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Hurts, who flew back from London and continued training before further tests ruled him out of the Eagles' most recent game against Carolina, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.

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Dr Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, offered a passionate defence of how the Eagles treated Hurts, following a statement from the league that said officials had been in contact with Philadelphia's medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout the process.

"I have complete confidence in the Eagles' medical staff and their handling of this situation, and I would characterise their work as very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step," Sills said at the league's annual fall meeting. "I don't think you can take that outcome and say there was something flawed about the process. Sometimes in medicine, we do all the right things and diseases progress and other things develop.

"In this case, everyone was incredibly conservative and incredibly vigilant and was very quick to make diagnoses of these conditions that might not have been diagnosed in a nonathlete."

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The NFL Players Association said it was told by the league that a review was not planned.

"Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred," the union said. "Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward."

NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller took issue with "uninformed speculation" in reports Monday that Hurts went more than 30 hours without sleep last weekend before playing.

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"Jalen Hurts returned to the hotel, slept for a period of time and went to the stadium," Miller said, estimating that Hurts slept for around seven or eight hours. "Both talking to the Eagles' staff and making sure from people on the ground, tracking the case, talking to the independent hospital and doctors involved that we have, I think, a complete understanding of the course of events."

Sills said the league and the players' union study and track blood clots annually. He declined to go into specifics about Hurts' condition, citing patient privacy, and reiterated multiple times that treating a blood clot involves looking at multiple factors.

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Dr Caron Rockman, a vascular surgeon for roughly 30 years, said based on what she has read, there's no evidence the Eagles acted improperly while dealing with what she called not a textbook issue.

"It's a judgment call," said Rockman, who is currently a chair at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey and did not treat Hurts. "I think it's really a case-by-case basis. In my personal opinion, superficial vein thrombosis is not a (disqualification) to fly."

Hurts' treatment moving forward involves blood thinners, and he will not be allowed to participate in any football activities until he is off them.

The quarterback played in London against Jacksonville on Oct. 11, three days after informing medical staff of the injury after practice. He was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis.

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"I think there was incredible vigilance, there was conservative care, state-of-the-art imaging that was done in London," Sills said. "And, as far as the timing and the decision-making, I have great confidence in that and believe that everyone acted with an abundance of caution."

Sills in his opening statement that lasted more than five minutes said all decisions are made with medicine over football.

"The notion that there are external factors or that any of our physicians would put a player in harm's way - that's nonsense," Sills said.

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In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Como sporting director Carlalberto Ludi reflects on the club's transformation, the influence of head coach Cesc Fabregas and an unlikely reunion with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.

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'Fabregas the driving force behind Como's rise'

To understand Como's recent history, look at the transformation since Fabregas joined the club in 2022.

The former Spain international arrived towards the end of his playing career, with Como in Serie B. He subsequently retired, joined the club's academy coaching staff and eventually became head coach of the senior team.

In the four years since his arrival, Fabregas has helped Como secure promotion to Serie A for the first time in 21 years before guiding them to Champions League qualification last season for the first time in the club's history.

Ludi believes the Spaniard's influence extends far beyond the pitch.

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"Cesc made a big difference. Not only on the field, but also off the field, in my opinion - the culture of the club, everything. The professionalism, everything, to be honest," he said.

"He brought his mentality into the club and that's one of the reasons why we improved and grew so quickly. Thanks to him, we are fantastic, to be honest.

"We have been fantastic on the field, but thanks to him we also improved our mentality, so we were ready to compete for the Champions League."

Fabregas' presence was evident at his news conference ahead of Como's meeting with Manchester United. Sitting alongside summer signing Nico Paz, he fielded questions on a range of subjects, including whether he could one day become United's head coach.

The composure with which he handled the questions reflected the authority he has established at Como. While the word 'aura' is often overused in football, it is difficult to ignore the impact Fabregas has made on the club.

Ludi is particularly impressed by the 39-year-old's willingness to keep learning.

"He's very young, but he's so open-minded, to be honest. He's the first who wants to improve and learn," he said.

"That, in my opinion, is one of his best qualities and he's making a difference.

"Our team is Cesc Fabregas on the field. Courage, intelligence, talent, talented players. We are trying to do the same with our team. The way Cesc is and the way Cesc was as a footballer is what we want to be as a team."

Fernandes and an unlikely reunion

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Ludi share a similar journey through Italian football, having both experienced the climb from Serie B towards the Champions League.

