Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed defender Alistair Johnston could miss the first two months of the new season following ankle surgery.

Canada right-back Johnston, a regular starter under former manager Ange Postecoglou after arriving from Montreal in January, initially sustained the injury in April.

The 24-year-old returned for last month’s Scottish Cup final win against Inverness, but has since failed to fully recover.

Rodgers, currently at a training camp in Portugal with his squad, said: “Alistair had an issue when he came back from international duty, a problem with his ankle.

“In the operation, he had a couple of bits removed, which was successful. He’s out here with us. It’s probably a six to eight-week injury, but hopefully he’ll be fit sooner than that.

“He’ll progress really well and better to have it done at this stage than some time during the season.”

Rodgers had better news on another Hoops defender, Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has rejoined the squad in Portugal ahead of schedule after undergoing knee surgery in April.

The USA centre-half had been expected to be out until the end of August, but could be fit in time for the season’s opener against Ross County.

“Cameron is doing very well, he’s out on the pitch,” Rodgers said. “After the surgery he had after the (Scottish Cup) semi-final he’s doing really well.

“He looks strong, so he’s progressing and he’s well on schedule to be back, so that’s good news.”

Rodgers, who returned as Celtic manager in May following Postecoglou’s departure to Tottenham, is hoping to further strengthen his squad.

Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm and Australia winger Marco Tilio were signed earlier this month from Valerenga and Melbourne City respectively.

Rodgers confirmed Tilio will not recover from an injury he sustained before arriving in Glasgow in time for the start of the season.

Following forward Jota’s recent departure to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, new forward recruits are high on Rodgers’ wish-list.

The former Leicester boss said: “The modern game, for a lot of players, it’s also a business for them. Careers are short and (Jota’s) been given an opportunity to go and look after himself and his family, so we have to respect that.

“So he’s gone and of course we have so many talented players here, but we’d like to do some business in that area of the team as well.”

Rodgers confirmed Republic of Ireland winger Mikey Johnston, hoping to force his way back into favour at Celtic Park after spending last season on loan with Portuguese side Guimaraes, will be sidelined for up to three months due to a back problem.

The Hoops are scheduled to play a second friendly against Portimonense in Portugal on Saturday before flying out to Japan, where they will face Yokohama F. Marinos (July 19) and Gamba Osaka (July 22).

Rodgers’ side are due to play Wolves at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (July 29) and then Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season friendly at Celtic Park on August 1.

Rory McIlroy has made it abundantly clear how he felt about short-lived proposals that he and Tiger Woods could own LIV Golf teams and play in at least 10 events a season.

“If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on earth I would retire. That’s how I feel about it,” McIlroy said after an opening 64 in the Genesis Scottish Open.

McIlroy was speaking to the written press for the first time since documents were released on Tuesday as part of a US Senate sub-committee hearing on the framework agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf.

Before the agreement was reached, PCP Capital Partners gave a presentation to two PGA Tour officials entitled “The Best of Both Worlds” that featured the McIlroy and Woods proposal as part of a lengthy wish-list which included PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan becoming a member of the R&A and Augusta National.

Neither had any chance of success even if McIlroy – who said he still “hated” LIV when the framework agreement was announced – has now taken a step back from his role as the biggest advocate of the PGA Tour.

“There’s quite a bit of apathy towards everything at the moment,” McIlroy said.

“There wasn’t a lot of new information there for me (in the Senate hearing), there maybe was for other people, but as I said, I’ve almost been too close to it over the last year and a bit so it’s nice to be able to try to distance myself a bit from it.

“I think I’m apathetic to all the noise around it and as long as the tournaments that I play keep on existing I’ll be very happy to play them and be a professional golfer and try to get a little bit closer every day to trying to master my craft.

“The thing that I’ve realised is, no matter what I do or say or try to show leadership, I’m going to be just fine.

“I’ve tried to step up for maybe the guys that didn’t have a voice early on, but I think with everything that’s transpired over the last few weeks the players are going to find themselves more and more at the table to try to get whatever that is they want out of it.

