By Tim Stannard
 
 
1) Pique says no U-turn on Spain as country eyes World Cup spot
 
To say that Spain and the region of Catalonia have been going through some curious times of late is quite the understatement.
 
Violence at an independence referendum deemed illegal by the Spanish state on Sunday. Barcelona playing Las Palmas at the Camp Nou with fans locked out. The King of Spain condemning separatists as being outside of the law and the regional Catalan leader promising to declare independence from Spain over the next few days.
 
Gerard Pique has managed to be caught up in the whole affair as a vocal proponent of the region’s right to choose self-determination if that’s the way the popular cookie crumbles. A figure, increasingly being perceived by Catalan independence types as a Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games of Spain, has been in the middle of a maelstrom with a tearful response to the violence on Sunday and being booed by fans at Spain’s training camp on Monday. On Wednesday, Pique fronted up at a press conference to try and answer the 34,495 questions being hurled his way.

The big one, was which way the Barca man voted - "I won't say if I'm in favor of independence or not.” The second next to big one – would he consider quitting the Spain team? “I'm very proud to be in the Spanish national team, so it hurts me when my commitment is doubted.”
 
And the juiciest, has his relationship with the very Spanish Sergio Ramos changed at all? Pretty much a resolute ‘no’ - "we're even going to be partners in a business together."
 
Tune into a very special edition of the XTRA on Wednesday at 7PM ET / 4PM as Christian Vieri talks about the challenges of being a national figurehead, and whether or not they are handy with a bow and arrow.
 
2) Real Madrid confirm Bale injury after Wales return
 
Like a dairy farmer dealing with an outbreak of trapped wind, Gareth Bale is suffering with a swollen calf. That’s the official diagnosis from Real Madrid on Wednesday with the club’s doctors being able to probe the delicate Welshman after his brief spell with his country.

Although no official time has been given on his recovery, a month is expected to be the return date which sees Bale unfortunately missing out on the Champions League double header with former club, Tottenham Hotspur.
 
3) Bayern set to offload Vidal in winter window
 
TRANSFER TRACKER 2018! Never too early. A big rumor for the winter window is Arturo Vidal heading off to Inter Milan with a rebooting Bayern Munich potentially wanting to jettison a football who has a colorful lifestyle with plenty of back story. Two fine euphemisms there.

And that is linked to the oddest story of the day which has Pep Guardiola knowing and approving the identity of the new Bayern boss, after Carlo Ancelotti was booted out last week.
 
But unless the new manager happens to be called Pep Guardiola, that news is of little use to us. "I told him who we are going to appoint in the coming days. He was in agreement," revealed Bayern club president Uli Hoeness, evading giving the game away like he evades taxes. Luis Enrique is the strongest rumor at the moment.
 
4) Sharapova beaten down in breakthrough match for Halep
 
Tennis Time! The battle of the Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep was won by the bustling Romanian who might well end up as world number one at the end of the tournament. The straight sets victory was the first for Halep over her Russian opponent and avenged the first-round defeat in the US Open. “I think I played my best tennis against her,” beamed Halep.
 
There is extensive coverage of all the best WTA action from Beijing for US viewers live on beIN SPORTS from 12:30AM / 9:30PM PT through to the next morning.
 
WHAT IS SPORTS BURST?
The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. SB is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time