England boss Sarina Wiegman says she was not prepared to take the risks with Beth Mead’s fitness after leaving her out of her squad for this summer’s World Cup. Mead, who claimed the Golden Boot and player of the tournament award when the Lionesses won the Euros last summer, misses out after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in November. Asked if there was ever a chance the Arsenal winger could have been in the squad, Wiegman told a press conference: “No, I don’t think so. “Beth is so positive and she’s going really well, but we said the time schedule she had, we would have taken so many risks to try to get her to the World Cup. “Very early we said we’re not going to take that risk, I’m not willing to take that risk, to push her too much and then she gets injured again. We have to take care of players and do what’s smart, and not do what’s a little bit naive.” There is a recall for in-form Bethany England, back involved for the first time since last September. The forward has scored 12 Women’s Super League goals for Tottenham after joining from Chelsea in January, and Wiegman said: “She was at Chelsea, she didn’t get the minutes. “Then she made a move and started playing. Tottenham was having a hard time, but how she performed and how much resilience she showed – I think that’s what made us make the decision to get her in the squad.” Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze, also sidelined of late, do feature in a 23-player list from which skipper Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby had already been ruled out due to injury. Wiegman confirmed Bright is set to captain the side, and regarding her and Bronze’s recoveries from knee surgery, she said: “Lucy is fit and fully in training, and Millie is in a good place, so we’re positive. “She’s still building but we have some time. We need to build a little more but it looks good.” On Williamson’s absence after suffering an ACL injury of her own in April, Wiegman said: “Of course, most of all for her it’s very disappointing and sad, and that’s the same for Fran and for Beth Mead. “But you have to move on too. This is unfortunately part of top sports, that you can get injured. You hope to make that risk as small as possible but it can happen and someone else steps up and it gives an opportunity.” Jordan Nobbs is included despite sustaining an injury in Aston Villa’s penultimate game of the season, Katie Zelem has been brought back after not making the last squad in April, and there is no recall for Williamson’s predecessor as captain Steph Houghton. Jess Park, Maya Le Tissier – who Wiegman said was “really close” to making the 23 – and Emily Ramsey have been named on standby. Wiegman said there had been “hard decisions” and that while some players were missing through injury, she still feels “we have a very good squad, very good depth in the squad.” England get their campaign at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand under way by facing Haiti in Brisbane on July 22, and will also take on Denmark and China in Group D. Wiegman was also asked about the diversity of the squad in terms of there being 22 white players out of 23, and said: “Of course I understand that people look at it like that, and I really hope that will change, but that won’t change overnight. “I know the FA is doing lots of things, with ‘Discover My Talent’, ‘Let Girls Play’, to get everyone who wants to play football, whatever background you have, or wherever you come from, that you have access to it. “I think what our players did after the Euros, (asking to) have access in schools, which now had a big result, hopefully that brings more girls with different backgrounds into the game, so in the future we have more players from different backgrounds in the national team too. But for now I think that takes a little more time.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Home favourite Caroline Garcia suffers shock second-round exit at Roland Garros Southend secure court order over player payments to help ensure survival Taking a look at the financial crisis gripping the Gallagher Premiership

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Ryan Porteous watched his Scotland team-mates gearing up for their summer holidays after Tuesday’s win over Georgia while preparing to start his next campaign the following day. The defender was due back at Watford for a team meeting and day three of pre-season training hours after helping Scotland to victory in difficult conditions. The former Hibernian player is happy to get back to England, though, and get to work under new head coach Valerien Ismael, who was appointed on May 10. “All the boys are jetting off on holiday but I’m back in,” Porteous said. “There will be a big rebuild probably at Watford so I’m looking forward to getting started there. “I had a holiday before. We finished up on the 10th (of May) so I got away for a couple of weeks. “Listen, I will be in good shape going back. That’s what you want as a player. Pre-season is hard enough but if you are in good physical state, as you need to be in this day and age, then it will be of benefit to me.” The defender’s return to club duty might have been delayed at one point as the Euro 2024 qualifier looked in severe doubt because of a waterlogged pitch, with rules stating any abandoned game continues the next day. Porteous got away from Hampden after midnight but the fans were not far in front of him after a near two-hour delay while water was swept off the pitch following a torrential downpour. Speaking after a 2-0 win for the Group A leaders, the 24-year-old said: “We wanted the game to go on because there were 50,000 fans there. For them to come to the game, spend all that money on travel and tickets and then go home very disappointed that the game was the next day, wasn’t what we wanted. “We wanted to play the game. We understand why they (Georgia) wouldn’t because they were 1-0 down, that’s completely understandable, but most of the fans stayed to the end. “The fans were brilliant, because it was a late night for a lot of kids and working people as well.” The victory made it four wins from four in Group A, Scotland’s best start to any qualifying campaign, and sent them eight points clear halfway through their schedule. Porteous said: “It’s exactly where we want to be, but the manager keeps reiterating to us and the press that we have done nothing yet. “We have put ourselves in a fantastic position but it’s one game at a time that will get us there. We need to stay grounded. “Four wins probably doesn’t get you there, you have to keep going.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Almost two thirds of football fans oppose VAR, survey finds Leicester and Sale to face holders La Rochelle in Heineken Champions Cup pool Range of armband options for Women’s World Cup as FIFA aims to avoid repeat row

