Fitness

Brazil’s coach says Neymar could be in contention for the squad if he attains full fitness in the next two months.

Brazil coach Carlo ‌‌Ancelotti has left open the possibility of Neymar Jr earning a ⁠⁠place in his ⁠⁠26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup, saying the forward has two months to prove he has the required ⁠⁠qualities.

Ancelotti has consistently maintained that Neymar will be in contention if he is fully fit, but the attacker was excluded from Brazil’s ⁠⁠squad for last month’s warm-up matches against France and Croatia.

Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, has not played for the national team since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and has struggled ‌‌to maintain a consistent run of matches since returning to Santos last year.

Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to France in Boston prompted fans to chant Neymar’s name, but Ancelotti dismissed the reaction at the time, saying attention should focus on the players selected.

However, the Italian has suggested that the Santos forward remains part of his ⁠⁠thinking as Brazil assess their options in the run-up to ⁠⁠the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to 19 July in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“He’s a great talent, and it’s normal that people think he can help us ⁠⁠win the next World Cup,” Ancelotti said in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe.

“He’s currently being ⁠⁠evaluated by the CBF [Brazilian Football Confederation], by ⁠⁠me, and he still has two months to show that he has the qualities to play in the next World Cup.

“After his knee injury, Neymar has made a good comeback; ‌‌he’s scoring goals. He needs to continue in this direction and improve his fitness. He’s on the right track.”

Brazil are in Group C ‌‌alongside ‌‌Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in the World Cup and will begin their campaign on June 13 in New Jersey.

Debbie Dawtrey moved from Cambridgeshire to south-western France in 2023 and opened a hotel, but she’s found that one of the most significant problems has been difficult to overcome

Many of us dream about relocating to some idyllic corner of Europe to soak up the sun and embrace the advantages of Mediterranean living. However, beyond the complications of European red tape – and the considerable cost – there’s another significant obstacle that numerous people fail to consider.

Debbie Dawtrey, who relocated from Buckden in Cambridgeshire to south-western France in 2023, reveals that one of the most substantial challenges she’s faced is feeling socially cut off.

Debbie, 64, established a boutique hotel in the Charente, situated in the charming village of Confolens, and explains that while she remains extremely occupied throughout the tourist season, the colder months can prove incredibly isolating.

She told The Times: “I didn’t know anyone in the area and while the summers are busy with guests, contacts are transient and the winters are especially hard as people hunker down and close the shutters.”

Debbie, who is unmarried, explains she’s discovered a method of reconstructing her social connections by arranging a monthly supper club for fellow expats: “Every month we’d take turns in hosting a dinner and had lots of fun,” she explains, “it helped broaden our social circle.”

Debbie emphasises that becoming isolated is remarkably easy when relocating far from relatives and friends, and recommends “you have to really make an effort to put yourself out there”.

Even when you’ve attempted to master the native tongue, the capacity to initiate spontaneous conversations can prove far more challenging than forming friendships back in Britain.

While some individuals might frequent a neighbourhood pub, or perhaps become members of a fitness centre, these are more readily available in bigger towns and cities. Establishing a fresh existence in the French countryside – or indeed in a remote UK community, can prove quite demanding.

Even those working with substantial financial resources can find themselves yearning for what they’ve left behind. Earlier this year, Kate Ferdinand spoke candidly about her homesickness following her relocation to Dubai with her footballer husband Rio.

On her ‘Blended’ podcast in February, Kate became emotional and confessed she was pining for her family and friends back home. Kate and Rio relocated to the UAE last August and while her husband is “loving” his new existence there, matters aren’t quite as positive for Kate.

“I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot,” she acknowledged. “I can’t talk about it because I get upset. I feel like we’ve opened our eyes to a different world. But I love London. I do feel happy in Dubai, but I’m just missing a part of me.”

A source close to the pair told The Mirror that the Dubai move hasn’t turned out as Kate had anticipated, and she considers the gleaming Middle Eastern metropolis “soulless.”

They revealed: “She’s struggling. She’s really missing home. She’s not enjoying it. And even though she’s got the kids and she’s got Rio there, she’s homesick. She can’t stop it and it’s very difficult. It’s just not home.” Kate is also feeling the absence of her stepsons. While Rio’s daughter Tia, 14, made the transition to the UAE alongside the family, his elder sons Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, stayed behind in the UK to pursue their promising football careers – a decision that has caused Kate considerable heartache.

Opening up on her podcast, she admitted: “I miss the big boys a lot and I’m struggling with that. I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers. So they’re doing what they want to do, otherwise they’d be with us.”

She went on to say: “But it’s very hard because we’ve been through so much as a family and we’ve always been together and that’s a huge adjustment.”

Fly-half Sam Costelow will miss the rest of the Scarlets’ season after ankle surgery and faces a race to be fit for Wales’ Nations Championship campaign in July.

Costelow suffered the injury during Wales’ Six Nations defeat against Scotland in Cardiff in February which forced him to miss the final two games of the tournament.

The 25-year-old had been recalled to start against the Scots and was impressive in the narrow defeat before being forced off injured. Ospreys outside-half Dan Edwards returned for the rest of the competition.

Costelow will be absent for the final four games of the Scarlets’ season in the United Rugby Championship (URC) which finishes in mid-May.

He now faces a battle to be fit for Wales’ summer programme which starts with the uncapped international against Barbarians at Twickenham on 27 June.