“Again, as long as I get to play the golf that I’ve known over the last 15 years of my career, I’ll be happy.”

Asked if the PGA Tour had failed to show the same loyalty to him as he, and other players, had to it, McIlroy added: “I don’t know about that.

“I think they were trying to do what was right for the Tour, which in turn means what’s right for the players on that Tour.

“I think I read a quote they were negotiating their survival. So I think that’s a very fair thing for a business to do.”

Castle Way emerged as a serious St Leger prospect as he held off the late lunge of odds-on favourite Tower Of London to land the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

Not seen since winning a Listed race over 10 furlongs at the Guineas meeting, Palace Pier’s half-brother was stepping up markedly in trip to a mile and five furlongs.

William Buick sat in second on the Charlie Appleby-trained inner, as rank outsider Think First set a sedate gallop under Neil Callan, meaning several in behind were very keen.

Tower Of London was particularly not one of those, but while it did look like he wanted to go a little quicker, Ryan Moore was still sat close enough to the pace if good enough.

As the race began in earnest Saint George moved up on his outside which allowed Castle Way to steal a march.

When Think First dropped away Tower Of London was in the clear with plenty of time to catch the 9-2 scorer, but Moore lost his stick over a furlong from home, which will not have helped.

The favourite was gaining with every stride, but went down by a head with Saint George not far away in third.

Castle Way was cut to 7-1 from 25s by Paddy Power for the Leger, and Doncaster will be on the agenda, according to Appleby.

Appleby said: “We’re delighted. He’s a horse who hasn’t done a lot wrong in his career, really. His only real blip was at Epsom on soft ground.

“We came in here today confident this step up in trip would suit him. There was a question mark, as there always is when you are going beyond that mile -and-a-half category.

“It was a great ride by William. We went out there to ride him as though the trip wasn’t an issue and as William said, for a trip just short of a mile and six, we went very steady. It did turn turn into a bit of a sprint. At one stage I thought, ‘oh, we’ve committed now and you’ll have to find again’, but to be fair to the horse, he dug deep.”

Asked if he was thinking of the Leger in the long term, Appleby added: “Most definitely. We will probably go down the natural route there to the Voltigeur and then hopefully that will springboard us into being a St Leger contender, anyway.

“We haven’t had a run since May. For no other reason that I dodged Ascot for King Of Steel to be perfectly honest – I couldn’t see us beating him – and then the next target was here.

“We kept an eye on the Grand Prix de Paris, but we would have to ship there and he hasn’t done that before, and it is a small but competitive race. On our doorstep, we thought we would come here and test our stamina before we go travelling.”

Isa Guha believes Heather Knight’s England can complete a remarkable turnaround to win the Women’s Ashes but feels the series has already proven to be a “seminal moment” for the sport.

England were 6-0 down in the multi-format series after narrow defeats in the one-off Test and the opening T20 at Edgbaston last month, but have hit back to win the next three matches to level up the scores and victories in the final two ODIs over the next week will see them reclaim the urn.

Sage ambassador Guha has been across the action as part of both Sky Sports and BBC’s coverage and agrees with England bowler Kate Cross that the aura of world champions Australia has slowly been chipped away.

She told the PA news agency: “For me I always believed they could beat Australia, but it was a question of whether they did. Then there is one thing believing it and another thing actually doing it.

“There were so many times on that last Ashes tour where they would get themselves into positions to win and almost psychologically break down and not believe they could really get over the line against Australia.

“Something I heard from Kate Cross was they have taken away the Australians aura and that is what has allowed them to win these games.

“That ruthlessness to have the composure in the big moments is what had been lacking, but now they have won games it will unlock their potential even more, so that is what makes it even more exciting.”

Each match of the series has provided twists and turns with different starring roles – Tammy Beaumont hitting 208 in the Test at Trent Bridge while Sophie Ecclestone claimed a 10-wicket haul.

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Since the format switched to white-ball cricket, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt, Alice Capsey and Knight have all had key contributions and in doing so further cemented their place as role models for the next generation.

