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England forward Beth Mead says she will “try my hardest” to make the summer’s World Cup while admitting “it may be a little bit too soon”. Mead, who claimed the Golden Boot and player of the tournament award when the Lionesses won the Euros on home soil last year, has been sidelined since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament while playing for Arsenal in November. In March, England boss Sarina Wiegman said she was planning for the World Cup without Mead, adding: “If a miracle happens and she goes so fast (in her recovery), then we will reconsider it – but at this moment I don’t expect that.” Speaking on Wednesday as she received an MBE at Windsor Castle for services to football, Mead told the PA news agency: “I’m back on the pitch, back kicking a ball. So it’s starting to be a little bit more normal again, but it’s been a long, tough period. “I will try my hardest to get as close to that as possible. But (the World Cup) may be a little bit too soon for me this time around.” Mead also told Sky Sports she was “ahead of schedule” in her recovery, before adding that her World Cup participation is “out of my control”. The showpiece in Australia and New Zealand gets under way on July 20, with Wiegman set to name her squad for the tournament later this month. Mead is one of four Arsenal players to have sustained ACL injuries this season, with England captain Leah Williamson another, along with Vivianne Miedema and Laura Wienroither. On the broader picture in terms of ACL injuries, Mead told PA: “I think there’s more that can be done. Obviously, we’ll be delving into that a lot more as individuals and as a club and in the women’s game in general. “I think it’s becoming like six more times likely than male players and we’ve got that figure and that’s something that can help. “It’s a long injury and you don’t want to be seeing any player going out with it, but some of the best players that you want to be seeing in World Cups and things like that (have sustained the injury). “We’ll try and help push that out there more and get more research done on that.” Also receiving an MBE on Wednesday was Mead’s England team-mate Lucy Bronze, who has been out of action herself after undergoing knee surgery last month. The Barcelona defender, whose club play Wolfsburg in the Champions League final on June 3, said: “I think (the World Cup) is really far in the future and I should be back training within a few weeks now. The surgery was two weeks ago but very minor compared to some of the other girls. “I’m hoping to get back fit for the Champions League final.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ben Stokes left out of Chennai Super Kings side despite return to fitness Joy Neville to make history as first woman to officiate at men’s Rugby World Cup Jarrod Bowen knows from Danny Dyer what a trophy would mean to West Ham fans

The Minnesota Twins have reinstated infielder Kyle Farmer from the injured list four weeks after he was hit by a pitch in the face and needed oral surgery

Tom Aspinall will headline UFC London in July, returning from injury to take on Marcin Tybura. British heavyweight Aspinall suffered a knee injury just 15 seconds into the main event of UFC London last July, as he took on Curtis Blaydes. Aspinall, 30, has not fought since, but the Wigan fighter will return almost a year to the day after his ill-fated clash with Blaydes. Aspinall (12-3) faces Tybura (24-7) at the O2 Arena on 22 July, as the Briton looks to bounce back from his only loss since 2016. Meanwhile, his Polish opponent enters London on the back of a two-fight win streak, having outpointed Blagoy Ivanov in February after beating Alexandr Romanov via decision in August. Prior to those victories, Tybura was outpointed by Alexander Volkov, whom Aspinall submitted in the first round at UFC London in March 2022. This March, the UFC staged its first-pay-per view in the UK since 2016, as Leon Edwards retained the welterweight title against Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 286. The upcoming July event, meanwhile, will be a Fight Night. Also in action that evening will be Liverpudlian star Molly McCann, who faces Julija Stoliarenko at flyweight, and Wolverhampton lightweight Jai Herbert, who fights Fares Ziam. A women’s bantamweight bout between Ketlen Vieira and Pannie Kianzad has also been announced. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC London ticket prices as July event is made official Conor McGregor shoves Michael Chandler in trailer for The Ultimate Fighter Mark Zuckerberg wins first jiu-jitsu tournament, takes home multiple medals

