Ireland coach Joe Schmidt revealed his initial 44-man training squad for this summer's Rugby World Cup warm-up fixtures yesterday, with the party selected following predictable lines. There are two uncapped players in the squad - Munster fullback Mike Haley and secondrow Jean Kleyn - while Quinn Roux, Stuart McCloskey, Tom Farrell and Jamison Gibson-Park are among those to miss out. Meanwhile in his column this morning Gordon D'Arcy says it's time for Schmidt's players to switch off after a gruelling season, before they set about plotting for glory in Japan. He writes: "Draw breath because the mental attrition of these past 24 months needs to dissolve before the group reunites in a month or so. Press the off button - something that needed to happen after November. That's why, I think, Ireland struggled during the Six Nations. Can any of us fully comprehend the heights they reached to beat the All Blacks?" And he believes when the time comes, Ireland will be more than equipped for the challenges which await them from September onwards: "The squad that travels to Japan and performance levels they attain will look after themselves because preparation will surpass anything we have ever known. I'm certain about this."

Tonight Arsenal face Chelsea in the Europa League final in Baku (kick-off 8pm Irish time), as the two London rivals meet roughly 2,500 miles from home. As well as winning a major trophy, victory for Arsenal would see them secure a place in next season's Champions League - with Chelsea already guaranteed their spot after a third-place finish in the Premier League. Ahead of the match, Arsenal boss Unai Emery said: "I want to help Arsenal to achieve everything in our way. One is Europa League, another is improving to achieve the best position in the football world. Arsenal will be in the 10 best teams of the world. Our objective is to achieve that." Meanwhile Chelsea look set to be without midfielder N'Golo Kante, who was restricted to gentle running yesterday due to a knee injury and is rated as "50-50" to be available by boss Maurizio Sarri. Sarri stormed out of Chelsea's training session in Baku yesterday, moments after an altercation between David Luiz and Gonzalo Huguain.

Elsewhere in his column this morning Darragh Ó Sé has suggested Mayo remain one of a handful of teams who can mount a challenge to Dublin this summer, despite their historic defeat to Roscommon in Castlebar last weekend. He writes: "I would fully expect to see Roscommon in the Super 8s, along with Donegal. And despite all the doom and gloom, I would have no real doubt Mayo will be there as well. To me, the reaction to them getting beaten on Saturday night has been way over the top." And while the Rossies might be in their fourth consecutive Connacht final, Ó Sé doesn't believe they are contenders in the same way Mayo are: "All in all, it was a good weekend of Donegal and Roscommon but I'd be surprised if Mayo weren't still standing after those two have fallen away."

And Roger Federer is among those in action at the French Open today, with the 20-time Grand Slam winner taking on Germany's Oscar Otte in the second round. Yesterday women's number one Naomi Osaka survived a scare to beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in three sets, 0-6 7-6 (4) 6-1 at Roland Garros.