Ex-seamer Guha – involved in three successful Ashes series as a player – feels the impact of this summer’s battle will be significant regardless of the results in the final two ODIs at the Ageas Bowl (Sunday) and Taunton (Tuesday).

“I always knew it could be,” Guha reflected when asked if she anticipated such a thrilling series.

“There was always a feeling it could be possible, but it is mad.

“I remember being part of the 2005 Ashes and we were spurring each other on. People didn’t really know we were playing back then so that is probably the difference to now but there is something in the air. It feels a really seminal moment for our sport.

“I think women’s cricket is only going in one way. It is the fastest growing area of our sport and to see that investment paying off, that makes us all feel good about the bigger picture of women’s cricket at the top level.

“There is still a lot more to be done at grassroots level and in the pathways, but certainly the inspiration that is coming out of this whole series is incredible.

“To have a team that is competing with arguably the greatest team that has ever been, yeah that is enough to get excited about. Whatever the result, it has certainly been a win for the sport.”

Both the women’s and men’s Ashes are being played against the backdrop of cricket’s struggle to rid the game of discrimination.

The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report published last month identified ingrained racism, sexism and classism within the sport in England and Wales, with among its key recommendations that there be immediate equality in men’s and women’s international match fees.

Guha highlighted the viewing figures when reflecting on the need for equal pay.

She added: “The numbers are there for everyone to see as well.

“This is one I thought was really amazing. On Sky 965,000 watched England beat Australia over four days in the third men’s Test at Headingley, so that is a daily figure while 795,000 watched Heather Knight’s side win (the T20) on Saturday night.

“If there is any evidence the girls need to be paid more, there you go.

“The argument that always comes around is how many eyeballs they get and that is the perfect example of how women’s cricket is being captured. It has captured the imagination of the population.”

The Sage Small Business XI competition will see a small business owner be part of The Hundred as well as winning a £60k boost to their business. Enter now at www.sage.co.uk/TheHundred 

Players have been urged to come forward for support from the Professional Footballers’ Association if they feel they are developing an addiction to sleeping tablets.

Everton midfielder Dele Alli said in an interview released on Thursday with The Overlap podcast that he had developed a “scary” addiction to sleeping pills, adding: “It’s probably a problem that not only I have, I think it’s something that’s going around more than people realise in football.”

Dr Michael Bennett, the director of player well-being at the PFA, said the union “regularly supports” members who have developed addictive behaviours or dependencies – including reliance on medication such as painkillers and sleeping tablets.

“Sleeping tablet use is an issue we are aware of and one we monitor and report back on in our work with the football authorities,” Dr Bennett said.

“We know there are many reasons why a player may begin to use sleeping tablets. It is common for players to struggle to sleep after night games as they find that it often takes time, both mentally and physically, to ‘come down’.

“Other common issues, such as frequent international travel, particularly across time zones, can severely disrupt players’ sleep patterns. Players may also simply be struggling with sleep due to personal issues such as stress, and might be concerned that it is damaging their rest and recovery.

“Even administered in small doses, prescription medications can be habit-forming. If players are using sleeping tablets or any other prescription medication and are concerned that they may have developed a dependency, we encourage them to speak confidentially with the PFA and access the support we offer. Help is available.”

Former Rotherham player Ryan Cresswell said in an interview last year he had developed an addiction to painkillers and sleeping tablets.

He told ITV: “Plain and simple, if I had carried on doing what I was doing, I would have been dead. I didn’t want to die. I just didn’t know how to live.

“I told the doctor and he said ‘Ryan you should be dead’. The sleeping tablets and the painkillers – I was just numb. I eventually got help. I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through.”

Kieran Shoemark is relishing the opportunity to partner Oaks heroine Soul Sister in the Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp on Friday evening.

The 27-year-old, who won his first Group One aboard Lady Bowthorpe in 2021, is enjoying a fine season riding 33 winners so far, including a Group Three aboard Vadream earlier in the campaign.

With Soul Sister’s usual partner Frankie Dettori suspended and many other big-name riders required at Newmarket’s July Festival, he has the chance to continue his good run in the saddle having received the call up from John and Thady Gosden for the plum ride aboard their Epsom scorer.

