U2 set for number one

Three of U2: The Edge, Bono, and Larry Mullen

Irish rock heroes U2 are on course for their first number one in three-and-a-half-years with their new track Beautiful Day.

The veteran band's comeback record has sold nearly 9,000 copies more than its nearest rival, Kids by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue.

Bad game: Nichola is at number 73

Kids had been widely expected to take the top spot easily.

Williams has had three number ones since quitting Take That, and Minogue's fifth number one, Spinning Around, came three months ago, underscoring a dramatic comeback.

But if Monday's sales patterns are repeated, U2 will claim their fourth number one, and their first since Discotheque in 1997.

The band release their new album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, on 30 October.

Meanwhile, there is bad news for aspiring pop star Nichola Holt.

The former Big Brother contestant's debut single, The Game, has only made it to number 73 in the midweek chart, despite a high-profile promotional campaign.