LeBron James believes Kyrie Irving's apology following his suspension for posting anti-semitic material on Twitter should be enough to warrant his return to the court.

Irving initially failed to apologise for a social media post about a book and movie with alleged anti-semitic views, nor "unequivocally say he has no anti-semitic beliefs".

The 30-year-old, who was handed a minimum five-game suspension by the Nets, belatedly issued an apology on Instagram after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had expressed his disappointment at the lack of one.

James previously said he did not condone the behaviour of his former Cleveland Cavaliers team-mate, though he now feels Irving has educated himself and should be allowed to return to the NBA court.

"I told you guys that I don't believe in sharing hurtful information, and I'll continue to be that way, but Kyrie apologised and he should be able to play," the Los Angeles Lakers star posted on Twitter on Thursday.

"That's what I think. It's that simple. Help him learn – but he should be playing."

James also suggested the demands on Irving, who has reportedly been presented with a list of requirements to see his suspension overturned, are "excessive".

"What he's [been] asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive [in my opinion]," he said. "He's not the person that's being portrayed of him."

Gareth Southgate says it may have been perceived as "arrogant" to select Reece James for England at the World Cup with "too many unknowns" over his recovery from injury.

The Chelsea full-back was left out of England's 26-man squad for the World Cup, which starts on November 20 in Qatar, after being sidelined since October 11 with a knee issue.

James sustained the injury in a Champions League clash with Milan and, despite no initial concern, scans revealed damaged ligaments could keep him out for up to eight weeks.

The 22-year-old still hoped to make England's travelling party but Three Lions manager Southgate opted to leave the right-back out due to the unknown nature of his recovery.

"We had to make a very difficult call with Reece, who is a fantastic player," Southgate said.

"He was not going to be available – if everything went perfectly – until the latter stages of the tournament and there were too many unknowns for us on that road to recovery."

Kyle Walker was still selected despite not playing since limping off in Manchester City's derby-day victory over Manchester United on October 2.

Southgate suggested Walker has made more encouraging progression in his recovery as he claimed including James may not be looked upon favourably due to issues over his group-stage availability.

"I do not think we can take a player who is not available for the group stage, that would be deemed arrogant in some circles," the 52-year-old added.

"But if everything went well and he was available, we would be dropping him into a quarter-final after eight weeks out. That would be really demanding. So it was a tough call.

"Kyle is a long way ahead of that and is progressing really well."

England face Iran in their World Cup opener before Group B fixtures against the United States and Wales.

Gareth Southgate does not want the World Cup to be "diminished" amid human rights concerns in Qatar but the England manager vowed to continue discussing issues "we think should be talked about".

The 2022 World Cup has come under repeated scrutiny before the November 20 opener, with concerns cited over the human rights standards in a country where same-sex relationships are prohibited.

FIFA aimed to quieten the discussion around the global tournament in the Middle East, penning a letter telling the 32 teams to "now focus on the football", but it was met with a backlash.

Southgate has repeatedly acknowledged the criticism of Qatar hosting the World Cup and he cannot foresee England adhering to FIFA's demands when the opportunity arises to vocalise their opinions.

"We have always spoken about issues we think should be talked about, particularly the ones we feel we can affect," Southgate said on Thursday after announcing his 26-man squad.

"Contrary to one or two observations in the last few weeks, we have spoken in the same way other nations have spoken about this tournament, the human rights challenges.

"We've been very clear on our standpoint on that. So, look, I think we would like to focus primarily on football. For every player, every coach and everybody travelling to a World Cup, this is a carnival of football.

"It is the thing you work for this your whole life and you don't want that to be diminished by everything else that is going on around it currently.

"But we recognise we are going to be in that situation, we've got to accept and deal with it."

England captain Harry Kane will be among 10 skippers to wear a distinctive rainbow heart-adorned armband at the tournament, raising awareness for the OneLove campaign against discrimination.

Southgate previously pinpointed the role of gay players in the Women's Euros triumph for England earlier in the year and reiterated his desire for inclusivity across the world.

"So regarding the [LGBTQ+] community, we stand for inclusivity and we are very, very strong on that," he said when asked about Qatar's same-sex relationship laws. "We think that is important in terms of all our supporters. 

"We understand the challenges this tournament brings within that. If it wasn't for the strength of that community, we wouldn't be women's European champions. So it's very, very important to us."

