Rice in talks

Declan Rice is in talks with other Premier League captains over whether clubs in the top-flight should continue taking the knee before games.

BBC Sport reports that the 20 captains in the division are holding discussions over whether clubs will continue going down to a knee before matches, as they have done since Project Restart after the COVID-enforced suspension.

The captains are said to have already held one meeting but they were unable to reach a resolution. Rice was appointed captain after Mark Noble’s retirement.

As a result, the skippers have gone away and discussed the issue with their team-mates, and are now poised to report back in another meeting.

A decision will have to be reached before Friday, when the new Premier League season kicks off with Crystal Palace facing Arsenal at Selhurst Park.

Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is one of the most high-profile players to stop taking the knee, and other clubs down the pyramid have done so too, including Derby County and AFC Bournemouth, the latter of whom are now a top-flight club after last season’s promotion.

BBC Sport reports that many players feel the anti-racism message has now lost a lot of its impact.