Tears flowed in the locker room. Players hugged each other as high school teammates for the last time. Documentarian Tommy Haines was struck by the rawness of the emotions, even in a land where hockey is considered life.

"It was brutal. I felt for them," Haines said, adding that his crew eventually put their cameras down to console the players. "Coming into this, we didn't want to depict these kids as gladiators or expose all the stupid stuff they might do as teenagers. We wanted to show them as real people. Turn them into humans that the audience is rooting for."

Haines is the director of "Hockeyland," a new documentary that focuses on two Minnesota high school teams during the 2019-20 season. It's about wins and losses, players and their families and the rich hockey traditions in "Minnesota's unforgiving North Country," as the film describes it.

"Hockeyland" opened as the No. 1 documentary in the U.S. last weekend, playing on 64 screens in Minnesota. The 108-minute Northlands Films production goes wide on over 75 more screens the weekend of Sept. 16.

"Minnesota hockey is so big. It's like football in Texas," Haines said. "These guys are like local celebrities, in these towns where hockey is life to them."

Haines directed the 2008 documentary "Pond Hockey." He was drawn to this culture because he was literally born from it, putting on his first pair of skates at five years old in Mountain Iron, Minnesota.

He was inspired by classic documentaries like "Hoop Dreams" and shows like "Friday Night Lights" that captured a community's passion about a sport. He knew it existed in Minnesota with hockey, but hadn't seen it depicted yet on screen. He was curious how players had changed since his days in the culture.

"We weren't sure how the boys were growing up," he said. "But they were still going out hunting, shoveling rooftops, digging their cars out of ditches. I'm not sure how longer it's going to happen, but it was still happening. And hockey is the tie that binds those communities together."

His focus was on two schools in the 2019-20 season: Hermantown, a perennial state championship favorite that churned out NHL prospects like Blake Biondi, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick featured in the film; and Eveleth, a legendary hockey program that won a string of Minnesota state titles while producing players for both the 1960 and 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic men's hockey teams.

"Everyone knows Eveleth. People know that's where hockey started in the state. They've got the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame there," Haines said. "But it's trending like a lot of rural America. The population is declining. The mining jobs are down. We wanted to capture one of the final seasons for Eveleth, before the Golden Bears didn't exist anymore."

Sometimes the story of a high school team is a race against time, and that was true for Eveleth on the ice: 15 of their 20 players were set to graduate. But "Hockeyland" presents a different kind of ticking clock for that hockey program: Eveleth-Gilbert Senior High School was not going to exist for very much longer.

The school had agreed to merge with rival Virginia High School to create the new Rock Ridge High School, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2023. The consolidation of their hockey programs was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eveleth and Virginia played one more season as separate teams in 2020-21. But when the Rock Ridge Wolverines boys' hockey team debuted in 2021-22, it marked the end of Eveleth's incredible legacy as a Minnesota hockey power.

In "Hockeyland," Haines chronicled Eveleth's last best chance for postseason success -- the Bears hadn't won a playoff game in decades -- and how the community reacted to the merger.

"I don't know if they were pissed. I think they sensed they can't compete with other schools now," he said. "They need the population to compete. I think some people in the community were irked, but the writing was on the wall."

Haines' first concept was to do a film specifically about Eveleth before it disappeared. During an exploratory shoot in 2018, Haines watched Eveleth take on Hermantown. He met some players as well as the coaching staff. Haines made the call to focus the documentary on the hockey power that was on the rise and the one whose best days were behind it. That became one of the strongest narratives of the film, right down to the moment when Eveleth's ice resurfacing machine breaks down the day before its big game, leaving the team unable to practice.

"Some obvious differences there between the teams, but I didn't want to focus solely on that," Haines said. "I wanted to explore the commonalities between each town, like the passion both towns and coaches and players have for their programs."

One of those players is Biondi, an NHL prospect who had some initial concerns about participating in the film.

Now playing for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Biondi was a high school star. He was drafted No. 109 overall by the Canadiens in 2020. He averaged 3.04 points per game as a senior in Hermantown and won the 2020 Minnesota Minute Men Mr. Hockey Award, an honor previously captured by the likes of Ryan McDonagh, Nick Leddy and Nick Bjugstad.

"It's just up in my room," Biondi said. "I don't know if I should say this. I don't want someone breaking in."

Nothing says "Minnesota Hockey" more than treating your Mr. Hockey Award like it's the crown jewels.