He hopes hosting world football's showpiece event will help educate Qatar and inspire change within the country.

"I think we have seen that. There have been improvements, there has been change," he added.

"We have released statements already saying that change could improve in certain areas and we are very clear on that.

"But I think the process of the World Cup being in Qatar will of course put them under the spotlight and that will be uncomfortable for them.

"At times that will be a bit harsh for them, but I think the whole thing has improved certain areas that I think everyone will recognise has helped."

England start their World Cup campaign against Iran on November 21 before facing United States and Wales in Group B.

Juventus made it five straight Serie A wins as Moise Kean's goal was enough to see off bottom-placed hosts Hellas Verona on Thursday.

Verona had lost eight consecutive league games while Massimiliano Allegri's men had won four in a row.

However, Salvatore Bocchetti's men made it difficult for Juve and it looked as if they had a chance of earning an important point.

But Kean's deflected 60th-minute strike made it three goals in three starts for him and his team held on to continue their winning streak, despite a late red card for Alex Sandro.

Verona started brightly and went close within three minutes, though Sulemana's powerful drive flew just past the post after a corner was cleared to him outside the box.

Juve grew into the game, with Arkadiusz Milik and Manuel Locatelli both testing Verona goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo.

Pawel Dawidowicz missed a decent opportunity after the interval when he scooped over after the ball fell kindly to him in the area.

Juve nearly went ahead when Adrien Rabiot crossed for Kean, but the low delivery just evaded the former Everton striker's outstretched boot.

The game was becoming more stretched, and Juve hit the hosts on a sublime counter to grab the lead on the hour.

Kean took Rabiot's pass in his stride before his deflected effort was pawed at by Montipo, but not enough to stop it bouncing in.

Juve had an almighty scare when a collision between Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Verdi in the box led to the referee pointing to the spot, but a VAR check encouraged him to reverse his decision.

Sandro was shown a second yellow card in injury-time for cynically barging over Kevin Lasagna as the forward charged down on goal, but it did not matter as the resulting free-kick flew over and the final whistle eventually came, much to Juve's relief.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches has been left out of Portugal's World Cup squad, joining the country's second-most capped player Joao Moutinho in missing out on the trip to Qatar.

Sanches has won 32 senior caps for Portugal since his 2016 debut and was named Young Player of the Tournament as Portugal clinched their first major trophy at the European Championship in France that year.

However, since swapping Lille for Ligue 1 rivals PSG this August, Sanches has struggled for game-time, starting just three matches in all competitions and playing a total of 427 minutes.

Fellow PSG midfielders Marco Verratti, Vitinha, Danilo Pereira, Fabian Ruiz, Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler have all made more starts this campaign, leaving Sanches out of Fernando Santos' plans.

Sanches' PSG team-mates Vitinha, Pereira and Nuno Mendes have all been included in Portugal's squad for the tournament, where they will face Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea after being drawn into Group H.

Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Moutinho, whose tally of 146 Portugal caps is only bettered by Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable total of 191, has been overlooked in favour of Wolves team-mates Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes.

Despite enduring a frustrating season with Manchester United, Ronaldo will captain Portugal in Qatar, where he will bid to become the first player to score at five separate World Cups.

The 37-year-old is one of just four players to hit the net at four separate editions of the tournament, alongside Pele, Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose.

However, all seven of Ronaldo's World Cup goals have arrived in the group stage, making him the highest scoring player in the tournament's history to fail to hit the net in the knockouts (in six such appearances).

Portugal squad: Diogo Costa (Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves), Rui Patricio (Roma); Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain), Pepe (Porto), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund); Joao Palhinha (Fulham), Ruben Neves (Wolves), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Mario (Benfica), Matheus Nunes (Wolves), Otavio (Porto), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), William Carvalho (Real Betis); Andre Silva (RB Leipzig), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Goncalo Ramos (Benfica), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Rafael Leao (Milan), Ricardo Horta (Braga).

James Maddison has earned his place in England's World Cup squad by becoming "one of the best in the Premier League, his Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers believes.

Maddison was a surprise name in Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad announcement on Thursday, having made his first and only appearance for his country in November 2019.

His recent form for Leicester has won Southgate over though.

Since the start of last season, Maddison has been directly involved in 30 goals in the Premier League (18 goals, 12 assists), with only Harry Kane (38) recording more among English players.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Leicester boss Rodgers described the moment Maddison found out he was heading to the World Cup. 

