A complex hamstring injury saw the left wing-back miss the 2022 World Cup, something the Saudi Arabia-born defender admits he continues to struggle to come to terms with.

“I was still only a couple of weeks post-surgery, so I think the first couple of weeks were bed-bound, just watching the World Cup,” he explained.

“It probably hasn’t actually settled in yet, that I did [miss the tournament]. I probably haven’t realised the opportunity I’ve missed out on, even now, two years down the line.

“At the time, you are devastated when you pick up the initial injury, but your focus then is trying to get back fit and remaining as positive as you can about the situation.

“I watched the boys whilst they were out at the World Cup, and it was a tough one to take.

“I was thinking that I should have been there. But, in my head, I just wanted to get back fit and back playing as soon as possible.”

After more than a year on the sidelines, Norrington-Davies made his long awaited return at Manchester City, although, on only his fifth appearance after coming back from injury, the versatile defender suffered a further setback.

It means Norrington-Davies has featured just 12 times for Sheffield United since initially sustaining the problem in October 2022, and the setback also came at a point where his contract with the Blades was close to expiring.

“I was coming up to the end of my contract and there were probably a lot of grey areas with the injury I had sustained,” he said.

“A hamstring injury occurs quite a bit in football, but the complication, not so much.

“I’d picked up nerve damage. It could have been sustained during the initial injury or during surgery. It just meant the time frame was extended massively.

“I was at the eight week mark, post surgery, and I was in the gym doing exercises I’m getting told to do and I can remember just not having a great deal of strength.

“At that stage, we probably realised something wasn’t quite right.”

THE Nations League returns this week and Netherlands are in action away to Hungary in League A3.

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Canada’s goal is to win next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, says captain Tyson Beukeboom.

Canada, despite being amateurs, are second in the world rankings behind England, who narrowly defeated them 26-19 at the World Cup semi-final in 2022.

Canada welcome John Mitchell’s England team to Vancouver’s BC Place on Sunday in a decider for the WXV1 title, with both sides undefeated in this year’s competition.

“We have that belief [to beat England] but recently England have been our biggest challenge, so being able to go into that game and get a good marker of where we stand is important,” Beukeboom said.

“We are looking to build but also beat England as we don’t get to say that we have very often.

“It will be nice to have a benchmark of where we stand when it comes to the number one team in the world.

“Our goal is to win the World Cup next year and we are looking to build through this tournament to build that confidence.”

Canada have competed at every Women’s World Cup, coming closest in 2014 when they were defeated by the Red Roses in the final, also reaching the semi-finals on four occasions.

Unlike their main rivals for the World Cup, every player has an individual playing agreement with Canada Rugby to help cover flights, accommodation, daily expenses, training fees and match fees because of their amateur nature.

Following a victory earlier this year over New Zealand to clinch the Pacific Four Series, their sevens team picked up a silver medal at last summer’s Paris Olympics.

Added to comfortable wins over Ireland and France in WXV, they are now a team who their opponents must “watch out for”, according to lock Beukeboom.

“Having been on this team for a long time, I feel like we have always been here,” Beukeboom, who came off the bench during the 2014 World Cup final, added.

“It feels like we are really coming into our own right now and we are really building, we are looking to the World Cup, to put our name down and install fear in teams.”

“We want to be pitting ourselves against the best, that’s what we’re doing. But the next step is to start getting these results and we’re desperate for them.”

McLean has been a mainstay of Scotland squads under Clarke, earning 44 caps, mainly as a replacement.

The 32-year-old did start both matches in September’s international window and feels he is in a strong position to keep pushing for a place in the side.

“I’ve always worked as hard as I can back at club level to be part of it and that’s all every player can do really,” he added. “I’ll keep doing as much as I can and I’ll always be as available as I can for the manager and then the decision is his.

“I don’t want to here just because I’ve been here in the past. I want to continue to do as well as I can for Norwich and then hopefully it keeps me and the manager’s plans for as long as possible.”

LENY YORO has given Manchester United fans a four-word update on his fitness amid an injury crisis at Old Trafford.

Yoro, 18, joined the Red Devils this summer in a £52million move from Lille but saw his season scuppered by injury before it had even begun.

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The teenage sensation arrived in Manchester with high hopes of bolstering Erik ten Hag‘s backline.

But an injury in his second pre-season game ruled him out of action for three months and left him needing surgery.

Now the Frenchman has given an update to the Man Utd faithful as he continues his rehab to get back on the pitch.

Yoro took to Instagram to share a video of him running on a anti-gravity recovery treadmill alongside the caption: “On the way back”.

His return can’t come soon enough for United who have been plunged into more injury uncertainty after Harry Maguire announced he would be missing “a few weeks” after picking up a knock against Aston Villa.

Maguire hobbled off the pitch during United’s goalless draw on Sunday, being replaced by Matthijs de Ligt at the break.

In an Instagram update of his own, he wrote: “I’m frustrated to pick up an injury at the weekend, will be a few weeks on the sideline but I’ll come back stronger”.

Erik ten Hag has already been dealt a number of injury issues during the international break.

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Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw have been out long-term, while Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Noussair Mazraoui have all withdrawn from international duty with knocks.

Ten Hag, who narrowly avoided the sack this summer, has been under scrutiny after winning just two of his opening seven league games this season.

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Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are to take part in an exhibition event against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas on 17 December.

The 18-hole challenge will pit two of the top-ranked PGA Tour players against two of the leading names from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, with organisers of the made-for-television event now confirming the location and date.

The details of the contest, which is being billed as ‘The Showdown’, were announced against a backdrop of ongoing talks between the PGA Tour and LIV’s backers, the Saudi Arabian Investment Fund (PIF) about a possible merger.

The format of the competition has yet to be finalised.

Shadow Creek Golf Course previously hosted the first version of ‘The Match’, the predecessor to ‘The Showdown’, between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.