The 20-year-old center had watched ESPN's 30 For 30 series and older hockey documentaries on players from the 1980s, but he wasn't "super familiar" with the format. He first heard about the potential for "Hockeyland" a few years ago when he sat down for a preliminary interview, but was unsure if it would ever get off the ground.

"I didn't know what to think coming in. It was my senior year, so I was focusing on trying to win a state championship and individual goals," he said. "But then all of a sudden you're mic'd up at the rink. Then you're going to hang out with your buddies somewhere and they're checking in to see where you're going. That kind of got crazy. But after a couple of months, you didn't really notice them."

His hesitation about the project was more about how his team and town would be depicted, rather than himself.

"As a community, we wanted to make sure it was done properly. We didn't want the perception of Hermantown hockey to look poorly," he said. "We were worried about it at the start, but once we got to know Tommy, we weren't. And he obviously did a fantastic job with the movie."

Personally, Biondi said he was self-aware about the filming process.

"Playing for Hermantown, it's something you learn really early, at a young age. Eyes are always on you," he said. "So as a senior, knowing these cameras are on you, it wasn't my first time. I knew it was important to take care of how I'm acting and how others are acting."

The documentary uses Biondi as a symbol for the mania that surrounds high school hockey in Minnesota. One scene shows him showing up to a youth hockey game and being treated like an NHL star by the young players, complete with autographs and photos.

"It's kind of a good and bad thing," Biondi said. "Hermantown hockey is idolized. I wanted to be guys that came before me, like [Winnipeg Jets defenseman] Neal Pionk and others. Everyone wants to be the next big thing. Sometimes, maybe you idolize a bit too much."

Haines focuses on other players and the teams' coaches as well. He follows them inside the rink and into their homes. "Hockeyland" is as much about the people as it is about the hockey.

It's about seeing the players away from the rink, having philosophical conversations while the snow crunches under the tires of their trucks.

It's about seeing parents in wood-paneled living rooms explaining the time they've put in to raising hockey players. That includes the late Lori Dowd, mother to Hermantown players Indio and Aydyn Dowd. Lori died of cancer, and receives a dedication at the film's end.

It's about Pat Andrews watching an old VHS tape of his days as a high school player, scoring a championship-winning goal for Hermantown, a team he'd eventually coach.

Surprisingly, it's not about the hair.

Minnesota high school hockey has become synonymous with the salad found on the heads of players, to the point where pregame introduction videos from the state championships featuring helmet-less players go viral. Hats lose their battles against hockey hair in the film, yet it's not a topic of conversation for the players.

"I think we would have covered it more if they talked about it more. But honestly, they didn't mention it much," Haines said.

That's because as memorable as some of those hockey coifs are, they're just part of the fabric of the hockey culture these families maintain. It's something that might seem odd or extraordinary to an outsider, but that's just another aspect of "Hockeyland" to a local, as Biondi explained.

"It starts with the dads that, once it's dark, go out and flood the outdoor rinks until three in the morning and then go to work at 8 a.m.," Biondi said. "It's the youth programs. It's the kids that leave middle school to go to the rink until it's dark. Then you order pizza, that's your dinner, and then you skate all night long.

"That's hockey up here. It's bred a lot of good players. And I don't think it's going to change any time soon."

A new PGA Tour season is upon us, and that means a new class of rookies fresh off graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour.

Now, the criteria for being a PGA Tour rookie is a little nuanced. Even if a player will be entering his first season as a card-carrying Tour member, if he has logged at least seven Tour starts in any previous season, he has already exhausted his rookie eligibility and can’t be considered for Rookie of the Year. So, that rules out Justin Suh and M.J. Daffue this season.

However, there are still 28 rookies as part of this new crop, including several intriguing talents ranging from recent college grads to DP World Tour members to KFT veterans.

The past four Rookie of the Year winners did not win a Tour event during the season in which they received the honor. Aaron Wise was the last rookie to win on Tour, doing so at the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson.

Will that trend be bucked this season? At least a few from this crew have that ability.

Here are 10 rookies to keep an eye on in 2022-23:

Thomas Detry

Age: 29
College: Illinois (2016)
OWGR snapshot: No. 126; 171 events, 1 win, 35 top-10s
Buzz: Unlike most of these rookies, Detry never played a KFT event until this year's Finals, which he qualified for via non-member FedExCup points. Detry won on the Challenge Tour while setting the tour's record for margin of victory (12 shots) in 2016 shortly after turning pro. He has since spent the past six seasons on the DP World Tour, where he's notched five runner-up finishes.
Fun fact: In addition to golf, Detry played competitive tennis and field hockey growing up in Belgium.