"He was delighted. He had a missed call from Gareth just before we went out to training," Rodgers revealed. "I said to him to go into my office to make the call privately. He obviously spoke to Gareth and came out with all the joy of the world, so it was great for him.

"It's wonderful news for James and his family and everyone here in Leicester. I'm delighted for Gareth from a coaching perspective to have that talent available at a great tournament. His level of consistency, work ethic and talent over these last few years has swung that decision.

"He's a fantastic player, one of the best in the Premier League. I'm really delighted for him."

Maddison was listed as a forward in England's squad along with Kane, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Callum Wilson.

Rodgers believes his versatility will make him a valuable asset, outlining the skills he is likely to bring to Southgate's team if called upon during the tournament, which begins on November 20.

"Everyone talks about his favourite position, but James has played across the front line to a high level," he said. "He's plays for me on the right side. He still scores and creates goals. He makes runs like a top winger. One thing he can do above a lot of players is that he can see the forward pass. That's absolutely key.

"He plays forward quickly. A lot of midfield players can conserve the ball, but you need players to see the pass. He's a player whose view of the game is fantastic. England have players who have talent and James has a special talent that can unlock tight games and defences and he can score goals."

Robert Lewandowski headlines Poland's squad for Qatar 2022, but there is no room for Karol Linetty nor Mateusz Klich among Czeslaw Michniewicz's 26-man squad.

Barcelona attacker Lewandowski will head to his fifth major tournament and second appearance at the World Cup, where he will skipper his country.

He is joined by fellow veterans Grzegorz Krychowiak and Kamil Glik, the latter of whom will hope to join him in the 100-cap club for Poland during the tournament having already amassed 98.

But Torino midfielder Linetty is a casualty of the fierce competition for places, with the 42-cap man missing the cut altogether.

He is joined by a pair of Premier League absentees in Leeds United's Klich and Brighton and Hove Albion's Jakub Moder, with the latter missing out through injury.

Maciej Rybus meanwhile remains in exile following his move to Spartak Moscow in June, having been blacklisted from the international team over his switch to the Russian club following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

There are no uncapped players among the squad, though both Clermont defender Mateusz Wieteska and Lech Poznan midfielder Michal Skoras will hope to add to their solitary international appearances.

Poland will kick off their campaign in Group C against Mexico on November 22, before they face Saudi Arabia and Argentina.

Poland squad:

Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus), Bartlomiej Dragowski (Spezia), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna); Jan Bednarek (Aston Villa), Kamil Glik (Benevento), Robert Gumny (Augsburg), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Legia Warsaw), Jakub Kiwior (Spezia), Mateusz Wieteska (Clermont), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Matty Cash (Aston Villa), Nicola Zalewski (Roma); Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City), Przemyslaw Frankowski (Lens), Kamil Grosicki (Pogon Szczecin), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Al-Shabab), Jakub Kaminski (Wolfsburg), Michal Skoras (Lech Poznan), Damian Szymanski (AEK Athens), Sebastian Szymanski (Feyenoord), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli), Szymon Zurkowski (Fiorentina); Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Arkadiusz Milik (Juventus), Krzysztof Piatek (Salernitana), Karol Swiderski (Charlotte FC).

Youssoufa Moukoko stated he is "overwhelmed" after being named in Hansi Flick's Germany squad for the World Cup.

The 17-year-old forward could earn his first senior appearance at the tournament, having come into the squad amid the injury absences of Timo Werner and Lukas Nmecha.

Moukoko's selection comes after stellar form for Borussia Dortmund this season, scoring six goals and contributing three assists in 13 Bundesliga appearances.

Following the announcement of the squad on Thursday, Moukoko took to social media to express his delight.

"I just can't believe it. Last year, around this time I was still out of the window, struggling with many injuries and little playing time," he posted on Instagram.

"Yet, I always tried to stay positive and believe in myself. I knew what I could achieve and now just to be part of a World Cup, a goal that players dream of their entire career, makes me incredibly proud.

"All the hard work has paid off, and I am just incredibly happy and overwhelmed.

"I would like to send a special thank you to my family, Edin Terzic, Sebastian Geppert, Peter Herrmann and the entire Borussia Dortmund coaching team, and my advisor Patrick Williams.