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FC Sorrento have become the latest club to backtrack on signing former Scotland striker David Goodwillie in the wake of a public backlash. The Australian second-tier side announced on Wednesday that they had recruited the 34-year-old, who was ruled by a judge at a civil court case in 2017 to have raped a woman in 2011. “SFC are pleased to announce we have added three players to our mid season first team. Clay Gibbs, David Goodwillie & Callum Dobbs have all joined!” read the initial statement from the Perth-based club. Sorrento head coach Steven McGarry, who played in Scotland when Goodwillie was beginning his career more than a decade ago, added: “With David, we get a player with real quality and experience. “He’s played in the top leagues in England and Scotland while also representing Scotland at international level so he’s a massive addition to the club.” After the news was not well-received on social media, however, Sorrento released another statement just hours later revealing they had cancelled Goodwillie’s contract. “Sorrento Football Club has rescinded its contract with David Goodwillie,” it read. “David was scheduled to arrive in Perth within the next week to commence playing with the Club for the remainder of the 2023 NPLM season. “The arrangement was non-commercial in nature. “The Club has informed David of its decision and apologises to anyone in our football and broader community that may have been caused offence by his signing.” Sorrento are the third club in 18 months to have been forced into a climbdown over their efforts to sign Goodwillie. Scottish side Raith Rovers sparked an outcry when they signed Goodwillie from Clyde in February last year and he was released from his contract without playing a match. Then in February of this year, Northern Premier League side Radcliffe signed the former Dundee United and Blackburn forward and he scored a hat-trick on his debut against Belper Town. However, having made no prior announcement of his signing, the angry response from the public prompted a change of heart from Radcliffe, who admitted to making “a significant misstep” in signing him and that “our due diligence should have been of a much higher standard”. Goodwillie and fellow footballer David Robertson were deemed by a judge at a civil court in January 2017 to have raped a 30-year-old woman at a property in Armadale, West Lothian, after a night out in nearby Bathgate in January 2011. Criminal charges against Goodwillie were dropped in 2011 due to lack of evidence. Goodwillie left English club Plymouth “by mutual consent” days after the civil court ruling and just two months later, in March 2017, he signed for Clyde despite fierce criticism of the Bully Wee’s decision to give him a deal. A year later, in March 2018, Goodwillie was allowed to do a rare post-match interview in which he outlined his desire to return to full-time football. “Of course I’ve got aspirations of going back up a level,” he said after scoring his 25th goal of his first season at the club in a League Two win away to Cowdenbeath. “I want to play for as long as I can at whatever level I can. “I need to be respectful to Clyde, though, because they believed in me and gave me a chance and I’ll always be thankful for that. I’ll give everything I can to Clyde for as long as I’m here. “The way the fans and the chairman have been with me means a lot. I take that really deep. “The fans have taken me in when they might not have, so I’m really thankful for that and appreciate it every single time I step out on the pitch for them. “Ask any footballer and they’ll say they want to play at the highest level they can. I play football just to breathe and feel freedom. When you cross that line, you’ve got no worries, no stress.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ex-Essex player Jahid Ahmed: Racism probe being dragged out to protect accused Prime Minister praises ‘swift hands’ of Jonny Bairstow in halting Lord’s protest Josh Tongue gets late breakthrough as Australia dominate at Lord’s

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