Austin Eckroat

Age: 23
College: Oklahoma State (2021)
OWGR snapshot: No. 243; 31 events, 4 top-10s
Buzz: Overshadowed for much of his amateur career by the likes of Matt Wolff and Viktor Hovland, Eckroat has quietly done everything you could want on his way to the PGA Tour. He was a four-time All-American at Oklahoma State, winning a team NCAA title in 2018. He was on a victorious Walker Cup team, helping the U.S. win at Seminole in 2021. He finished third in the inaugural PGA Tour University class. And after a solid first full KFT season with three top-10s among 10 top-25s, he earned his Tour card via the Finals. He's got potential to be among the Tour's elite drivers and he makes a lot of birdies, though if there's one facet of his game that needs work, it's his short game.
Fun fact: Eckroat got engaged to girlfriend Sally Merrill, whom he had been dating for about two years but has known since they were 18 months old, in May 2021. Their wedding is set for Nov. 19, so he'll be missing the RSM Classic, the Tour's fall finale.

Ben Griffin

Age: 26
College: North Carolina (2018)
OWGR snapshot: No. 181; 59 events, 1 win, 8 top-10s
Buzz: After logging just 35 world-ranked starts on multiple developmental tours, Griffin quit competitive golf in March 2021 and took a job as a financial mortgage loan officer. Retirement didn't last long, however, as Griffin found his way back to the game that fall, making it through all three stages of KFT Q-School before notching three runner-up finishes and ending up eighth in KFT points after the regular season to lock up his PGA Tour card. Griffin ranked eighth in putting average last season on the KFT, though is there's one area where he struggles, it's usually off the tee.
Fun fact: Griffin's great-grandfather, Benjamin Cowan Shields, pitched for the Yankees from 1923 to 1925 and seriously injured a lung after taking a Babe Ruth liner off the chest during batting practice. The lung became infected and he battled tuberculosis until his return to baseball in 1930 with the Red Sox. He also pitched for the Phillies the following season.

Harry Hall

Age: 25
College: UNLV (2019)
OWGR snapshot: No. 250; 61 events, 2 wins, 10 top-10s
Buzz: The UNLV product by way of Cornwall, England, just held onto his full card during his debut KFT season in 2020-21, finishing No. 75 in points. He then won once and notched three other top-10s this year to finish No. 14 in regular-season points. At first glance, he looks like a hipster version of Bryson DeChambeau when he wears his Hogan cap and circle-framed sunglasses, but unlike DeChambeau, Hall isn't crazy long and does his best work on and around the greens.
Fun fact: Hall belongs to same club in England, West Cornwall Golf Club, as Jim Barnes did. Barnes, who was nicknamed Long Jim, won four major championships – the 1916 and 1919 PGA Championships, 1921 U.S. Open and 1925 Open Championship.

Taylor Montgomery

Age: 27
College: UNLV (2017)
OWGR snapshot: No. 136; 65 events, 14 top-10s
Buzz: Talk about bad luck. Montgomery didn't just finish No. 26 in regular-season points during the KFT's super season in 2020-21 to miss out on his PGA Tour card, he was also the first man out of getting his card via the Finals that year. Making matters worse, Montgomery had missed a start during that season after qualifying for the 2021 U.S. Open, where he tied for 57th. He also earned his way into this summer's U.S. Open, though he didn't have to worry about his PGA Tour card as he easily locked that up with nine top-10s in just 17 KFT starts. The UNLV grad does a lot of things well – drives it far, hits greens and makes birdies (No. 1 on KFT this season). His 68.36 scoring average also was tops on the KFT this year.
Fun fact: Montgomery's father, Monte, is the general manager at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Matti Schmid

Age: 24
College: Louisville (2021)
OWGR snapshot: No. 205; 50 events, 7 top-10s
Buzz: The German's T-8 finish at the Barbasol this summer helped qualify him for the KFT Finals, where he earned his PGA Tour card with a top-10 in Columbus, Ohio. He's played mostly on the DP World Tour since turning pro two summers ago after a successful amateur career that included two European Amateur titles and low-amateur honors at the 2021 Open. His highlight finish on the DPWT, where he was Rookie of the Year last season, is a runner-up at the Dutch Open last September. Schmid is long and a great iron player, but he can get cold with the flatstick.
Fun fact: Father, Matthias Sr., was a club professional where Schmid grew up in Maxhuette, Germany.

