The sporting week ahead (26/08/12)

Today

Liverpool look to get their Premier League campaign up and running. The only trouble is that Manchester City are paying them a visit. Arsenal face their habitual trial by throw-in at Stoke. Hand-towels at the ready. And Rangers continue their odyssey on the high roads and the low with a trip to Berwick. If they have lost their lustre, one man who hasn't is Mo Farah, and he competes today at the British Grand Prix meeting in Birmingham. At Gleneagles, Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium needs a top-two finish to secure a European Ryder Cup berth, while in New York Padraig Harrington hopes to impress enough to earn a wild card.

Tomorrow

A football-free day, and it's like high summer again as Andy Murray begins his US Open campaign fresh from his Olympic gold. The crowd will be rowdy, as they were at the Games, but they won't all be supporting him.

Tuesday

In the County Championship there's a top-of-the-table clash as Warwickshire host Nottinghamshire.

Wednesday

London 2012 part two begins with the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games. Prepare to be amazed and humbled – though perhaps not by tonight's showpiece, if the Olympic Closing Ceremony was anything to go by. Celtic have a two-goal advantage when Helsingborgs come to town in the Champions' League play-off.

Thursday

First day of competition at the Paralympics. Team GB's Sarah Storey takes part in the C5 individual pursuit at the Velodrome, having won 16 medals as a swimmer. The men's goalball team make their debut against the Beijing silver medallists, Lithuania.

Friday

The big guns are out today, not least Swedish shooter Jonas Jacobsson, who will be looking to add to his incredible haul of 16 golds, three silvers and nine bronzes, while Czech cyclist Jiri Jezek needs two more golds to become the most successful Paralympic cyclist ever. On the track, Team GB's double world champion Hannah Cockcroft goes for glory in the T34 100m final. And if anyone cares after all that, Chelsea play Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup.

Saturday

Ireland's Jason Smyth goes for gold in the T13 100m and Team GB's Richard Whitehead could beat his own world record in the T42 200m. Brazil's Antonio Tenorio looks to make it five golds in a row in the -100kg judo. Then he can go for six of the best on home turf. On Planet Football, Mark Hughes' QPR face a massive test at his old club Manchester City, while the rugby union season kicks off with a double-header at Twickenham.