It is a great opportunity for the jockey to showcase his talent on the biggest stage and at a venue where he has enjoyed some of his best days in the saddle.

He followed up his win aboard Dreamloper in the Prix d’Ispahan in the French capital with a double at the track last September when Dreamloper claimed the Prix du Moulin and West Wind Blows won the Prix du Prince d’Orange.

“I’m very much looking forward to it,” said Shoemark. “I like Longchamp and the filly has been very impressive to date and I’m very fortunate I have been given this opportunity and I can’t wait to take it.

“I couldn’t quite believe it myself, but timings have kind of worked out with good racing being on at Newmarket and Frankie Dettori being suspended and it was just being in the right place at the right time.

“I’ve had quite a lot of luck at Longchamp, so hopefully that continues.”

Eight head to post for the 12-furlong Group One and although Soul Sister may be the sole British interest, Aidan O’Brien fields Irish Derby second and fourth, Adelaide River and Peking Opera, as he tries to add to his impressive record in the race.

Shoemark is extremely respectful of the Ballydoyle challenge and has the Curragh runner-up Adelaide River as one of Soul Sister’s chief dangers, as well as Pascal Bary’s Feed The Flame, who was visually impressive in his first two starts before claiming fourth place in the Prix du Jockey Club.

“I thought Adelaide River ran a huge race in the Irish Derby and the French horse Feed The Flame was a gallant fourth in the French Derby,” added Shoemark.

“It’s a competitive field and we’re getting 3lb off the colts. This is a tough task and it is the first time a filly has ran in the race for 10 years, so it is something that doesn’t happen very often. But John and Thady Gosden have her in good order and hopefully we go there with a good chance.”

Andre Fabre is the race’s leading trainer and will bid to add to his tally with Prix Hocquart winner First Minister, while others representing the home team include Prix du Lys first and second, Rubis Vendome and Silawi, and Winter Pudding who is the mount of recent Prix Jean Prat-winner Stephane Pasquier.

A disabled Manchester City fan was left lying alone in her own urine in a hospital bed after breaking her femur in two places amid the chaos at last month’s Champions League final in Istanbul.

Clare Watson, who is ambulant disabled following the collapse of her three lower vertebrae, travelled to Turkey with her grandchildren for the showpiece game on June 10, but suffered an accident on the way to the match which has forced her to miss six weeks of work.

Watson described her experience as “atrocious” after she and her grandchildren were forced to get out of the taxi they were travelling in to the Ataturk Stadium by police due to a road closure.

She recalled walking over “building site rubble” and tripped as she tried to avoid an oncoming vehicle.

“It was then clear from the pain that I needed an ambulance, but they would not allow my grandchildren to come with me, ” she told disability access charity Level Playing Field (LPF).

“Once at the hospital, I was told the severity of my injury and that I would need surgery. I was moved to another hospital for the operation the following afternoon but was ignored and received no attention for hours on end.

“Lying there in my own urine, soaking wet, was the most upsetting part of the experience.”

LPF has demanded answers from match organisers UEFA over how disabled supporters were accommodated at the Ataturk Stadium in the week following the match, but has so far received no response.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted on a visit to Manchester last month that “not everything was perfect” in Istanbul, with many supporters reporting issues with transport and access to water and toilets.

Watson’s daughter is a nurse and advised her to go back to hospital when she returned to Manchester.

“I went to North Manchester A&E and they could not believe I had been advised to fly home,” Watson recalled.

“I was cared for there for another week, still in pain, but with the necessary equipment and plenty of care from my daughter.

“I am now at home and unable to work, having missed the game and brought back a metal rod instead of a souvenir flag.”

LPF fan liaison officer Liam Bird said Watson’s experience demonstrated “a clear lack of respect for fans” from UEFA, and that lessons had not been learned from the chaotic scenes at the 2022 final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

An independent report into that match found UEFA bore primary responsibility for what almost became a “mass fatality catastrophe” with supporters kept penned outside the perimeter of the Stade de France.