Sam Stevens

Age: 26
College: Oklahoma State (2018)
OWGR snapshot: No. 401; 50 events, 1 win, 7 top-10s
Buzz: Stevens was a member of Oklahoma State's 2018 NCAA title squad, though he wasn't in the starting lineup nor was he the substitute. When he turned pro, Stevens played regularly on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, winning an event in June 2021, but he has been known for dominating at the mini-tour level, particularly on the All Pro Tour, where he's won six times since graduating. He earned his KFT card through Q-School before posting 11 top-25s in 23 starts and then tying for 12th at the KFT Championship to clinch his PGA Tour card via the Finals. Stevens ranked third in GIR on the KFT last season.
Fun fact: Stevens' grandfather, Johnny, made 30 career PGA Tour starts in the 1960s and his father, Charlie, played two Korn Ferry Tour events in 1992.

Davis Thompson

Age: 23
College: Georgia (2021)
OWGR snapshot: No. 258; 35 events, 1 win, 4 top-10s
Buzz: The Georgia standout was a Walker Cupper in 2021, former top-ranked amateur in the world and graduated as the No. 2 player in the inaugural PGA Tour U race. He kept his KFT card via Q-School before finishing 14th in regular-season points, a position boosted by his win at the Rex Hospital Open in June. Thompson is world-class tee to green and he doesn't have any major holes in his game, but above all, he just looks like a PGA Tour mainstay.
Fun fact: As a prep junior in 2016, helped his high school, Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Alabama, to a state title in basketball. That was in addition to the six state team titles and two state individual titles he won in golf.

Kevin Yu

Age: 24
College: Arizona State (2021)
OWGR snapshot: No. 246; 47 events, 9 top-10s
Buzz: Had last year's KFT campaign not been a super season, Yu would've earned a spot in KFT Finals. Instead, his strong opening summer (a T-2, T-5 and three other top-25s) after finishing fourth in PGA Tour U left him with basically nothing, so he had to go to Q-School. Luckily for Yu, he kept his card and ended up overcoming a slow start by turning in three top-3 finishes from May on to sneak inside The 25 at No. 20, clinching his PGA Tour card. Yu, a former top-ranked amateur in the word whose 70.46 career stroke average at Arizona State ranked only behind Jon Rahm, drives the ball at a very high level, ranking second in total driving last season on the KFT. His irons can get off, but overall, he's got a nice all-around game.
Fun fact: Yu started playing golf at age 5 as his father, Tommy, played professionally before becoming a teaching pro and buying a driving range in Taiwan. Yu attended a golf academy in the U.S. and verbally committed to Arizona State before even stepping on campus.

Carl Yuan

Age: 25
College: Washington (2018)
OWGR snapshot: No. 99; 100 events, 2 wins, 24 top-10s
Buzz: Yes, you're reading that correctly – Yuan has finished in the top-10 in nearly a fourth of his professional starts, which have mainly come on the KFT and before that PGA Tour China. He won the KFT's regular-season points list this year behind a win and three other top-3 finishes. He ranked third in the KFT's all-around ranking, fourth in scoring average and eighth in GIR while also being a top-50 putter and scrambler. Of course, it doesn't always look that way; Yuan is a quirky player, with crazy follow-throughs (he's Ho Sung Choi, but actually good) and a care-free personality. He'll be fun to follow on the big stage.
Fun fact: Yuan was born in China, but he attended Eagles Dream Golf Academy and Lake Mary Prep in Orlando, Florida.

A 13-year-old has become the youngest senior footballer in the UK, breaking a record which had stood for 42 years in the process.

Christopher Atherton, aged 13 years and 329 days old, came on for Northern Irish side Glenavon in the second-half of their 6-0 League Cup win against Dollingstown on Tuesday.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

That meant he beat the record previously held by Eamon Collins, who was 14 years and 323 days old when he made his Blackpool debut in Sept. 1980.

Tonight, Glenavon Academy player Christopher Atherton made his first team debut against Dollingstown in the League Cup. At 1⃣3⃣ yrs and 3⃣2⃣9⃣ days old, he became the youngest player in the UK to play in a first-class match.

Congratulations Christo!!??? pic.twitter.com/hypGdC5R7p

— Glenavon FC (@Glenavon_FC) September 13, 2022

It did not take long for Atherton to impress -- the teenager provided an assist for Glenavon's sixth goal with his first touch of the game.