The pair shared a dressing room at Novara when Fernandes was just 17, with Ludi serving as his captain as the teenager began his professional career.

Asked what the young Fernandes was like, Ludi smiled before describing him as "phenomenal".

Fernandes went on to play for Udinese and Sampdoria before moving to Sporting Lisbon and eventually Manchester United. Ludi, however, still remembers the teenager who is now set to lead United against Como.

"I'm really happy to speak about Bruno," Ludi said.

"We met each other when he was a kid, literally a kid. He was a kid in a professional environment, so he probably wasn't ready to join a professional environment.

"At the beginning, I needed to guide him in our dressing room in order for him to understand what being a professional meant.

"But then, to be honest, it was fantastic because I met a fantastic guy, a humble person, a top footballer, but an open-minded guy, always ready to support, ready to help, ready to enjoy, ready to have fun with all of us.

"He's a very nice guy, so I was so happy and I always celebrated his improvement because he deserves it.

"I imagine it'll be nice to see him, maybe after the game, but to be honest, it would be fantastic to meet him in the Champions League. It's something I never expected, and it would be just fantastic.

"It was just one season but a great season for all of us, and I think that I met one of the best people I've ever met in my life."

Man Utd come to Como

There have been defining moments in Como's recent history, not least the draw against Cosenza in May 2024 that secured the point they needed for promotion to Serie A.

That achievement laid the foundations for the club's subsequent rise to the Champions League. But hosting Manchester United represents another landmark in a journey that has exceeded expectations.

Spending time around the club in the build-up to the game, the excitement is palpable. There is a sense of disbelief, pride and appreciation at the prospect of welcoming Michael Carrick's United side.

For Ludi, who joined Como in 2019, the scale of the transformation is particularly striking.

"Yeah, it's incredible, to be honest," he said.

"I started to work here in 2019 and there was nothing.

"Now we have the Champions League, we have Man Utd at home, and it's something that is amazing, literally amazing.

"Sometimes it's good to look behind, because sometimes we forget what we did. In football, every day there is something to achieve, there is a reason to step forward.

"I don't want to be arrogant, but we are here to write the history of Como, and this is another page, a big page of our history.

"We want our fans to be proud of us and we want to compete, to fight, in order to write another page. First of all, it will be another nice page in the history of Como." %!s()

Embiid said when he picked up his third foul late in the second quarter, it was his idea to have James fill in for him at center to close the half.

"I suggested that to the guys, the coaching staff, because I just felt like the way they were calling fouls, I just felt like -- and I was just being honest -- I wasn't going to be as aggressive as I should be on defense, having three fouls, wanting to stay on the floor," Embiid said. "I just told them I thought we should do that."

Philadelphia trailed New York 51-46 with 2:13 remaining in the second quarter when Embiid checked out and was able to keep the game close, without New York exploiting his absence. James defended six-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to finish out the quarter and the Sixers stayed in striking distance, down 58-54 at the break.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse said the matchup was something the coaching staff had contemplated leading into Tuesday, with Philadelphia's front line depleted because of Dean Wade being out with a left ankle injury and back-up center Ariel Hukporti already out for the season following right Achilles surgery.

"[We discussed putting] a 4-man on KAT, because there's so many pick-and-rolls with him and [Jalen] Brunson that gives you some versatility to play some other coverages," Nurse said. "I think it was good. ... Over the long haul, it was very good for us, I think."

James opened up his record-setting 24th season with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. One of his most impactful plays of the game, however, didn't show up in the box score.

With just under two minutes remaining and the Sixers up 102-98, James pressured Towns beyond the 3-point line, denying a passing angle for OG Anunoby to deliver him the ball. Instead, Anunoby attempted a cross-court pass to Mikal Bridges on the wing, which Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey intercepted and turned into an uncontested dunk on the other end to put Philadelphia up by six with 1:52 remaining.

"Obviously, KAT is very dangerous when he has space," James said. "I wanted to be there on the catch and not give him no airspace. ... And Tyrese just playing center field was able to jump that and get that dunk. That was a big momentum play."

James said whatever success he had flanking Towns came from his teammates' direction. He said it was "all a team effort," crediting the Sixers' constant chatter on defense for limiting the blind spots for Towns to exploit.

"So, just try to have that communication just at a high level," he said.