Wembley will host next year’s Champions League final. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said last month that the staging plans would be “tested to destruction” by all the agencies involved in organising it.

Bird believes Wembley will “undoubtedly provide better” but added: “This lottery of access and inclusion (based) on which year your team gets to the final cannot continue.

“UEFA need to engage with organisations with expertise in disability access and inclusion, as well as disabled supporters themselves, when planning all showpiece events.”

Football Supporters Europe is compiling a report into fans’ experiences at this year’s final which will be presented to UEFA.

UEFA has been approached for comment.

Sheffield United have made Tunisia international Anis Slimane their first summer signing.

The Blades have signed Slimane from Danish club Brondby on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, understood to be around £1.2million.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who played for Tunisia in last year’s World Cup, told the club’s official website: “I like the culture of the club. I heard it is a hard-working club and that reminds me of myself.

“I love to work hard, and I love to give everything – leave everything out on the pitch. At this club, nothing is given, everything is worked for.

“I had a really good talk with the club and the manager and I felt that they had the right plan for me. The manager was really honest and I am excited to be here and looking forward to the Premier League.

“It is a big opportunity and a big challenge, I am not coming here for a vacation. I have been through a lot in my career so far, even though I’m only 22, but I still have a lot to learn, and I am looking forward to learning every day.”

Boss Paul Heckingbottom, whose club have also been linked with Ivorian winger Benie Traore, is delighted to sign a player with experience at such a young age.

“He’s 22 but someone with a lot of experience. He’s played a lot of first-team games, been to a World Cup and someone who has continually gone up the ladder in terms of his levels,” Heckingbottom said.

“He’s a technical player who can handle the ball really well and someone who works really hard. I think the fact that he’s played in a number of positions at international level and has been trusted in those positions shows he gets the game tactically.

“Anis is someone we’ve known about since we first took the job here, really in that first window. We never really had the opportunity to do something until now and it has just coincided with his contract situation so the timing is really good for both of us.”

The Blades are preparing for life back in the Premier League after two seasons away and are currently in a fight to keep star striker Iliman Ndiaye.

The Senegal international is reportedly attracting interest from Marseille, but the PA news agency first revealed that he has been offered a bumper new deal by the South Yorkshire club.

Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has revealed he wanted to sign Declan Rice, believing the Arsenal-bound midfielder could have been the Blues’ long-term captain.

Former Chelsea academy player Rice, who has since gone on to establish himself as an England regular under Gareth Southgate, captained West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last month ahead of his expected move to north London.

Lampard, who managed Chelsea between 2019 and 2021 before returning for a stint as caretaker boss earlier this year, told the Diary of a CEO podcast: “I wanted to bring in Declan Rice.

“I was like ‘this kid is going to be the captain of Chelsea for the next 10 years’. It didn’t happen, anyway, it is hard to dissect people’s work.”

Lampard returned to the club as interim manager in April after Chelsea sacked Graham Potter but only managed one win in his 10 games in charge as the Blues finished 12th.

Chelsea’s record goalscorer referred to the troubles he experienced with the oversized squad he inherited after the £600million-plus investment from Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium since 2022.

Lampard added: “The biggest thing about the low standards was the size of the squad. The motivation was tough with players outside the Champions League squad.

“When I came in, very quickly I noticed that some players were thinking about the season’s going to peter out and what the future’s going to look like and that was a difficult situation.

“When you have international players in a big number then of course you’re telling internationals to stay at home and it’s not easy, and to have the conversation with them every Friday and to get them lined up coming in is also not easy for your own energy.

“I think there’s an understanding at the club that (squad size) has to change now, I think it has to change and if you lack those basics then it’s really hard to get where you want to get to.”

Chelsea have since appointed Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager and have streamlined their bloated squad by selling eight first-team players ahead of their pre-season tour to the United States.

Lampard talked up Mason Mount, who is among those to have left Stamford Bridge this summer, signing for Manchester United earlier this month.

“I think it’s a great signing,” Lampard said.

“So in terms of what he’ll bring to Manchester United, it won’t just be what Mason brings, he will bring loads of talent, but he’s just going to go and (raise) the levels.”