Bayern Munich are waiting on the fitness of “very special” Harry Kane to see if he can lead their challenge to overcome Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final.

The 32-year-old England captain took part in training in Munich on Monday morning, before travelling to Madrid with the rest of Bayern’s squad after the “minor issue” – believed to be an ankle knock – that kept him out of England’s friendly defeat against Japan at Wembley.

Kane was also missing for Bayern’s 3-2 victory against Freiburg, and coach Vincent Kompany was playing his cards close to his chest about his involvement at The Bernabeu.

Kompany said a final decision on whether Kane starts will be made on Tuesday, but speaking on Monday evening, he said: “Harry’s part of the team so that’s positive for us. We have to wait until tomorrow (Tuesday) to get the final information, then we will make our decision.

“It was important that he did a lot of training today (Monday). I don’t think he’s lost his rhythm.”

Kane is a key part of Bayern’s plans for the quarter-final first leg, having scored 10 goals in the Champions League this season. He is also the Bundesliga’s leading scorer with 31 this season.

Bayern team-mate Joshua Kimmich underlined Kane’s importance, as he said: “How many goals has he scored? How many assists does he have? Forty or 50 this season?

“This shows how important he is – apart from all the goals – extremely vital for our game.

“We are glad he is here with us. He is not only a poacher or a selfish goalscorer just trying to score as many goals as he can for us.

“He is an absolute leader who is always trying to have the maximum success for the team. This is a very special mindset for an attacking player. He’s a role model.”

Kimmich added: “It is important to have Harry on the pitch with us with all his qualities of leadership.”

Kompany fielded several questions on Kane’s fitness, saying: “Harry Kane knows how important this game is, but it is important to take a decision with each player.

“You keep asking about Harry Kane and to be honest I like it. I don’t mind but I don’t give you an answer.”

England head coach Charlotte Edwards says her players have categorically addressed the issues surrounding their fitness.

The physical condition of England’s players was a hot topic of debate before Edwards’ appointment.

England’s early exit from the Women’s T20 World Cup just under 18 months ago prompted former spinner Alex Hartley to say some players were “letting the team down” in terms of fitness.

Athleticism again came into focus during the Ashes in January 2025, and former coach Jon Lewis attributed it to a cultural difference between the UK and Australia.

Edwards introduced minimum fitness standards for England players when she replaced Lewis in charge last year.

When asked on a BBC Test Match Special debate show if the fitness issue had been put to bed, Edwards responded that it “100%” had.

“We’re in a really good place. The results are all so high. I couldn’t be more chuffed – we’ve made real progress,” Edwards said.

“It’s not just all about whether you can run round a track. It’s all the other elements to it that we’ve tried to make just as important.”

Edwards will celebrate a year in charge of England, who host the T20 World Cup this summer, on Wednesday.

The 46-year-old said the introduction of specific benchmarks relating to fitness have had the desired impact.

“I think once you set out the expectation, the players know what they need to do. And we’ve added in sort of benchmarks over the winter,” Edwards added.

“We’ve got to keep raising the standard. The players have fully bought into that, which, that was, I guess what I set out to do and am really pleased with the buy-in.

“I don’t know if anyone watched the fielding from the recent [intra-squad] series, but it’s some of the best fielding I’ve seen, certainly from our group, the improvements we’ve made.”

Watch the full debate about England’s women’s team on BBC iPlayer or listen to it as a podcast on BBC Sounds.

Delays are expected at check-in, baggage handling and other services affecting UK holidaymakers

Major UK tourist hotspots are set to face disruption within days due to widespread strike action. The Canary Islands in Spain is getting ready as unions prepare to go on strike this and next month.

Airports across the Canary Islands are bracing themselves for industrial action by ground handling staff over the Easter period. Trade unions representing workers at Menzies and Groundforce have announced walkouts.

More than 1,500 employees throughout the islands are expected to take part, according to Spanish website Canarias7. Aviation hubs in the Canary Islands are making preparations for the ground handling strike announced for Easter week, which forms part of a nationwide protest.

Three major spots used by Brits are set to be affected, according to the website. Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura are all set for disruption.

The industrial action has been organised by staff at Menzies and Groundforce. Reports say the action will almost certainly lead to hold-ups in ground operations – including check-in, baggage processing and collection.

Menzies has a workforce over 600 and handles operations for carriers including Norwegian, British Airways, and EasyJet, among others. It operates at Gran Canaria, Tenerife North, and Tenerife South airports, as well as on the mainland at major airports such as Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga and Alicante.

The UGT union-coordinated action will kick off this weekend (28th and 29th March), with further stoppages planned for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th April, during the peak travel period for Easter week. Groundforce is a Globalia group firm providing services to Air Europa. We reported earlier this week that the action is taking place over rights and working conditions for staff.

Unions say they are taking strike action over the implementation of pay scales among other things. Close to 900 employees across the Canary Islands – encompassing Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura – face disruption. The Groundforce industrial action is set to begin tomorrow, 27th March, with walkouts planned for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays across staggered time slots: 5:00-7:00am; 11:00am-5:00pm; and 10:00pm-midnight.

On the Menzies action, Spanish media reports say that should no agreement be reached, the strikes will continue every Saturday and Sunday until 31 December, following the same timetable. That could lead to months of disruption.