Embiid, who finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, said it was a similar defensive strategy that Team USA employed when the pair teamed up at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and James guarded Serbian big man Nikola Jokic in the semifinals.

Said Embiid: "It changes everything." %!s()

It was one of three blocks Embiid had on the night, and the finger wag felt like a reminder -- or perhaps a warning sign -- to the Knicks and the NBA that that he intends to be in elite defender form this season.

"I think this year's going to be back to All-Defensive team like in the past," said Embiid, who has made the All-Defensive second team three times, most recently in 2021. "So, felt good, moving great. Felt like I was all over the place, so I need to do that every game."

Year after year, Philadelphia's title hopes have been tied to Embiid's health, a bet the team has often lost, as he has consistently had poor injury luck that has hampered the Sixers' chances.

Last season followed a similar script. Embiid was never fully healthy in the Sixers' second-round playoff loss to the Knicks after guard Tyrese Maxey fell into his leg in Game 7 of their first-round win over Boston.

Beyond that, though, Embiid struggled to look like himself for most of last season. He played just 38 games, navigating right hip complications, left knee management and appendicitis.

On Tuesday night, Embiid showed a bounce and agility that escaped him last season, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and three blocks.

At the end of last year, Embiid said he was as "confident as I've ever been" about his health heading into this season. Those words rang true Tuesday, and his performance has him confident in the defender he'll be this season.

"If I want to be all-defense like I used to be, that changes everything for our team," he said. "So, if I can play that way every single night, which I will, it changes everything."

Embiid's preseason play fluctuated between bad and good: eight turnovers and six points against the Brooklyn Nets, for example, and then 27 points and eight rebounds against the Celtics in the finale. But he was near the best version of himself Tuesday night, impressing coach Nick Nurse.

"I thought Joel was magnificent tonight in making the right play," Nurse said. "He just kept making the right play depending on what was there, and that's really all we're asking him to do: hit the open man and read the defense." %!s()

Phillips said that if the supreme court upheld the court of appeal’s decision when it hears the case on Wednesday and Thursday, it would prevent police from being held accountable for failures in cases of violence against women and girls.

The address of the woman, anonymised as XGY in court proceedings, was disclosed by a CPS lawyer during a magistrates hearing in which a condition was sought preventing her former partner, who was accused of raping her and threatening to kill and throw acid on her, from entering the road where she was living. Sussex police had not marked the address as confidential when sending it to the CPS. The woman moved home as a result of the disclosure.

Witnesses and lawyers in court traditionally have what is known as “core immunity”. Ruling last year that XGY could not sue Sussex police and the CPS, the court of appeal said this immunity applied beyond evidential matters and also to a broad range of police activity, including matters outside the courtroom relating to an investigation.

Phillips, a former minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said: “Hopefully the supreme court will see sense. I’ve been part of many different cases, where both the police and the CPS, have been held accountable in civil remedy, regarding their failures.

“This isn’t just that I want people to be able to make financial claims against the police. Often these cases where there’s been failures lead to longer-term change for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence, like police failures within the grooming cases for example – charging women with crimes rather than helping them as victims.

“Criminal law in cases of domestic abuse has seen decades of failure so civil law is used to try and make the systems better and nowhere more so than in violence against women and girls.”

She stressed that it was for the supreme court to reach its own decision but, along with fellow MPs David Davis and Andrew Mitchell, Phillips has tabled an amendment to a bill that would counteract the effect of the court of appeal’s ruling if it was not overturned, as it created “a precedent that was never intended by parliament”.

She said if there was one agency that had improved its approach to violence against women over the past 20 years it was the police but described the court of appeal ruling as “chilling”, adding: “I don’t think it helps the police or the CPS. I don’t think the idea that they can’t be held accountable is something that they need at the moment or should want because there’s a real problem with how victims of domestic abuse perceive the police.

“Inquiry after inquiry, the Sarah Everard murder, Charing Cross [the police station where officers were filmed making racist and misogynistic comments], there are reasons why women don’t have faith in the police and that’s not good for the police and it’s not good for change in the future. So I don’t want to see a sort of really wide-ranging exemption for police to be held accountable with civil action.”

XGY said: “More than six years later, I’m still living with the impact of what happened and the loss of the security I thought I’d finally found.

“I’ve continued with this case because I believe survivors should be able to trust that the information they share to protect themselves will be kept confidential. If that trust is broken, there should be accountability.”

The CPS and Sussex police were approached for comment. %!s()