IRVING, Texas -- Justin Durant was as sick as anyone to see Sean Lee go down with a torn knee ligament in the first off-season practice for the Dallas Cowboys. To suggest the injury gives Durant an opportunity to be the starting middle linebacker sort of turns the eight-year veterans stomach. "It hurt me seriously to my core," Durant said of the left ACL injury that is likely to keep Lee out in 2014. "I just look at it as my trying to step up and fill some big shoes." Durant isnt the only option under consideration by the Cowboys, who still havent specified Lees injury or said how long they expect him to be sidelined. Fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens wasnt far behind Durant for the start of the second week of off-season practice Monday, the same day Hitchens signed his rookie contract. And second-year player DeVonte Holloman worked off to the side, nursing a sore hamstring. If one of those three isnt at the centre of the Dallas defence in the season opener against San Francisco in about three months, it will probably be someone off the streets. The Cowboys arent in a hurry to decide. "I dont have timetables," linebackers coach Matt Eberflus said. "I really dont. Like I said, just working with whos on the grass." Durant and Holloman started the last three games of 2013 after Lee was sidelined by a neck injury. Durant made the first of those three starts before a hamstring injury sidelined him. Holloman took the last two, and had the first two sacks of his career in the season finale against Philadelphia. But Holloman hasnt made it the practice field this off-season because of a hamstring injury after the sixth-round pick missed seven games his rookie season with a neck problem. And he was drafted as an outside linebacker. "The reason hes valuable is hes got position flex," Eberflus said. "Where he fits in the lineup Im not sure yet. But hell decide that with his play." A year after coming to Dallas as a free agent who figured to be a backup, Durant finds himself by far the most experienced option to replace Lee. And that could mean a more vocal role for a guy who blended into the background his first year with the Cowboys. "Sean of course is a huge leader on our defence," said Durant, who has started 74 of 89 games in his first seven years. "Im going to be me but Im also going to step up and Im going step in and do some things sometimes." Hitchens was drafted a couple of rounds earlier than most projections, with Dallas thinking about insurance after Lee missed almost half the previous two seasons with injuries. The Cowboys didnt figure on having to cash in on that policy so quickly. "I just take it as this is my job and this is what they brought me in here for," Hitchens said. "I signed up for this. I usually dont look ahead." If hes looking ahead, coach Jason Garrett isnt saying. The coach wouldnt rule out a return in 2014 by Lee, who has missed 18 games in four seasons with hamstring, wrist, toe and neck injuries. "We feel like we have more guys to start with than we had last year at this time," Garrett said. "We want to be sure those guys get an opportunity to show us what they can do. Were also trying to find the best three linebackers." The Cowboys wont be settling on those three anytime soon. Fake Balenciaga Shoes .S. Basketball Writers Association. McDermott, who finished his career at Creighton as college basketballs fifth-leading scorer, accepted the honour from Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson at AT&T Stadium, site of the Final Four. Fake Balenciaga 2020 . The roster changes have been constant and continuous since late last year, but even with their 46-man roster set for the start of the season, the banged-up Bombers will be kicking off Week 1 with a handful of fresh faces and back-ups in the starting lineup. https://www.fakebalenciaga.com/. But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play. Fake Balenciaga . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. Wholesale Balenciaga .C. - Steve Clifford isnt exactly singing his teams praises after the Bobcats won for the sixth time in seven games.Aston Villas relegation to the Championship has been confirmed after a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashfords seventh goal of the season, turning in Antonio Valencias low cross on 32 minutes, proved the winner in Villas 24th defeat of the season, which leaves them an insurmountable 15 points short of safety with four games left.The West Midlands club end their 28-year stay in the top-flight with one of the poorest campaigns from any Premier League side - and they went out with a wimper. The fall and fall of Villa Aston Villas fall has been years in the