A UFC Fight Night will take place in London in July, just four months after the MMA promotion last came to the UK. In March, the UFC held its first UK pay-per-view event in seven years, as British champion Leon Edwards retained the welterweight title against rival Kamaru Usman at the O2 Arena. On Saturday 22 July, the UFC returns to the venue for a Fight Night, with Wigan’s Tom Aspinall set to face Marcin Tybura in a heavyweight main event. Liverpudlian star Molly McCann will also be in action, with more fights to be announced in due course. Ticket prices for the event are also yet to be revealed, but they are expected to be cheaper than they were for March’s UFC 286 event. At UFC 286, the average ticket price was £225.50, whereas the same type of seat was £88 at the Fight Night staged by the UFC in March 2022. As Fight Night events are of a smaller scale than pay-per-views, ticket prices for July’s card should be lower than those from UFC 286, but it is possible that they will still be more expensive than 2022’s Fight Nights in London. Furthermore, all three UFC events at the O2 Arena since March 2022 have been affected by touts, who have sold tickets at drastically-escalated prices – on top of the increased base price. A statement by the UFC on Friday (21 April) read: “Following three consecutive sold-out events in London, fans are encouraged to register their interest early to have the best chance of securing tickets via ufc.com/London and to follow @UFCEurope on social media for the latest updates on this event. “Tickets go on sale from 10am BST on Friday 26 May, via AXS and Ticketmaster. Fight Club members can purchase tickets early at 9am BST on Wednesday 24 May, whilst those who registered their interest early in this event will gain priority access at 10am BST on Thursday 25 May.” All UFC London fights announced so far Tom Aspinall vs Marcin Tybura (heavyweight) Molly McCann vs Julija Stoliarenko (women’s flyweight) Ketlen Vieira vs Pannie Kianzad (women’s bantamweight) Jai Herbert vs Fares Ziam (lightweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tom Aspinall vs Marcin Tybura revealed as UFC London main event UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list UFC London main event revealed as British star returns from injury Mark Zuckerberg wins first jiu-jitsu tournament, takes home multiple medals Conor McGregor shoves Michael Chandler in trailer for The Ultimate Fighter

Former defender Oguchi Onyewu was hired by the U.S. Soccer Federation as vice president of sporting, a newly created role the governing body said is not a replacement for departed men’s general manager Brian McBride

The International Tennis Federation says the Spanish city of Seville will host the Billie Jean King Cup finals for the next two years

A bloodied John Ryder rocked the canvas after being sent tumbling by Canelo Alvarez in the fifth round. A fast, crisp combination from the Mexican superstar appeared to satisfy a feverish crowd at his Guadalajara homecoming. And then the Briton summoned immense courage, despite a brief, yet uncertain stare into the abyss of the Akron Stadium. The echo of trainer Tony Sims’ advice and encouragement seemed to fix Ryder’s concentration to beat the referee’s count and then fend off the belligerent force of Canelo with a knockout in sight. Plan A had been left in pieces with precious seconds between rounds frittered away after cotton buds momentarily stemmed the flow of blood from his nostrils to his mouth, following a suspected broken nose suffered in the third round. But as Canelo licked his lips, eager to snatch a morale-boosting stoppage to gain valuable momentum for a rematch against Dmitry Bivol, Ryder grappled, closed the distance and left his rival and 50,000 fans frustrated across seven more gruelling rounds. The outcome was never in doubt as Canelo sauntered to a unanimous decision, with the judges returning cards of 120-107, 118-109 and 118-109 to ensure the undisputed super-middleweight world championship remains in Mexico. Yet Ryder validated his own worth and perhaps banished a layer of agony from a career that has included, to many, a cruel defeat by Callum Smith in 2019 - his only previous shot at a world title. There is no trinket to remember this brave effort either, yet Ryder clearly belongs at this level. And after rising from the canvas, the 34-year-old even put together a flashy combination of his own, pairing a left uppercut with a left hook to force the Canelo truck back into reverse. “Ryder has realised he’s a world-class fighter,” said promoter Eddie Hearn following the contest. “He’ll wake up and enjoy himself. He busted his nose, he won rounds later on, it was a fantastic effort, he didn’t look for a way out.” So what next for Canelo? This was scarcely more momentum after victory last time out against the faded force of the once ferocious Gennady Golovkin, who still closed hard to show signs that the Mexican, too, is past his prime. But Canelo’s pride may yet take him back to 175 pounds against the naturally bigger Bivol. His chances of revenge increase at super-middleweight, where the Russian appears bewitched by the prospect of glory at a second weight, which would bring an experience yet to be tasted given the politics involved at light-heavyweight with compatriot Artur Beterbiev: Supremacy. The clamour for a clash with David Benavidez at 168 pounds only grows louder, with the Mexican-American dispatching one of Canelo’s previous victims in Caleb Plant with added finesse. But just like Joe Calzaghe and Carl Froch in the past, two fighters from different generations might never share the ring together. Such is Canelo’s desire to chase greatness, you sense his mind is made up with Bivol eventually lured into a rematch under the same terms by the exceptional riches available. Yet his 12 rounds with Ryder can serve a purpose when he embraces the rare position of the underdog. “Everybody knows, we want the rematch with Bivol,” Canelo said after seeing off Ryder. “Same rules, same everything, I just want it in that way.” Canelo would be wise to learn from Ryder’s battling qualities. Against Bivol, he will need them. Read More Canelo Alvarez vs John Ryder full scorecards revealed Broken, bloodied and ultimately beaten but John Ryder earned huge respect John Ryder took on the full power of Canelo Alvarez and emerged an unlikely hero John Ryder took on the full power of Canelo Alvarez and emerged an unlikely hero KSI vs Fournier: Start time, undercard and everything you need to know How to watch KSI vs Fournier online and on TV this weekend

