From the Back Pages, August 16: Falcao and Cavani still targets in star striker chase Rodgers will continue to deadline day

Brendan Rodgers has promised to pursue a world class striker right up to midnight on deadline day. Liverpool boss Rodgers has had Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani on his hit-list after selling 31-goal player of the year Luis Suarez to Barcelona, but admits he is struggling to attract a goal-scorer capable of improving his attacking side. (Mirror)

LOUIS VAN GAAL opens the new Premier League season today with an injury crisis that sees him without nine players and ready to hand youngsters Tyler Blackett and Reece James their senior debuts. (The Express)

As Crystal Palace tried to salvage some semblance of normality before their opening game of the Barclays Premier League season at Arsenal, the full background of Tony Pulis’s stunning departure started to emerge. (The Times)

Arsene Wenger gets easy ride and Manuel Pellegrini inherited glory, snipes Jose Mourinho. (Daily Mail)

Jose Mourinho’s early-season press conferences often begin like a love letter to English football. How the pre-season has been long. How he has missed the competition of games in which points are at stake. How the prospect of the first game has filled him with the old energy, or “the different tick-tock” he said, pointing to his heart. Then eventually, we got back to what really drives him on. (The Independent)

Stuart Broad had the panda eyes but it was England’s support bowlers, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes, who got to feast on the green shoots in India’s naive batting order, the pair sharing six of the 10 wickets to fall as the visitors were dismissed for 148. (The Telegraph)

When Adam Gemili was introduced to the Stadion Letzigrund he responded with a transcendental smile and a shy ‘Aw shucks’ head roll. But there was nothing relaxed or retiring as he “ran for his life” to shatter the 20-second barrier and win European 200m gold in 19.98sec. (The Guardian)