Andy Murray’s former coach Jamie Delgado believes the Scot still has what it takes to win the top titles despite his early Wimbledon exit.

Murray came into his favourite tournament, where he has been a two-time winner, with genuine hope that he could have a deep run for the first time since his hip operation in 2019.

But he was on the wrong end of a five-set thriller with fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, leaving him with more grand slam disappointment.

But Delgado, who was in Murray’s camp when he won his second Wimbledon crown and went to world number one in 2016, believes his former player can still target the top prizes.

“I am sure he will be devastated by that,” Delgado said of the Tsitsipas defeat.

“He had opportunities to win that match and the draw opened up a little bit and he could have had a really deep run here.

“On a surface he really likes and the history he has got here, I am sure he will be really disappointed.

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“He has been playing really well, physically he has looked really good and he is moving well. Once he gets his head around it he will be able to have a good run at some other tournaments.

“He would have ranking goals but for him it is more competing for the biggest titles rather than rankings.

“I still think he can win events and he has shown enough that he can beat someone like Tsitsipas.

“He just needs a little bit of luck to get through a match like that. He could have been in the semi-finals here, I really think that.

“Watching him now it doesn’t even look like he has anything in the hip. That has probably been a huge achievement in itself, seeing him play and move almost as good as he ever did.

“We all sometimes forget when you are watching him that he has had that injury but he has worked so hard to get himself feeling this way.”

Both Murray and his brother Jamie, who is a year older at 37, are still competing at the highest level and Delgado says it is great to see.

“They love it and so they should,” he added. “You are doing what you love, it’s your passion from a young age and they are still doing it at the highest level.

“Watching them play on Centre Court at Wimbledon you wish it was yourself doing it.

“I think they will do it for as long as they can physically and they can still compete for titles so I don’t see them stopping any time soon.”

Charlie Appleby’s Star Of Mystery has the chance to cement herself as one of the season’s leading juvenile fillies when she takes her place in Friday’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

Godolphin won the race with subsequent 1000 Guineas hero Mawj 12 months ago and look to have a fine chance of doing the double with Star Of Mystery, who dazzled over course and distance last time.

Although only second to the well-regarded Carla’s Way on debut, she bolted up at Doncaster on her second start and confirmed the promise of that performance with a high-class display in the Empress Fillies’ Stakes.

She was a cosy four lengths clear of the opposition in that Listed event and now steps up to Group Two company.

“Star Of Mystery came out of her recent win in good order and this looks a natural progression for her,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com.

“A couple of her rivals bring Royal Ascot form into the race, which always warrants respect, but she looks the one to beat based on her Empress Stakes display.”

Albany Stakes third Soprano was declared a non-runner on Thursday, but Ascot form will still be represented by Persian Dreamer, was fourth in that six-furlong contest.

“Persian Dreamer ran a blinder (at Ascot) and she was the last horse off the bridle,” said trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis.

“I think if she had been drawn on the other side she would definitely have been in the first three, but she ran very well and has come out of the race well.

“Any rain would be appreciated because she does like to get her toe in a little bit – I’m not sure it is going to happen but she would appreciate a little cut.

“She’s a lovely filly and I think she is going to stay further. She will get seven and a mile next year and I think she will get seven later this year. I think she is going to be a very classy filly if we can keep her in one piece.”

In the bet365 Trophy, Kihavah will bid to continue his fine run of form for handler Adrian Keatley.

The six-year-old has won his last four starts over both codes and having landed a pair of competitive York handicaps, made it a Flat hat-trick when striking at Ayr most recently.

“He’s in good form and hopefully not too much rain comes and the ground stays good,” said Keatley.

“But he is in good order and hopefully he can do the job again. He’s done great for us and we’re delighted with him.”

England will head into the Women’s World Cup having played more total minutes than any other leading country, according to a report by global players’ union FIFPRO.

Workload and injuries have been a major talking point in the women’s game, with a particular focus on the number of players suffering ACL damage.

