Fit-again Beth Mead says after “a lot of tough days” over the past year she has been “smiling like a Cheshire cat” following her return to the England squad.
Mead – top scorer and player of the tournament when England won Euro 2022 – sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage 12 months ago that saw her sit out the rest of last season and the subsequent World Cup in which the Lionesses finished as runners-up.
The winger has been back in action for Arsenal in recent weeks, scoring twice in Sunday’s 3-0 win against West Ham, and received an international recall for the forthcoming Nations League matches against the Netherlands and Scotland.
She told a press conference: “I’ve been smiling like a Cheshire cat since I got here.
“It’s been a year since I was here. I’ve worked hard, I’ve had a lot of tough days and I’m just super proud of myself, being able to get back into the fold and hopefully help the team at some point.
“(The World Cup) was a tough watch. I wanted to be there and kick and tackle and do every ball with them.
“But those bad days feel so much better now I’m here and back on the pitch and doing what I love again. I’m very proud of what I’ve overcome in that time.
“Each game I’ve been playing I’ve been feeling more confident, more like myself again.”
On England’s run at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Mead added: “Me and Leah (Williamson, the Arsenal defender and England captain who has also been sidelined by an ACL injury) were sat watching games and we were still very emotionally and physically connected.
“I was devastated for them when we fell short in the final. Me and Leah struggled because we just want to help the team and we got that taken away from us by not a nice injury. But I was so proud watching them in that tournament.”
Mead returns with England in danger of missing out on top place in Nations League Group 1A – a spot they need to have a chance of obtaining qualification for next summer’s Paris Olympics for Great Britain.
Currently third and requiring results beyond their own to go their way, Sarina Wiegman’s side face leaders the Netherlands on Friday at Wembley then bottom-placed Scotland at Hampden Park four days later.
Mead is in a relationship with Arsenal team-mate and Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema, yet another player who recently returned from an ACL injury.
“We’ve seen the good and bad days from each other and we’ve been there to get each other to this point,” Mead said. “So it’s really nice we can both hopefully get the chance to get on the pitch at the same time at some point.”
Mead’s mother June died from ovarian cancer in January this year, and the 28-year-old added: “I think last time I got a chance to play there (at Wembley), my mum was still here.
“That’s difficult for me to think about sometimes, but it also makes me very proud to try and make her proud as well. Fingers crossed I can get on the pitch and make her proud again.”
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.
The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.
However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.
Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang.
The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.
Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand.
Vlahovic out of Juventus clash with Milan
Dusan Vlahovic will miss Juventus' trip to Milan in Serie A this weekend and is also a doubt for the Champions League game at Aston Villa, head coach Thiago Motta has confirmed.
Vlahovic returned from the international break with a muscle problem in his left thigh, and the manager, after he confirmed the Serbian's absence for Saturday's game at San Siro, was asked about his chances of playing on Wednesday at Villa Park.
"I don't know. He definitely won't be there tomorrow. We hope to have him back as soon as possible," Motta told a press conference on Friday.
"Injuries are part of football. Now it's Vlahovic's turn, but we'll keep playing with the same principles, attacking and defending together."
Vlahovic is the latest of Motta's injury problems at Juventus. Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez missed the last six league games and is still unavailable, while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik is a long-term absentee.
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz will also miss the game with Milan and defender Juan Cabal recently suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury, the same issue which will keep fellow defender Gleison Bremer out for the rest of the season.
"I'm really disappointed for Cabal because, like Bremer, he'll be out for a long time," Motta said.
"This is another reason to push ourselves, to commit that bit more so that these absences don't weigh too heavily."
Juventus go into the game as the only unbeaten side in Serie A but find themselves sixth in the standings in what is so far a very tight title race, with just two points separating Motta's side from leaders Napoli.
"It's very balanced and this is good for both us and the public," Motta said.
"We must all try to continue like this. We have to try to get as many positive results as possible."
Milan are one place behind Juve but six points off Motta's side.
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