The Premier League postponed all games that were due to be played from Saturday through Monday as a mark of respect after the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.

Further problems have been caused by security requirements around the funeral, with a total of 14 Premier League games and a Europa League match postponed.

Calling off matches in a season that has been truncated by the winter World Cup, which kicks off in Qatar on Nov. 20, means finding a place to play the games is no easy task.

Here we take a look at the games that have been called off and possible solutions.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

This article will be updated with all the latest information as the situation develops.

Which Premier League games have been postponed?

All matches in the seventh round of fixtures and three matches this coming weekend, plus Arsenal vs. Man City in October.

WEEK 6
AFC Bournemouth P-P Brighton & Hove Albion
Arsenal P-P Everton
Crystal Palace P-P Manchester United
Fulham P-P Chelsea
Leeds United P-P Nottingham Forest
Leicester City P-P Aston Villa
Liverpool P-P Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City P-P Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton P-P Brentford
West Ham United P-P Newcastle United

WEEK 7
Brighton & Hove Albion P-P Crystal Palace
Chelsea P-P Liverpool
Manchester United P-P Leeds United

WEEK 12
Arsenal P-P Manchester City

Brighton vs. Palace was postponed last week due to a planned train strike. That industrial action has now been canceled, but as the game is a high-risk match for policing, close to London involving a London club, it will not be reinstated.

Chelsea vs. Liverpool is a high-category game which was due to be played in London.

Man United vs. Leeds is off "due to Greater Manchester Police supporting forces across the United Kingdom at locations and events of high significance following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II." Even though it isn't taking place close to London, it carries the highest category of match and requires over 900 police officers. Members of the Greater Manchester force have already been deployed to Scotland where the Queen's journey to London will begin, and further officers from the region will need to be sent to London. It means there isn't the resources to stage such a game in Manchester.

Arsenal vs. Man City had to be postponed to allow the Gunners to play their rearranged Europa League match against PSV Eindhoven (more details below.)

Which games can still go ahead and why?

Seven games remain this weekend, even though two of those will be in London.

Spurs vs. Leicester on Saturday and Brentford vs. Arsenal on Sunday are not in the high risk category and can be policed, unlike the three which have been postponed. .

The Premier League schedule this weekend is:

Friday
Aston Villa vs. Southampton
Nottingham Forest vs. Fulham

Saturday
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester City
Newcastle United vs. AFC Bournemouth
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leicester City

Sunday
Brentford vs. Arsenal
Everton vs. West Ham United

What about the games in European competition?

Police resources will be required for the days leading up to the funeral on Sept. 19. Rangers' Champions League game against Napoli, which was scheduled to be played Tuesday, has been moved to Wednesday because of the resources needed while the Queen's coffin, which is to be flown to London on Tuesday evening, is in Scotland.

- Olley: How Premier League came to a stop

Chelsea vs. FC Salzburg will go ahead as planned on Wednesday. The Queen's coffin will be transferred from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in an official procession earlier that day, but FC Salzburg fans coming from Austria is rated a low risk.

The Queen's coffin will lie in state at Westminster Hall in central London from 5 p.m. on Wednesday through to Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of people will flock to London over these three days to pay their respects, requiring a huge police presence.

Arsenal's Europa League home game against PSV Eindhoven has therefore been postponed "due to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II." The fact so many fans will travel from the Netherlands for the game is said to be the major issue.

All other games go ahead as planned.

Wednesday
Chelsea vs. FC Salzburg
Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund
Rangers vs. Napoli
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Celtic

Thursday
Arsenal P-P PSV Eindhoven
RFS vs. Hearts
Sheriff vs. Man United
Silkeborg vs. West Ham

When will Arsenal play PSV Eindhoven?

The only possible slot for the game was the midweek in October when a full programme of Premier League games was scheduled, because Arsenal had to complete their Europa League fixtures by Nov. 3. So the Gunners' home game against Man City has been postponed to make way for the PSV game on Oct. 20.

When could the postponed Premier League games be played?

This is the big question, and there is no available date in 2022.

Every midweek after the upcoming international break through to the start of the World Cup is being used; four rounds of European games, a full set of Premier League matches and the third round of the Carabao Cup.

English football restarts on the midweek of Dec. 20 -- just two days after the World Cup final -- with the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, followed by three blocks of Premier League matches over the Christmas period.

This list shows how congested the schedule will be in 2023, with only three vacant midweeks built in through to the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, May 28.