The blood still dripped from John Ryder’s broken nose as he sat down to address the throng of media gathered in the bowels of the Estadio Akron just before midnight local time. The bone had shattered in the second round when Saul “Canelo” Alvarez landed with a sharp right hand. Three rounds later he was dropped heavily as he gulped back a steady flow of his own blood in order to keep breathing. “I felt it go instantly,” Ryder said, wiping blood off the table in front of him. “It threw me for a couple of rounds but it is what it is.” Despite all that, Ryder made it through all 12 rounds of his challenge for the Mexican icon’s four super-middleweight belts on a night he will never forget as long as he lives. It was a performance that led Canelo to label Ryder as the best of the eight British men he now holds wins over. By the time Canelo had made that evaluation at his press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning, Ryder was already back at the fight hotel, battered, bruised and with a bandage strapped around his nose but surrounded by the friends and family who made the trip. He would by then have seen the hugely positive response to his gutsy performance from across the boxing world. And, although the north Londoner had suggested pre-fight that he would only keep fighting as long as he was winning, Ryder has vowed to box on after enhancing his reputation in defeat. “I think I’ll carry on,” he said. “I got a lot of enjoyment out of that fight, although I got a busted nose. Ultimately, though, I’ll sit down with the team and my family and just evaluate. “I’ve got no regrets, I just could have done without getting hit with that punch in the second round, then things could have been different. But I’m just happy I live to see another day and fight another fight. I’m sat here looking like an absolute victim with my nose in plaster but, listen, I’ve dared to dream and I’ve come up short. “The overriding feeling is that I’m gutted but I’ll sit down now with my team and see where we go from there. “Coming away with a win was the ultimate goal, going the distance isn’t. I made a fight of it for a while but on the scorecards it wasn’t that close. Moral victory? Maybe, yeah. But I came here with a dream and I didn’t achieve it. “I’m just gutted. I’ve put so much into the sport over the last few years and haven’t always got the rub of the green. I came here with a dream but I fell short – that’s boxing. I won’t be the first and I won’t be the last.” It looked as though Ryder could be on the verge of a stoppage in the fifth round when a straight, hard one-two combination sent him staggering back against the ropes and then onto the canvas. But the man known as the Gorilla says it was the spirit of another famous British super-middleweight that got him through the crisis. “It’s all that time I’ve spent with Nigel Benn,” said Ryder, who trains alongside the former world champion’s son Conor in Tony Sims’ gym. “I just thought to myself ‘what would Nigel Benn do? He’d come out swinging. He’d probably knock him out though. I didn’t do that, unfortunately. Listen I’m in the gym around great fighters and idols so I could pull from the best in the business.” Canelo had predicted during fight week that he would be able to get rid of Ryder inside six rounds and even said he’d retire from boxing if he was beaten at the Akron Stadium. And Ryder believes his inability to find that stoppage is evidence the 32-year-old is in decline after 63 fights as a professional. Of Canelo, Ryder added: “He was very good but I think he is past his best but he still had enough in his tank tonight. “Why is he past his best? Because he couldn’t get me out of there. His plan was to stop me and he didn’t. I know I took a great shot in the fifth round but I came back swinging and had some good rounds after that.” But Canelo only smiled when he was later told of Ryder’s assessment. “For them it’s a win not getting knocked out, right?” the Mexican said. “But we need to give him credit. He came to fight. His preparation was very good, and I respect the fight he did. “He’s strong. He did everything in the ring, and that’s what I expected. I saw him fighting with the other guys, and he’s tough. I think he’s the best British fighter I’ve faced.” This was Canelo’s first fight back in his home town of Guadalajara since 2011 when he beat another Brit, Ryan Rhodes, across town at the Arena VFG. He has since evolved into a genuine boxing superstar and the biggest attraction in the sport. On this Cinco de Mayo weekend, more than 50,000 people packed inside the stadium, where Mexican top-flight team Chivas play their home games. And, although he failed to get the stoppage he craved, Canelo said: “Tonight was more than I even expected. I’m just proud about fighting here with my people and bringing this kind of fight for them. They deserve it, and it’s more than I expected.” Now Canelo will look ahead to his second date of the year, Mexican Independence Day which falls on 16 September, and confirmed that he hopes to secure a rematch with Dmitry Bivol who beat him 12 months ago. “That’s my goal this year,” he said. “But you know, if that fight doesn’t happen – we’ll see – but that’s my goal this year.” Read More Frustrated Canelo Alvarez must take valuable homecoming lesson from gutsy John Ryder The shadow of Dmitry Bivol looms over Canelo vs Ryder Blood, beers and tears: What to expect from Canelo’s homecoming, 12 years in the making John Ryder took on the full power of Canelo Alvarez and emerged an unlikely hero The sporting weekend in pictures Canelo Alvarez vs John Ryder full scorecards revealed