Arsenal defender Leah Williamson, who captained England to European Championship success last summer, and Beth Mead, who won the Golden Boot and was named player of the tournament, will both miss the World Cup because of ACL injuries, as will Chelsea’s Fran Kirby with her own knee issue.

FIFPRO’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Workload Journey Report, published on Thursday morning, examined workload and playing opportunities for players at international and club level.

The England squad’s combined total minutes played in all competitive club and national team matches, from August 1, 2022 to June 3 this year, was 65,398, putting them ahead of Spain (61,894), Portugal (61,508) and the Netherlands (59,970).

England players played a total of 48,222 minutes in domestic club football, with an additional 7,109 coming from international club competitions such as the Champions League.

The domestic football set-up in three of the top five countries on the list – England, Portugal and the Netherlands – also included a second club cup competition, so adding more playing time.

By comparison, current world champions the United States played far fewer minutes overall (46,455), thanks to less club action from those based domestically in the National Women’s Soccer League than their European counterparts, with no international club or second domestic cup competitions.

However, total national team minutes for the USA were 11,316, placing them above both World Cup co-hosts Australia (11,182) and England (9,778).

Some squads in the report are preliminary, based on estimations from digital data and analytics platform Football Benchmark made in mid-June before the confirmation of the official World Cup selections.

Eight countries are missing from the analysis, including China, Argentina and South Africa, due to a lack of available data, with the scarcity of easily-accessible up-to-date match schedules and performance statistics for players another concern highlighted by the report.

“Player workload is an important lens through which to assess some the overall needs of women’s football from an access, development and competitive aspect,” said Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO’s director global policy and strategic relations for women’s football

“By using the milestone of the Women’s World Cup and the context for participating players, we can see where football stakeholders can come together to improve the international match calendar and make data-driven decisions on how to add and innovate with competitions to better promote performance and well-being for more players.”

The report also addresses issues over the “uneven and fragmented” calendars in the women’s game, which FIFPRO said forces many players in countries where football is less developed to move abroad to improve or face having not enough matches to develop their potential.

Players from the likes of England, Spain and Portugal collectively played around twice as many minutes for their clubs and national teams over the last 10 months as those from Jamaica, Haiti and the Philippines, which FIFPRO feels could impact how ready players are to perform on the World Cup stage.

The players’ union highlighted the need for all regions to stage standalone qualifying competitions for the next Women’s World Cup. At the moment UEFA, Europe’s governing body, is the only one which does.

This would, FIFPRO said, help create a “more balanced qualification system that supports the growth of women’s football worldwide”.

FIFPRO also called for more international club competitions in women’s football and the sustainable growth of domestic leagues, which currently tend to have fewer teams and matches than men’s leagues.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup is a fantastic celebration of the women’s game, but is also a time to analyse the sometimes patchy development of the sport,” FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer Hoffmann said.

“The data shows competitive opportunities for players globally is largely dependent on the context of domestic football in their home country, as well as the availability of international club football.”

Shaquille and Little Big Bear face a fascinating rematch in Saturday’s Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket.

The duo, trained by Julie Camacho and Aidan O’Brien respectively, filled the first two places in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, with a length and a quarter separating them at the line.

O’Brien had expressed doubts about the participation of Little Big Bear earlier in the week after a bruised foot saw him miss six days of cantering, but the Ballydoyle colt has been declared for the Group One highlight.

Shaquille was ridden to victory at Ascot by Oisin Murphy, but with that rider suspended and next choice James Doyle committed to ride at Ascot for Godolphin, Rossa Ryan will be in the plate on this occasion.

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Khaadem represents Charlie Hills after being supplemented for the race on Monday, with Michael Dods’ Duke of York winner Azure Blue and the Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross other key contenders.

The nine-strong field is completed by Art Power, Emaraaty Ana, Run To Freedom and Vadream.

O’Brien’s City Of Troy heads 10 contenders for the Group Two Superlative Stakes, making a swift leap up in level after winning a Curragh maiden two weeks ago.

Charlie Appleby’s Great Truth, the Richard Hannon-trained Haatem and Hills’ Iberian also feature.