making, but how did it happen? Substitute Rudy Gestede went closest late on when he hit the post from a corner but United should have scored more, with Memphis Depay hitting the post in stoppage time, as Wayne Rooney made his first start in over two months after injury. Aston Villa caretaker manager Eric Black says it is a difficult day for the club after his side were relegated to the Championship Villas fate has appeared a foregone conclusion for some time, with the club sitting bottom of the division since November 2 and winning just three games all season, but that will do little to soften the blow to one of Englands biggest clubs.With victory, meanwhile, United move to within a point of the Champions League spots, with fourth-placed rivals Manchester City playing Chelsea on Saturday Night Football on Sky Sports 1HD, and they deserved their win. Marcus Rashford scored his seventh Manchester United goal of the season The hosts were buoyed by the return of Rooney, making his first start since February 13 as one of five changes to the side that won at West Ham in midweek, with boss Louis van Gaal mindful of another game against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley next weekend.Rooney was lively and influential from the start and his side bossed the opening 20 minutes, with Marouane Fellaini and Chris Smalling both heading wide from corners before Juan Mata danced into the area and should have found the target from 12 yards. Juan Mata says hes delighted Wayne Rooney has returned to the Manchester United line-up following their 1-0 win over Aston Villa At the other end, Jordan Ayew and Kieran Richardson smashed speculative efforts over the bar from distance as Villa struggled to cope with Uniteds movement, and Valencia found space on the right to pick out Rashford for a well-taken opener.Villa had a debatable case for a penalty as Ayew was brought down in the box, but got nothing, and thee forward continued to be a rare live-wire for the away side, almost finding the net on the stroke of half-time when a close-range shot was blocked by Smalling.dddddddddddd Wayne Rooney made his first start in over two months following injury United then had their own shout for a penalty when Rashford was brought down by Alan Hutton, but got nothing either, before the young striker got up and was put through by Mata to flash a shot wide of the near post.Depay and Daley Blind flashed excellent crosses in front of the Villa goal as United hunted for a second, but they were fortunate not to draw the game after Gestede emerged from the bench to cause problems.The goal was gaping as the forward tried to turn home Ayews cut back, but his shot was blocked, before he volleyed against the upright with six minutes left.But Villa had to win to have any hope of embarking on a great escape and, as they have done for most of the season, they fell short of what is required to win a Premier League football match.Soccer Saturday verdict - Charlie Nicholas Charlie Nicholas says Aston Villa were no threat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, despite only one goal seperating the teams I thought it was a stroll in the park for Manchester United. They didnt pass it quick enough, didnt get the ball into Rashford early enough. Rooney came back and enjoyed pinging the ball about but never really looked a threat in front of goal. For the first 20-25 minutes he did not really link up with Rashford and it was all a bit slow and deliberate. But, once he started spraying the balls around, you could see he was starting to enjoy it. He comfortably felt his way back into the game. The fourth spot is vital for Manchester United and I thought they could have filled their boots today but they just strolled through the game.Villa looked like a team who need the season to end now, understandably so. They had a little bit of fight, when Gestede came on. He hit the post and he should have scored just before that. Ayew up front gave United a bit of work. Looking at the group they have that might be saleable, I think Ayew would be an asset, but they have got big decisions to make defensively. They have got a lot to do in a short space of time Louis van Gaal wasnt pleased with the tempo of Manchester Uniteds football, despite beating Aston Villa 1-0 Player ratingsMan Utd: De Gea (7); Valencia (7), Smalling (7), Blind (7), Rojo (6); Schneiderlin (6), Fellaini (6), Mata (8), Rooney (8), Depay (7); Rashford (7)Subs used: Martial (6), Lingard (6), Fosu-Mensah (6)Aston Villa: Guzan (6); Hutton (6), Lescott (6), Clark (6), Cissokho (6); Bacuna (5), Westwood (5), Gana (7); Richardson (6), Ayew (7), Sinclair (5)Subs used: Gestede (7)Man of the Match: Wayne Rooney ' ' '