It was a frustrating night for the Haalands in the 1-1 draw between Manchester City and Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals

England forward Beth Mead says she is “ahead of schedule” in her ACL injury recovery and still working towards the summer’s World Cup. Mead, who claimed the Golden Boot and player of the tournament award when the Lionesses won the Euros on home soil last year, has been sidelined since sustaining the injury while playing for Arsenal in November. In March, England boss Sarina Wiegman said Mead was at that point “not in our plans” for the World Cup, adding: “If a miracle happens and she goes so fast (in her recovery), then we will reconsider it – but at this moment I don’t expect that.” Speaking on Wednesday as she received an MBE at Windsor Castle for services to football, Mead told Sky Sports: “The injury is OK. “I’m a good five months in now, I am back on the pitch and kicking a ball again, feeling good, ahead of schedule, so that’s all I can do in my control right now.” Asked if she felt confident she was going to be at the World Cup, Mead said: “I wouldn’t say confident because that’s out of my control. “But I am working hard to try to get as close to that as possible, but at the end of the day, it’s probably going to be Sarina’s decision.” The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand gets under way on July 20, with Wiegman set to name her squad for the tournament later this month. Also receiving an MBE on Wednesday was Mead’s England team-mate Lucy Bronze, who has been out of action herself after undergoing knee surgery last month. The Barcelona defender, whose club play Wolfsburg in the Champions League final on June 3, said: “Mine’s very minor. I’m two weeks post-op, and then I’ve got a couple more weeks maximum. “I’m walking around really well. I’ve still got bandages on from the stitches but I’m actually doing really well physically and mentally, and feel really good and positive. “I think I’m in a better place now after the surgery than I was before it. I’ve had six knee surgeries, so I know what I’m doing, it’s pretty straightforward for me.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

EA could be gearing up for a reveal of EA Sports FC 24, according to a new report. The game will mark the studio's branch away from the FIFA banner.

England forward Beth Mead says she is still hopeful of being fit for the World Cup and is “ahead of schedule” in her recovery from an ACL injury. Mead ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament playing for Arsenal in November and Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman said last month that it would be a “miracle” if she makes her squad for Australia and New Zealand. But Mead has returned to light training with Arsenal ahead of the July tournament and said she is determined to give herself every chance of making the 23-player squad when it is announced next month. "The injury’s okay,” Mead told Sky Sports News as she picked up her MBE for her role in England’s Euro 2022 win last summer. “I’m a good five months in and back on the pitch and kicking a ball again, feeling good, ahead of schedule. That’s all I can do that’s in my control right now. "I wouldn’t say I’m confident [of going to the World Cup] because it’s out of my control, but I’m working hard to get as close to it as possible. But at the end of the day, it’s probably going to be Sarina’s decision." England captain Leah Williamson will miss the World Cup due to an ACL injury while Fran Kirby is also out of the tournament with a knee problem that requires surgery. England manager Wiegman said ahead of the Finalissima in April that she did not expect Mead to be ready for the World Cup unless a “miracle happens”. “I had a conversation with her, she’s doing well, she’s in her rehab, she’s doing good, but the World Cup is actually too early,” Wiegman said. “So what we said is she’s not in our plans now, just really take the time to get back well. “If a miracle happens and she goes so fast, then we will reconsider it - but at this moment I don’t expect that.” Read More England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane, and who’s got work to do? England suffer further World Cup blow as Fran Kirby ruled out of tournament Leah Williamson’s ACL injury has to be a final wake-up call for football