Jan. 10 - Carabao Cup QF
Jan. 17 - FA Cup R3 replays
Jan. 24 - Carabao Cup SF L1
Jan. 31 - Carabao Cup SF L2
Feb. 7 - FA Cup R4 replays
Feb. 14 - European competition knockouts
Feb. 21 - European competition knockouts
Feb. 28 - FA Cup R5
March 7 - European competition knockouts
March 14 - European competition knockouts
March 21 - International break
March 28 - International break
April 4 - vacant midweek
April 11 - European competition QF
April 18 - European competition QF
April 25 - Premier League fixtures
May 2 - vacant midweek
May 9 - European competition SF
May 16 - European competition SF
May 23 - vacant midweek

Teams who have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup or FA Cup in an earlier round could use those matchdays if necessary, though it becomes complicated if that league game is due to be shown on TV as it shouldn't be scheduled against the broadcaster of the cup competition.

The midweeks in late January reserved for the Carabao Cup semifinals offer a solution -- but there will still be four clubs ruled out, and the same issue with the TV clash applies.

So just play the games in the vacant midweeks?

It's not quite that simple, as those three vacant midweeks are there for a reason. The clubs involved in the Carabao Cup final (Feb. 26) plus the FA Cup quarterfinals (March 18) and semifinals (April 22) will all need to rearrange the three league matches scheduled for these dates, and that's primarily what the vacant slots are for.

It's especially a problem for teams who go far in a European competition as there is little room for manoeuvre. If a club were to reach the final of the Carabao Cup, and the semifinals of the FA Cup and the semifinals of either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League, there are only just enough available dates to rearrange the three league matches from the dates outlined above. Add in any more rearranged games, and there is no natural slot.

It's slightly different for a team that reaches the Champions League final, as Liverpool did last season when also reaching the finals of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Clubs in the UCL have two extra spare midweeks during the round of 16, which Liverpool used to play Leeds United and Arsenal, thus avoiding added congestion further into a season which had already been affected by COVID-19 postponements.

The Premier League has to look at these dates and take into account the worst-case scenario.

What about the European midweeks?

There is a Memorandum Of Understanding between the leagues and UEFA that matches won't be played at the same time as Champions League matches, if at all possible. In 2013, UEFA fined the Premier League £1.1m for doing so, deducting funds from solidarity payments. This has been relaxed in recent years, though leagues are still advised to avoid a clash if possible.

Earlier this month Lorient played Lyon in Ligue 1 in a game postponed from the beginning of the season. It was scheduled on a Thursday to avoid a clash with the UCL, kicking off early at 7 p.m. local time so it would only be on at the same time as the early set of European matches.

So the Premier League could use the European midweeks if it feels there is no other place to put the games, and that applies to 13 of the 20 Premier League teams.

Of course, that could be no good to the other seven teams who are in Europe: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

It's those clubs who pose the problems for the schedulers -- especially as five of them (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United) have had two games postponed.

But at the same time, it presents a solution, of sorts. And it tells us where the problem lies.

As mentioned previously, teams who go through in the Champions League will have two extra blank midweeks in February and March, as the round of 16 is spread across four midweeks and teams will play on only two of them.

It's a similar story for teams who win their Europa League or Europa Conference League group. They will go straight through to the round of 16, and not play in the two European dates in February.

However, any of the seven clubs who finish third in the Champions League, second or third in the Europa League, or second in the Europa Conference League will have to play two games in the first knockout round in February and two games in the round of 16 in March.

So for instance if Chelsea or Liverpool were to finish third in their Champions League group, or if Arsenal or Manchester United finish second or third in their Europa League group, they would play both European dates in February and March (if they win.) Technically, they would have no free date in their calendar for the games postponed in September and October.

And then it gets complicated...

It's really all about the eight postponed games involving those teams in Europe.

Arsenal P-P Everton
Arsenal P-P Manchester City
Chelsea P-P Liverpool
Crystal Palace P-P Manchester United
Fulham P-P Chelsea
Liverpool P-P Wolverhampton Wanderers
Manchester City P-P Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United P-P Leeds United
West Ham United P-P Newcastle United

The problem is that the four teams in the Champions League need to rearrange games against each other -- Chelsea vs. Liverpool and Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur. If any of the four were to finish third in their Champions League group there would be no date to play the game in February or March. If all four qualify for the UCL round of 16, there would only be space for the game if UEFA were to agree to put their fixtures together -- but that might not even be possible depending on who the teams are drawn against (there are pairing regulations in the UCL for TV broadcast reasons.)