"Thanks also to my teammates and the fans of Borussia Dortmund and everyone who has supported and accompanied me for years. I love you guys."

Germany face Oman in a friendly on Wednesday, then begin their World Cup campaign on November 23 against Japan.

Hakim Ziyech has been named in Morocco's World Cup squad after missing the Africa Cup of Nations due a fallout with the former national team head coach.

Vahid Halilhodzic opted to leave Chelsea playmaker Ziyech out of the squad for last the AFCON at the beginning of this year, explaining "Ziyech's behaviour does not fit the selection."

Ziyech responded by retiring from international football in February, but Halilhodzic's dismissal in August opened the door for a possible return.

New boss Walid Regragui reintroduced Ziyech into the squad for two friendlies in September, and despite his lack of minutes for Chelsea this season, the attacker features in Morocco's squad heading to Qatar.

Noussair Mazraoui, who played alongside Ziyech at Ajax, is another player Regragui opted to bring back into the fold after being exiled by Halilhodzic, and the Bayern Munich defender makes the World Cup squad.

Centre-back Nayef Aguerd is in despite missing three months with an ankle injury for West Ham in pre-season while Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri is also named, Regragui undeterred by the striker failing to find the net in LaLiga this term.

Other notable names include Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi, Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, former Wolves defender Romain Saiss and Marseille's Amine Harit.

Morocco open up their World Cup campaign against Croatia on November 23 before facing Belgium four days later. Their final Group F match comes against Canada.

Morocco squad: Yassine Bounou (Sevilla), Munir El Kajoui (Al Wehda), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Wydad Casablanca); Nayef Aguerd (West Ham), Yahia Attiat Allah (Wydad Casablanca), Badr Benoun (Qatar SC), Achraf Dari (Stade Brest), Jawad El Yamiq (Real Valladolid), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), Romain Saiss (Besiktas); Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina), Selim Amallah (Standard Liege), Bilal El Khannouss (Genk), Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Casablanca), Azzedine Ounahi (Angers), Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria); Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Soufiane Boufal (Angers), Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers), Walid Cheddira (Bari), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), Abde Ezzalzouli (Osasuna), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al Ittihad), Amine Harit (Marseille), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea).

Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire is one of England's "best centre-backs" after the defender was named among the Three Lions' Qatar 2022 World Cup squad.

The Manchester United captain will head to his third major tournament with the national team, following Russia 2018 and Euro 2020, despite struggling for regular minutes at club level.

One of a dozen players retained from the squad that reached the semi-finals four years ago, Maguire has been a regular for England under Southgate.

That experience in major knockout encounters has helped him keep his spot despite underwhelming for United, with inclusion indicating the strong support Southgate has for his player.

"He's one of our best centre-backs," he stated. "I think within the squad, we've got a lot of players that have been to tournaments, have performed at that level, and know what's required.

"We've got other players who are playing well, who are in form right at this moment, and we've got to balance all of that when picking our team."

Maguire's selection was expected but has nevertheless raised eyebrows amid the promising form of younger understudies, such as Milan's Fikayo Tomori and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.

Southgate suggested that, despite limited opportunities for Maguire, his youthful rivals had not shown enough to dislodge his faith in Maguire and others, such as Everton loanee Conor Coady.

"We've picked our more experienced defenders," he added. "In this moment in time, the younger ones have got some really good qualities.

"But we don't think they've done quite enough to push the more experienced ones out. With the tournament we're going into and the level of the matches, that had to be the pecking order."

Gareth Southgate says James Maddison "earned the right" to be called up to England's squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

Maddison's 22 Premier League goal involvements in 2022 are the second most among England players behind Harry Kane's 32.

But despite his impressive form this year, Maddison was not called up for England's Nations League games in September and, having not featured for the national team since 2019, there was a debate over whether he should be included in the squad for Qatar.

Thursday's announcement confirmed his seat on the plane, and Southgate says the Leicester City man deserves it.

"He's playing really well. He's a good player, we've always said he's a good player. He's earned the right," the England boss said.

"We think he can give us something slightly different to the other attacking players that we've got.

"We like the fact he finds those pockets of space. He plays forward, not enough players play forward in this day and age.

"His set-play delivery is outstanding. He can score goals from distance, which against low-block defences is another attribute which is a little different from our other players."

Maddison has only collected one cap, and his three-year absence for the Three Lions came after he was spotted in a casino the same evening he said he was too unwell to play for England.

