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Schalke 04's Ibrahim Afellay of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring a goal against Arsenal. Schalke won 2-0. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Press Association Images
Early Doors

The Morning Score: Thursday

Here’s everything you need to know this morning — unless you’re an oil-rich football owner looking for the kill clause in your manager’s contract.

1. #ALL-STARS Jimmy was winning matches; now Jimmy’s men are winning All-Stars. All-Ireland champions Donegal have taken home eight of this year’s awards, announced this morning, while beaten finalists Mayo have four.

You can see the full list — including all 10 first-time winners — here.

2. #CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Manchester City’s Champions League challenge hangs by a thread after Roberto Mancini’s men lost 3-1 to Ajax in Amsterdam last night. The visitors took the lead through Samir Nasri before goals from Siem de Jong, Niklas Moisander and Christian Eriksen scored on a famous European night for the Dutch champions.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund beat Real Madrid 2-1 while Arsenal went down 2-0 at home to Schalke 04.

3. #HARRINGTON Padraig Harrington pocketed $600,000 last night as he won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at his third attempt. The Dubliner, who was a late addition to the four-man, 36-hole event, fired a four-under par round to beat Webb Simpson by a single stroke.

4. #RUGBY Rob Kearney will miss Ireland’s November series tests and is a major doubt for Leinster’s Heineken Cup double-header against Clermont after it was confirmed that he is to have surgery on a back injury today.

The full-back was left out of Declan Kidney’s 31-man squad, which includes four uncapped players: Richardt Strauss, Iain Henderson, David Kilcoyne and Luke Marshall.

5. #MCCLEAN Sunderland are set to hire a former team-mate and close friend of James McClean in order to keep the winger out of trouble. Eugene Ferry, Derry City’s reserve keeper, told TheScore.ie that he met with club representatives this week to discuss a non-playing role with the Black Cats.

6. #WORLD SERIES Pablo Sandoval stole the show as the San Francisco Giants won Game 1 of  baseball’s World Series. Sandoval hit three home runs — two off Justin Verlander — as the Giants beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3.

Sunderland to employ McClean’s mate to help Ireland winger ‘settle down’

Preview: Europa League the focus for Liverpool