For instance, Chelsea & Liverpool and Man City & Tottenham would need to play their UCL round of 16 ties in the same week for there to be a spare midweek to play each other in the Premier League in February or March.

Man City and Chelsea meet each other in the Carabao Cup third round in early November, so only one will be in the semifinals in January. However, the Premier League has to plan as though both Liverpool and Tottenham will make the final four and leave no free date.

So what's the solution?

The Premier League will probably hope to fit everything in on the vacant midweeks, but it's now looking problematic. Where would Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City or Man United play these two games if they were to play in Europe in February and do well in the domestic cups? There isn't space.

If it's decided there needs to be some creative thinking the obvious solution is to cancel FA Cup replays in the third and/or fourth rounds once again. This happened in each of the last two seasons due to congestion caused by COVID-19 postponements and would open up one or two extra midweeks required to prevent any issues further down the line.

If FA Cup replays stay in place, it's unlikely, though not impossible, those dates could be used for rearranged games because the availability of teams would only be known at short notice.

There's no chance the Carabao Cup could be cancelled, but there could be pressure to make the semifinals one-legged to open up a midweek. This is the alternative option but still might not offer enough space.

The Premier League may also wish to keep all the week 6 games together in one block, which will only be possible by cancelling a round of FA Cup replays or making the Carabao Cup semis one-legged.

Swapping around the FA Cup final (June 3) and the last day of the Premier League (May 28) would add an extra midweek on May 30 -- though the Europa League final is being played on the Wednesday of that week. There would also be additional logistical issues, as Wembley is booked for the EFL playoffs on the weekend of May 27-29, making this solution very unlikely, too.

The full picture will be known on Nov. 7 when the draw and fixtures for the European knockout rounds are published. The Premier League could wait until then before making any decision on the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, or other possible solutions.

Can the season be extended?

No. After the FA Cup final on June 3, the Champions League final is scheduled for June 10 and immediately afterward there's an international block reserved for Euro 2024 qualifying matches.

This week, new Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly made a bold, and some would say misguided, proposal for the Premier League to introduce an all-star game of North vs. South, similar to those featured in a variety of sports in the United States.

It hasn't gone down well, given the ongoing debate around fixture congestion, and raises plenty of questions, even attracting the mockery of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp when he was asked about the idea in the aftermath of the club's win over Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Boehly, who is also a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, suggested that a North vs. South game could be used to financially benefit all levels of football in England, using MLB as an example as it "made $200 million from a Monday and a Tuesday."

But Klopp hit back, saying: "He forgets that in the big sports in America, these players have four-month breaks. It is completely different in football. What can I say? Does he want to bring the Harlem Globetrotters [an American exhibition basketball team] as well and let them play against a football team?"

Some fans will hate the idea; some may think that it could replace the preseason Community Shield. In all likelihood, it will never happen. But based on current form, which players would be involved if an all-star game were announced right now? Mark Ogden and James Olley pick their North and South XIs, with no limitations on the number of players from one club.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Premier League North (by Mark Ogden)

GK, Alisson (Liverpool): Alisson has been a rare bright spot for Jurgen Klopp's team this season. While many of his teammates are suffering a loss of form, the goalkeeper has been outstanding and edges out Manchester City rival (and fellow Brazil international) Ederson for the No. 1 spot.

RB, Kieran Trippier (Newcastle): With Trent Alexander-Arnold's form at Liverpool taking a nosedive, the right-back position is between Man City's Kyle Walker and Newcastle's Trippier. I've gone for Trippier, but it's a close pick. Trippier's set-piece ability swings it in his favour.

CB, Lisandro Martinez (Man United): This spot would usually go to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, but he has been out of sorts, so I've gone for Martinez. The 24-year-old had a nightmare start at Manchester United after a €57.37 million summer move from Ajax, but he has overcome that and been outstanding alongside Raphael Varane at the heart of defence.

CB, Ruben Dias (Man City): The best centre-back in the Premier League right now and a true leader in defence for City. Understated, but totally reliable.

LB, Joao Cancelo (Man City): With Andy Robertson struggling for form at Liverpool and Luke Shaw out of the team at Manchester United, Cancelo has no rivals for this position. But even if they were all in top form, the Portugal international would still get the pick.

MID, Rodri (Man City): Every top team wants a world-class defensive midfielder, but City have the best in the Premier League with Rodri. Put him into the Liverpool or Manchester United teams and they would instantly become much stronger with the Spain international shielding the back four.

