BBC – Police Scotland is investigating after Rangers players Emmanuel Fernandez and Djeidi Gassama shared screenshots of racist abuse aimed at them on their social media accounts after Sunday’s match in Livingston.

London-born centre-half Emmanuel Fernandez, who qualifies to play for Nigeria, and France Under-20 capped winger Gassama, who was born in Mauritania, both started for Rangers as their title hopes suffered a blow by being held to a 2-2 draw by the Scottish Premiership’s bottom side.

The abuse on Instagram that followed coincides with police in England confirming they are investigating after four Premier League players were targeted by online racial abuse at the weekend.

A Police Scotland spokesperson told BBC Scotland: “We are aware of offensive posts online and enquiries are at an early stage.”

Rangers have been approached for comment.

Last month, Livingston wrote to the Scottish FA over an alleged racial comment made to striker Jeremy Bokila during their Premiership defeat by Aberdeen.

And, after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri and Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana both received racist abuse on Instagram.

On Sunday, Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tolu Arokodare and Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle were also sent racist abuse on social media.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman described the abuse as “abhorrent”, adding: “The Prime Minister has supported footballers before who have had the courage to come forward and call out discrimination and racism and this is no different.”

The spokesman pointed out that English top-flight clubs have said they want to work with social media sites, including Meta, the Premier League and the police to identify those responsible.

“And Meta has said that it will continue to work to protect people from abuse,” he said. “Ministers will be holding them to account to ensure it happens.”

Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out said it had been an “appalling weekend” but “the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly”.

In November, a BBC investigation found more than 2,000 extremely abusive social media posts – including death and rape threats – were sent about managers and players in the Premier League and Women’s Super League in a single weekend.

BBC – Players who receive treatment for an injury could be forced to stay off the field for one minute under proposals from Fifa.

It is one of a number of measures to tackle tempo disruption and time lost which are set to be approved at the International Football Association Board (Ifab) annual general meeting on Saturday.

At present there is no stipulation in the laws over how long injured players have to remain on the sidelines.

Leagues have the right to set their own guidelines, with the Premier League adopting a 30-second rule since the 2023-24 season.

Fifa held its own trials at the Arab Cup in December which required a player to stay off the field for two minutes.

Fifa referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina says the two-minute rule is intended to reduce time-wasting and improve the flow of the game.

It mirrors an approach taken by Major League Soccer, which is triggered if a player remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds and the physio comes on.

At an Ifab meeting in January it was agreed a fixed period should be added to the laws, but there was disagreement over the length of time and strong pushback against two minutes.

Leagues have concerns about unintended consequences

One minute has been proposed as a halfway house, but BBC Sport understands concerns remain about negative impacts.

Manchester United were angered last season when Matthijs de Ligt was forced to leave the field with a cut, and Brentford scored from a corner while he was off the pitch.

The fear is a one-minute absence would make it far more likely a team could concede a goal when down to 10 players.

Thirty seconds already causes frustration among supporters – and unintended consequences of goals conceded could add further pressure on to officials.

There is an acceptance players use supposed injuries as a way of breaking up play, but it is felt extending the time limit could unduly penalise genuinely injured players.

There are a few exceptions.

If the opponent is shown a yellow or red card the injured player does not need to stay off. Goalkeepers are also exempt, while a penalty taker would be able to stay on.

However, Ifab is not expected to pass any resolution to tackle the tactical timeout. This is when a goalkeeper goes down off the ball in order for a coach to get new instructions to the team.

Ifab’s advisory panels have discussed the issue at some length but, so far, there has been no agreement on a solution.

Following the success of the eight-second rule for goalkeepers holding the ball, new countdown measures are set to be approved.

A similar process will be added to goal-kicks and throw-ins, with possession changing to the opposition if it takes too long.

A 10-second limit will also be applied to substituted players – if they do not get off the pitch the replacement will not be allowed to come on.

A team would have to play with 10 players until the next stoppage, and that must be after at least 60 seconds.

Ifab is expected to approve video assistant referee reviews for wrongly awarded second yellow cards and, as a competition opt-in, corners.

The Canadian Premier League is also likely to be granted permission to start trials of Arsene Wenger’s daylight offside.

BBC – Mexican Open organisers say the tournament will go ahead despite violence following the death of the country’s most wanted drug baron.

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho”, died in custody on Sunday shortly after being captured by Mexican special forces.

He was seriously injured in clashes between his supporters and the army in the central-western state of Jalisco on Sunday.

The Mexican Open starts on Monday in Acapulco, which is in Guerrero – one of five Mexican states where the US government has warned its citizens to shelter because of the violence.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie is due to play Spaniard Rafael Jodar in the first round on Monday.

Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful and feared criminal organisations in Mexico, have torched businesses and erected burning blockades since El Mencho’s death.

The Mexican Open issued a statement saying “the supposed cancellation of the event due to security issues in Jalisco is false”.

It said: “The event continues as scheduled and tournament operations are proceeding normally.

“We remain in coordination and constant communication with federal, state, and municipal authorities, under the established security protocols.”

Britons Katie Boulter and Heather Watson are due to compete in the Merida Open in Mexico this week.

The event takes place in the state of Yucatan, which does not appear to have been significantly affected by the violence.

Boulter plays Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia on Monday and Watson faces Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Tuesday.

Reuters reported that a men’s football match between Queretaro and FC Juarez and a women’s game involving Chivas and America have been postponed indefinitely.

It also said a match between Necaxa and Queretaro in Aguascalientes was postponed when players fled the pitch after hearing loud noises outside Estadio Victoria. The match resumed later.

BBC – Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni has received a provisional one-match suspension after Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr reported alleged racist abuse during last week’s Champions League meeting.

It means the Argentine winger is set to miss the second leg of the tie in Madrid on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

Uefa has imposed the ban on a provisional basis, pending the result of a full investigation by an ethics and disciplinary inspector.

The European governing body said further punishment could be handed out once that investigation is completed.

Vinicius told referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused by the Argentina winger during the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie in Lisbon last Tuesday.

Prestianni has denied racially abusing the Brazilian, and Benfica said they would appeal against the decision despite the belief it is unlikely to have any “practical effect” before Wednesday’s game.

Last week’s first leg was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius alerted on-field official Letexier to the second-half incident, before he and his team-mates temporarily left the pitch.

It came after Vinicius, 25, scored a stunning goal and then received a yellow card for his celebrations in front of the Benfica supporters.

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who is suspended for the second leg following his sending off later in the match, was criticised for his post-match comments after saying he believed that Vinicius had celebrated disrespectfully.

Because of his ban, Mourinho will not speak to the media before the match, with assistant coach Joao Tralhao undertaking media duties at the Bernabeu instead.

Uefa’s action means that, as it stands, Prestianni will miss the second leg of the Madrid tie, even though the investigation is still to be completed.

European football’s governing body said this is because there was enough evidence to support a “prima facie violation” based on the evidence available.

It added: “This is without prejudice to any ruling that the Uefa disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the Uefa disciplinary bodies.”

Responding to the sanction, Benfica said it “regrets being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation”.

The club added it would launch an appeal “even though the deadlines in question are unlikely to have any practical effect on the second leg of the Champions League play-off.”

Benfica also reaffirmed its commitment to combating all forms of racism and discrimination, values which it said “are part of its historical identity and are reflected in its daily actions, its global community, the work of the Benfica Foundation, and major figures in the club’s history, such as Eusebio”.