G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "I remember when he debuted he had the haircut of a 400-game veteran. Unfortunately, his game didn’t gel as well as his hair." - legendary Australian sports broadcaster Dennis Cometti on Essendon's Courtney Johns

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

🏏 Uncapped fast bowler Scott Boland has been added to the Australia squad for the third Ashes Test in Melbourne.

Boland, 32, joins the squad while the medical team assesses the fast bowling group following Australia's 275-run win in the second Test in Adelaide.

Mitchell Starc appeared to twinge his back while batting.

Captain Pat Cummins was absent after being deemed a close contact of someone who tested positive for Covid-19, while Josh Hazelwood had a side strain.

Both Cummins and Hazlewood have returned to the squad for the third Test.

🥊 Former world champion Andrew Moloney is back on track to reclaim the super-flyweight crown after a successful fight in his long-awaited return home.

Moloney, in his first bout in Australia since November 2019, took the win over the Phillippines’ Froilan Saludar via unanimous decision.

😷 ‘At least 10’ Swans players test positive for Covid after pre-Xmas boat cruise. At least 10 Sydney players have tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, reports Seven. All are apparently vaccinated. (AFL)

🏀 The Josh Giddey bandwagon continues to gather excited passengers, with the young Australian star producing a fifth double-double, career-high points tally, and the best quarter of his NBA stint yet.

⚽️ Central Coast whipped FFA Cup giant-killers APIA Leichhardt 6-0 to secure their spot in the tournament’s semi-finals for the third time. (A-League)

🏏 The Sydney Sixers defeated a brave Adelaide Strikers by four wickets on at the SCG as Sean Abbott entered the Big Bash history books.

Abbott, who returned to the line-up tonight after the birth of his daughter, took three wickets to go past Ben Laughlin as the BBL’s all-time leading wicket-taker (112).

🌍 World Sport

❌ Former jockey Graham Gibbons was responsible for the fall that left fellow jockey Freddy Tylicki paralysed from the waist down, a judge has ruled.

Tylicki had brought a £6m damages claim against Gibbons over the incident at Kempton in October 2016, and at the end of November, a five-day hearing was held at the High Court in London.

🔁 Erling Braut Haaland's agent Mino Raiola has denied claims that the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund and Norway striker has a pre-agreement to make a move to Real Madrid in the summer. (NOS - via Fabrizio Romano on Twitter)

🏎 Williams driver Nicholas Latifi says he received "extreme" death threats after his crash at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix led to Max Verstappen controversially winning the Formula 1 world title.

Latifi, 26, crashed with five laps remaining, resulting in the safety car being deployed.

The race was then resumed with one lap to go, in which Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton to win the race and the title.

🎾 Olympic champion Belinda Bencic has tested positive for Covid-19 after her trip to Abu Dhabi, describing her symptoms as "severe". Rafa Nadal is said to have less severe symptoms.

🎄 Assistant boss Pep Lijnders says it is "absurd" that Liverpool must play two games in four days given the Covid-19 cases and injuries at the club.

Premier League clubs chose to fulfill festive fixtures at a meeting on Monday despite a rise in Covid-19 cases.

With three weeks left in the 2021 season just one team - Green Bay - has locked up a spot in the 14-team postseason, while 28 other sides are still in the race. (Fox)

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TODAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Juventus v Cagliari Calcio (beIN SPORTS 3)

⚽️ 06:45 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Arsenal v Sunderland (beIN SPORTS 1)

⚽️ 07:30 - Spanish La Liga - Sevilla v Barcelona (beIN SPORTS 2)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - Miami Heat v Indiana Pacers (ESPN)

🏀 14:00 - NBA Regular Season - Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns (ESPN)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 17:00 - WNBL Regular Season - Sydney Uni. Flames v Melbourne Boomers (Kayo Sports)

🥊 19:00 - Heavyweight - Paul Gallen v Darcy Lussick (Main Event)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League Group Game - Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL Regular Season - Sydney Kings v Tasmania JackJumpers (ESPN)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 19:30 - WNBL Regular Season - UC Capitals v Bendigo Spirit (Kayo Sports)

⚽️ 20:30 - FFA Cup R16 - Gold Coast Knights v Melbourne Victory (10 Play)

THURSDAY

🎯 06:00 - PDC World Championship - PDC World Championship Round 2, Night 8 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 06:45 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Tottenham v West Ham United (beIN SPORTS 3)

⚽️ 06:45 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Liverpool v Leicester City (beIN SPORTS 1)

⚽️ 06:45 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Brentford v Chelsea (beIN SPORTS 2)

🏀 10:00 - NCAA Men's Regular Season - Kentucky Wildcats v Louisville Cardinals (ESPN)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - Atlanta Hawks v Orlando Magic (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

🏀 14:00 - NBA Regular Season - Sacramento Kings v Los Angeles Clippers (Sky Sports 2)

⚽️ 17:05 - A-League Women Regular Season - Adelaide United Women v Perth Glory Women (Paramount+)

⚽️ 17:05 - A-League Women Regular Season - Canberra United Women v Brisbane Roar Women (Paramount+)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League Group Game - Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat (Fox Cricket)

🏀 19:30 - NBL Regular Season - Illawarra Hawks v South East Melbourne Phoenix (ESPN)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 19:30 - WNBL Regular Season - Southside Flyers v Townsville Fire (Kayo Sports)

⚽️ 19:45 - A-League Men Regular Season - Adelaide United v Perth Glory (Paramount+)

🎯 23:30 - PDC World Championship - PDC World Championship Round 2, Day 9 (Fox Sports )