MID, Christian Eriksen (Man United): Eriksen has been one of the outstanding players of the season so far. His vision and calmness on the ball has led to comparisons to Paul Scholes at Old Trafford and his performances have been even more remarkable considering the battle he has had to endure to play again after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

MID, Kevin De Bruyne (Man City): The Belgium midfielder is an obvious selection. In terms of the greatest midfielders of the Premier League era, De Bruyne has earned his place alongside Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

FW, Phil Foden (Man City): Foden can play anywhere in midfield or the forward line, but his pace, movement and eye for goal make him an obvious pick in an attacking role. And the 22-year-old is only getting better.

FW, Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): Salah is still to hit his best form this season, but if any player proves the maxim that form is temporary, but class is permanent, it is the Liverpool forward. Even out of form, he can still win a game out of nothing.

ST, Erling Haaland (Man City): Who else could play in the central striker role? Haaland has 10 Premier League goals already and is on course to smash all kinds of records. He would get into a World XI, never mind a Northern XI.

Substitutes

There is so much depth among the northern squads, so I have looked beyond the Manchester clubs and Liverpool to add Leeds winger Jack Harrison and Everton's Anthony Gordon following their impressive starts to the season. But there is no place for Man United's Cristiano Ronaldo. He hasn't done enough this season.

GK, Ederson (Man City)
DEF, Kyle Walker (Man City)
DEF, Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
MID, Bernardo Silva (Man City)
MID, Jack Harrison (Leeds United)
FW, Anthony Gordon (Everton)
ST, Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

Premier League South (by James Olley)

This is a lot harder for the South, not least given the importance of form. I've also picked effectively a 4-2-4 formation with Kane dropping deeper into the No. 10 role for 4-2-3-1 because this team is definitely going to lose anyway, so it might as well go down fighting.

GK, Hugo Lloris (Tottenham): Edouard Mendy has had his struggles of late at Chelsea, while Aaron Ramsdale has not looked assured for Arsenal, so Lloris gets the nod for a dependable if unspectacular start to the season.

RB, Reece James (Chelsea): This is a little bit of a stretch on form given his injury problems, but James is the standout right-back/right wing-back in the region.

CB, Cristian Romero (Tottenham): The backbone of the defensive resilience that manager Antonio Conte is trying to introduce at Tottenham.

CB, William Saliba (Arsenal): The 21-year-old would have been nowhere near this team six weeks ago, but a hugely promising start to the season at Arsenal gives him the nod here. He effectively takes the place of Chelsea veteran Thiago Silva solely for that reason.

LB, Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal): The less-heralded arrival from Manchester City at Arsenal (compared to Gabriel Jesus), but one who has given the Gunners much greater control in matches, drifting into midfield from the left flank in a similar style to Cancelo.

MID, Declan Rice (West Ham): The best defensive midfielder the South has to offer. West Ham have made an uncertain start to the season, but there isn't another player who is more effective at bringing balance to a team.

MID, N'Golo Kante (Chelsea): Right to the end, former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel lamented not having Kante fit more often. The Blues' best performance of the season -- drawing 2-2 against Tottenham when they really should have won -- coincided with another masterclass from the World Cup winner.

FW, Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): It was tempting to play Gabriel Jesus out wide given he performed a similar role at City, but the Brazilian has operated solely as a centre-forward for Arsenal with Saka coming off the right. Saka remains ever dependable, almost always dangerous.

FW, Raheem Sterling (Chelsea): Sterling started to find his feet at the end of the Tuchel era at Chelsea. His pedigree and his understanding with Harry Kane in the England side gives him further reason to make it, although Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha is unfortunate to miss out as a result.

ST, Harry Kane (Tottenham): August hasn't always been his month, but the England captain has started the season well and is now third on the all-time Premier League top goal-scorers' list. An obvious choice.

ST, Aleksander Mitrovic (Fulham): Tottenham star Son Heung-Min would be an automatic selection in pretty much any other moment, but his struggles this season are in stark contrast to Mitrovic, who has six goals in seven games, doubling the tally already from his last Premier League campaign.

Substitutes

A lot of these subs would be starters on past peak performance and reputation, but if this mythical game were tomorrow, the South has a lot of their leading stars with form issues to resolve.

GK, Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
DEF, Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
MID, Pascal Gross (Brighton)
MID, Mason Mount (Chelsea)
FW, Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
FW, Son Heung-Min (Tottenham)
ST, Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)