Beth Mead has been left out of the England squad for this year's Women's World Cup, but Bethany England returns for the tournament...

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Southend have secured an urgent court order allowing the payment of players and accountants before deadlines that threaten the club’s survival. A lawyer for the National League side told a specialist judge they would “simply cease to exist” if payments to playing staff and for the filing of overdue accounts were not made on Wednesday. Judge Sebastian Prentis heard at an online hearing that players could “walk away” if they did not receive their salaries due at the end of this month, while the National League had said it would withdraw the club’s membership if accounts were not filed “by close of business”. The insolvency and companies court hearing comes after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) issued a winding-up petition against the non-league club over a £275,000 tax debt. Earlier this month, Southend – who dropped out of the English Football League at the end of the 2020/21 season – were given more time to clear the debt as the owners look into the sale of the club. Barrister Hilary Stonefrost, representing the loss-making side, told Wednesday’s hearing it needed a “validation order” to unfreeze a bank account and make payments. She said this was “to ensure the business of the company can survive under its present ownership long enough for a sale of the company’s shares to new owners”. “The salaries of the footballers and the footballing staff need to be paid today… and if they are not paid they can walk away,” she said. “The National League has said that if they did not file accounts before close of business today then they will withdraw their membership of the league.” Ms Stonefrost apologised for the lateness of the club’s court application, saying management was “very occupied with putting the sale together”, including it being “marketed in America”. In March, it was reported that the club’s parent company had appointed General Sports Worldwide, an American agency, to explore the market for potential buyers or fresh investment. The salaries of the footballers and the footballing staff need to be paid today... and if they are not paid they can walk away Barrister Hilary Stonefrost, for Southend Ms Stonefrost told the hearing that agents were instructed to produce an “investment prospectus”, saying negotiations were being conducted with prospective buyers who had passed “the financial requirement test”. She said club chairman Ron Martin, who observed the online hearing, had given an “undertaking” that sale proceeds would be used to pay HMRC and creditors. Southend’s parent companies, South Eastern Leisure UK Limited and Martin Dawn Plc – both Mr Martin’s family companies – have “always funded this club”, Ms Stonefrost said. She said it was “not necessarily in a timely manner” but money has been raised to pay debts. The club came close to going out of business earlier this year before settling an outstanding bill of £1.4million with HMRC, which has issued a number of winding-up petitions against Southend in recent years. Ms Stonefrost told the court there was a “short-term liquidity” problem with the parent companies in relation to a “huge development in Southend”. Judge Prentis said £25,000 of the club’s current HMRC debt had been paid – with the petition due to be reconsidered on July 12. He said the “manifestly insolvent” club had to provide to the National League accounts for 2020 and 2021, having not filed any to Companies House since July 31 2019. The judge said that unless players were paid they had the right to leave within 14 days “without providing any value to the company through transfer fees”. He granted part of the requested order to cover payments to accountants, footballing staff and lawyers, but said he was “concerned” over “weak” evidence that the club could meet a second National League deadline of June 2 to pay HMRC in full as well as all football creditors. The case will return to court on Monday, when Ms Stonefrost said the judge will receive a National League letter saying it has changed the June deadline. She also committed to providing confidential information on the sale process and detail on how money from a sale would be handled.

England forward Beth Mead will miss the Women’s World Cup after failing to recover in time from a knee injury

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Sarina Wiegman has named her World Cup squad with 23 Lionesses now confirmed to be on the plane - and a selection of big names missing out. There were already set to be more than one huge star missing, with Fran Kirby and captain Leah Williamson both injured and set to watch on over summer as the England women’s team look to add the game’s biggest trophy to the one they won at Euro 2022 last summer. But as ever, where big calls have to be made, the manager must always leave some out - here are the key unfortunate few who have missed the call this time around. Beth Mead The biggest question mark was over Beth Mead and despite being ahead of schedule in her recovery from an ACL tear, the talented forward was not deemed close enough to full fitness by Wiegman to take a place in the 23. The 50-cap Arsenal attacker was desperate to make it, but it’s an understandable - if massive - call to leave her watching on. Steph Houghton The former England captain was left out of Wiegman’s Euros squad following an injury-hit season with Manchester City, and has not been given the chance for a recall despite the loss of skipper Leah Williamson. Wiegman had already admitted it was unlikely Houghton will make the World Cup after the 34-year-old gave an interview to the BBC where she said she has not given up hope of being selected. Houghton could have brought experience to the England squad but Wiegman had long since made up her mind. Esme Morgan Tipped by Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor as a future England captain, Morgan had been in and out of Wiegman’s squad this season, so a World Cup omission isn’t the biggest of surprises. The versatile 22-year-old started alongside Williamson against Australia in April, in recognition of her impressive club form, but England weren’t as defensively secure as usual. Her time will come. Jess Park Wiegman has had plenty of looks at the 21-year-old at various times this season, including during the Arnold Clark Cup where she started in midfield against Italy. Selection for fixtures against Brazil and Australia was another huge vote of confidence, even if she didn’t see much game time. Wiegman perhaps saw Park as a potential replacement for Fran Kirby but a shoulder injury that ended her season came at a bad time. Definitely one for the future and she’s named on the standby list for this tournament. Nikita Parris The Manchester United attacker has clocked up more than 70 caps but hasn’t been involved in a squad since November last year, having been an option off the bench for Wiegman in the successful Euro 2022 campaign. Having moved from Arsenal last summer Parris was hoping to find her best form, but despite playing a regular role in the second half of the WSL campaign, hasn’t quite managed to reestablish herself on the international scene. Parris had failed to find the net in the league between late October and late April, though did score twice in the last four matches of the season. Maya Le Tissier Another who makes the standby list, Le Tissier received her first senior call-up in November last year and has since won two caps, following a move to Manchester United last summer. The 21-year-old defender - an FA Cup runner-up two weeks ago - was on the bench for the Finalissima penalty shoot-out victory over Brazil in April and clearly has a big role to play in future, but will have to wait for her first major tournament. Read More England announce Women’s World Cup squad England Women’s World Cup squad LIVE: Sarina Wiegman announces group Predicting England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane? The key questions facing England ahead of Women’s World Cup squad announcement What time is England’s Women’s World Cup squad announcement? Making World Cup squad would be ‘stuff of dreams’, says Man City’s Laura Coombs

Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele and RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku are among the players recalled to the France squad named on Thursday by coach Didier Deschamps ahead of two...

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