But Southgate says this was not the reason for his exile, explaining: "That was unfortunate from his perspective because it became a bigger issue than it was for me.

"You end up in the papers, nobody likes that. But for me, that wasn't the drama that it seemed to be for everyone else. He's always been up against some really good players in that area of the pitch."

One of those to miss out on the squad was Roma's Tammy Abraham, who has only managed three Serie A goals this term after scoring 17 last season.

Southgate cited that poor form as the reason for his exclusion, saying: "Tammy's had a poor run of scoring form at the wrong time, really.

"It's not a case where we are three or four weeks away from the finals and the first match, we're now 10 days. Form could be more important.

"We don't really know with any of the players. We're watching their club form, but we don't know where they are until we see them face-to-face on the training pitch."

When asked which players he had spoken to in order to deliver the good or bad news, Southgate added: "I did speak to James [Maddison] because I think this morning there was a lot of speculation that James wouldn't be with us.

"We'd decided a couple of weeks ago that we would, but we weren't obviously going to go and tell him then.

"My priority always on these days is the difficult conversations and sad news, and that is really tough. There's not many situations in football harder than that.

"But the nature of those conversations, good and bad, reminds you of how much it means to a player to go to a World Cup. So it is a great day, but for some of those, I've had to disappoint them."

Gareth Southgate has recalled James Maddison and Callum Wilson to his England squad for the World Cup, with Kyle Walker also featuring.

Maddison has been in superb form for Leicester City this season, though his only previous cap for the Three Lions came in November 2019.

Yet his six Premier League goals and four assists have persuaded Southgate to hand the playmaker a recall along with Newcastle United striker Wilson, though like Maddison the last of his caps came three years ago.

Wilson and Maddison join Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Sako and Harry Kane, the winner of the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, as the forwards heading to Qatar.

There is no room however for Tammy Abraham, who scored 27 goals for Roma last season but has managed just four this term, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jadon Sancho and Ivan Toney also miss out.

Brentford striker Toney was included in Southgate's squad for England's September internationals, yet has not made the cut for Qatar despite being the Premier League's highest-scoring English player this season after Kane.

In defence, Southgate has been able to call on Manchester City defender Walker, who has been recovering from a groin issue, though Chelsea duo Reece James and Ben Chilwell are unavailable due to injury.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw have been called up, though Fikayo Tomori – a Serie A champion with Milan – and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi have missed out.

Ben White's form for Arsenal has seen him named alongside Conor Coady, Eric Dier, John Stones and Harry Maguire, who has struggled for minutes at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, though Southgate has stood by the 29-year-old.

Jude Bellingham's terrific season continues as he heads to his second major international tournament, while Kalvin Phillips has been selected after having surgery to fix a shoulder problem last month. 

Jordan Pickford was superb in England's run to the semi-finals in Russia and to their progression to the final at Euro 2020, with Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale also picked.

England squad:

Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Coady (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal); Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham); Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham), James Maddison (Leicester City), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United).

Sam Simmonds and Jack van Poortvliet will start for England against Japan at Twickenham on Sunday.

Eddie Jones has named five changes from the shock 30-29 defeat to Argentina last weekend as they prepare to face Japan, who he coached between 2012 and 2015.

Number eight Simmonds has not featured for England since the Six Nations in March but comes in for Billy Vunipola, who drops to the bench.

Alex Coles is replaced by debutant David Ribbans at lock while Van Poortvliet, who scored within 30 seconds of coming on the pitch against Argentina, will start at scrum-half.

Jonny May also comes in for Joe Cokanasiga and Guy Porter is the final introduction as he is chosen to start over Manu Tuilagi at outside centre.

Owen Farrell will captain England and earn his 99th international cap, while hooker Jamie George is on the bench after recovering from a foot injury.

England team to face Japan: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Jack Nowell, 13. Guy Porter, 12. Owen Farrell (c), 11. Jonny May, 10. Marcus Smith, 9. Jack van Poortvliet; 1. Ellis Genge, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. David Ribbans, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Maro Itoje, 7. Tom Curry, 8. Sam Simmonds.

Replacements: 16. Jamie George, 17. Mako Vunipola, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Alex Coles, 20. Billy Vunipola, 21. Ben Youngs, 22. Henry Slade, 23. Manu Tuilagi.