From the back pages, March 2: Rory McIlroy facing meltdown as he quits in middle of round to leave his fellow players fuming

Rafael Benítez has insisted he has no issue with the Chelsea board, that his job title is not a concern and that his criticism of the fans was designed to encourage a unified backing of his team. (The Guardian)

Real Madrid will hold their training session ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash Manchester United at City’s Etihad Stadium. It is part of tournament regulations that competing teams must make part of their pre-match session open to the media. (The Daily Mail)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that his side have not planned any containment measures for in-form Tottenham Hotspur forward Gareth Bale when the two teams lock horns in this Sunday’s North London Derby. (The Express)

Ryan Giggs has extended his Manchester United contract until June 2014 — taking him through his 40th birthday. United veteran Giggs was rumoured to be ready to hang up his boots at the end of this campaign. But the Premier League leaders were keen to hang on to the most decorated player in British football for a remarkable 24th season. (The Sun)

England’s batsmen hoping to cook up a storm in New Zealand. England’s batsmen still have room for improvement, but they’re not quite “undercooked”, says Matt Prior. (The Mirror)

Tottenham Hotspur forward Jermain Defoe is back in contention for the Premier League derby against Arsenal on Sunday after recovering from an ankle injury, manager Andre Villas-Boas said today. (The Independent)

Athletics chiefs are set to unmask a dirty half dozen after retesting hundreds of samples from the 2005 World Championships. (The Times)