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Best of Wednesday at NFL training camps: Helmets come out

4:00 PM ET

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Mbappe makes bench for PSG's Champions League clash vs. Atalanta

Paris Saint-Germain will be able to call upon Kylian Mbappe for Wednesday’s Champions League tilt against Atalanta, but only as a substitute.

PSG manager Thomas Tuchel named the French superstar to his side’s bench for the quarterfinal clash in Lisbon now that Mbappe has recovered from an ankle injury he suffered in July.

With the 21-year-old unable to feature from the opening whistle, Tuchel opted for Pablo Sarabia, Neymar, and Mauro Icardi to lead the line; the Ligue 1 champions are also without the suspended Angel Di Maria.

Mbappe was in a race against the clock after a hefty tackle in the French Cup final against Saint-Etienne on July 24; Tuchel previously said it would take a “miracle” for the young forward to be fit in time for Wednesday’s contest.

PSG are also missing midfielder Marco Verratti, who’s dealing with a calf injury.

“We must wait and be patient with Marco,” Tuchel said earlier this week.

“Last week he couldn’t run. He has just started again but it is going to be very tight for the semifinals. But we will try everything like we have done with Kylian.”

Atalanta, meanwhile, are without Josip Ilicic, who is home in Slovenia tending to a personal matter.

NFL

Best of Tuesday at NFL training camps: Teams ramp up workouts, and Miles Sanders impresses

4:05 PM ET

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    Top news of the day


    Lions’ Matthew Stafford ‘glad’ false positive led to COVID-19 testing change Stafford said he’s “glad” he was diagnosed with a false-positive COVID-19 test because it might help others avoid a similar situation in the future. He landed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Aug. 1 and then was removed three days later with what was determined a false-positive. Stafford had tested negative twice before his one positive test and then negative at least three times in the days following.


    New Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett grateful to Cowboys, proud of program ‘we built’ Garrett harped on the overall experience with the Cowboys, but threw in a comment about the program he helped build during his nine full seasons as head coach. He was previously the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. “I just want to acknowledge my time in Dallas and how grateful I am for the whole experience and everyone in the Cowboys organization for the opportunity and the support and the lifelong friendships that I’ve made.”

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    What our NFL Nation reporters heard today

    It’s not easy to impress your teammates during a walkthrough, but Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders has pulled off the feat. Sanders’ focus on adding strength this offseason has not slowed him down a lick, according to center Jason Kelce.

    “He’s still blazing fast, man. We were all commenting yesterday: we were putting in some protections where he was releasing on some routes, and the fluidity he is able to run routes with is just kind of mind-blowing to watch, even in something as small as a walkthrough,” Kelce said. “If he has added weight, I assure you it has not taken away from his explosiveness.” — Tim McManus

    Minkah Fitzpatrick was immediately productive when he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Week 3. The young safety had five interceptions in his first seven games in Pittsburgh before his production dropped. But Fitzpatrick has a solution for that this season: he wants to be more versatile and move around. Secondary coach Teryl Austin agreed when talking with reporters via Zoom on Tuesday morning.

    “I think that’s just a testament, when you’re a good player a lot of times, you don’t get a lot of action,” Austin said. “I think what we’ll do is, we’ll maybe be able to move him around a little bit more. … I think this offseason has been helpful for us and for him, for the group because we’ve been able to talk some things out and really get down into the details of our defense. I think that will give him a little bit more ability to maybe show up in a couple different positions than he was last year, which will help him get around the ball a little bit more and keep that production.” — Brooke Pryor

    Before COVID-19 changed the course of the NFL offseason, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he intended to spend more time in the defensive meeting rooms this offseason after an up-and-down year for coordinator Mike Pettine’s unit, which basically won the opener against the Bears and lost the NFC title game against the 49ers.

    “It definitely was a unique offseason since we were all virtual, but certainly I’m involved every day, in constant communication with not only Pet but the other defensive coaches,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “I feel really confident we’ve made progress just in terms of our communication, tightening up some things on the defensive side of the ball. I’m excited to see what we put out there.”

    When last we saw the Packers, its defense allowed the 49ers to rush for 285 yards in the NFC Championship Game. — Rob Demovsky

    Cornerback Denzel Ward is excited about the young talent in the Cleveland Browns secondary, which includes himself, second-year corner Greedy Williams and rookie Grant Delpit, Cleveland’s second-round pick this year. “You guys already saw what he did on the field at LSU,” Ward said. “Definitely a fluid player. … definitely tough. He is going to bring that toughness here. … I feel like we could be special. We just have to play within the defense, play within ourselves, make plays and do what we are supposed to do.” — Jake Trotter

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    Quotes of the day

    “Everybody is doing metamorphosis all around.”

    “We had to try to tackle him in Dallas and all of our energy was put on that.”

    New Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, the former coach of the Cowboys, on running back Saquon Barkley.

Soccer

Report: Lazio to complete shock David Silva transfer

Lazio are a few details away from signing Manchester City midfielder David Silva on a free transfer, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.

Silva will be free to leave City at the end of their Champions League campaign later in August.

The 34-year-old is available after spending 10 unforgettable seasons at City. Qatari side Al-Sadd, where former Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez currently coaches, were reportedly interested in signing Silva, but Lazio moved quickest.

Manager Simone Inzaghi can look forward to having an impressive midfield at his disposal, with Silva set to start alongside Luis Alberto and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Silva will join the Biancocelesti as they embark on their first Champions League campaign in 13 years. They qualified for Europe’s top competition by finishing in fourth in Serie A, but for large parts of the season, they were competing for the Scudetto, going toe to toe with serial champions Juventus. Lazio fell flat after the season restarted in June, however, recording just five wins in their final 12 matches.

Widely regarded as one of the finest Premier League players of all time, Silva helped City become the juggernaut they are today. The Spaniard won four Premier League titles and tallied 60 goals and 93 assists in 309 top-flight appearances.

The Champions League is the only thing missing from Silva’s glittering career, but he could yet lift the trophy later this month. City face Lyon on Saturday in a one-off quarterfinal in Lisbon. The tournament is following a single-elimination format due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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