injury

Raducanu made a gradual return to training in early September – and four months is a long time to train without any competitive action.

She may also not play any exhibitions between now and the end of the year but a spell of warm weather training is anticipated, with the Middle East a popular destination for players in the run-up to the Australian Open.

Recent practice sessions in London with head coach Andrew Richardson and LTA national coach Alex Ward have been increasing in intensity, according to observers.

But by the time Raducanu returns, she will have been on the sidelines for over six months. Playing a few tournaments in Asia would have helped her regain some match sharpness, and perhaps allowed for a faster start to 2027.

Her fellow Briton Sonay Kartal is a fine example, having enjoyed considerable success since returning from six months out with a stress fracture of the back in September.

After reaching the third round of the China Open in her first WTA Tour event back, she beat world number six Elina Svitolina and then world number 12 Belinda Bencic on her way to the Wuhan Open final.

Kartal says there were a “lot of conversations” about where she should make a return.

“I think I wanted to just go straight in. I trusted that I would be able to get my level back, I just didn’t know how quickly,” the 25-year-old said.

“But I still think there is a long way to go. I can produce the level, but can I sustain it?

“Rehab is draining, and the body is not used to a lot of matches on the tour, so I do feel the aches and the pains from that.”

There will only be 24 candles on Raducanu’s birthday cake later this week, but there is no escaping the amount of time she has missed since her stunning New York victory as a teenage qualifier.

She has averaged just 31 matches a season in the five years since that triumph. Players with aspirations to be inside the world’s top 20 would hope to play around twice that number.

Elena Rybakina, for example, played 68 matches across 20 tournaments this year as she rose to the top of the world rankings for the first time.

By contrast, Raducanu played just 21 matches, losing in the second round of the Australian Open and the first round at Roland Garros.

Last year, Raducanu contested a career-best 50 matches, and earlier this year rose to 23 in the rankings shortly after reaching the final in the Romanian city of Cluj.

But her early preparation was affected by bone bruising of the foot, and she did not play for two months between March and May because of a post-viral illness picked up in Cluj.

Raducanu said a stress fracture of the shin was only confirmed after a final scan on the night before Wimbledon. But in her desperation to play, she had continued to train at times in the run-up to the championships, when medical advice had suggested that might be unwise.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor says Lauren James will be out for at least the next few weeks, casting doubt on her availability for England’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches.

The 25-year-old will miss at least the next five matches for the Blues, including Everton’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday and a crucial match against champions Manchester City next weekend.

It also casts doubt on her chances of being available for England’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Ukraine in December.

After James came off in distress in the 35th minute of the 6-0 win over Charlton Athletic, Bompastor confirmed the injury: “The only one who will be missing is LJ.

“She had a scan and she has an injury in her hamstring, so we won’t see her until the end of this block.”

There was more positive news for Chelsea, with midfielder Lexi Potter, who made her England debut last month, back after missing the trip to Charlton.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are top of the WSL table having won matches both with and without James this season.

Bompastor added: “Of course we know how good Lauren is for us and for the team.

“Also, my job is to make sure I find solutions when some players are not available and not playing for the team. I think the good thing is that when I looked at some of the statistics from last week, we are a team who are able to score through different players.

“The last game we had against Charlton, a lot of players were involved in scoring again. Also, I think every player on the pitch had a shot on goal.

“Even if it was not always a great one, at least all of the players who were on the pitch had a shot on goal. I think that’s a good thing and, again, my job now is to make sure I find the solutions without LJ on the pitch.”

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel is in a stable condition in intensive care after suffering a serious injury during a Spanish second division match on Monday.

The 30-year-old suffered injuries in the region of his head and chest in added time of Tenerife’s home fixture against Andorra, following a collision with visiting goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

Spanish media, including Marca, external, reported De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics on the way to hospital.

A statement from Tenerife said the Madrid-born De Miguel was admitted to the University Hospital of Nuestra Senora de Candelaria and was “stable despite the severity of his condition”.

Tenerife and Andorra were tied 2-2 and seven minutes into stoppage time when the incident occurred.

Owono had run towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel.

De Miguel lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him before he was taken by ambulance from Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez to hospital.

Players from both teams were visibly distressed by the incident, with a number of De Miguel’s team-mates in tears.

The referee showed Owono a straight red card before abandoning the match.

A statement from Andorra said: “We want to send all our strength and best wishes to Jesus de Miguel after the serious incident suffered during today’s match.

“We hope he recovers soon. A very strong hug to the player, his family and Tenerife.”

Ahead of the Wisconsin game, USC got back two key offensive linemen from injury, left guard Hayden Treter and Paige.

However, the line still struggled against Wisconsin, allowing quarterback Jayden Maiava to get sacked five times and playing a factor in the Trojans’ limited run game.

Paige said the group needed to do “a little bit of everything” better in the run game. Raymond told reporters that factors like communication and physicality were among the causes of the line’s struggles.

“It wasn’t good enough,” Raymond said Wednesday.

Treter, who previously missed two games because of injury, was listed as out on Thursday’s availability report after exiting the loss to Wisconsin early.

Alston, freshman tight end Mark Bowman and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart were among the notable USC players listed as questionable Thursday. Bowman, who racked up two touchdowns and more than 200 receiving yards in his first five collegiate games, hasn’t played since the Oregon loss in late September.

Stewart, who has been listed on the availability report and then played in each of the last four games, said he feels “great.”

“Just slowly getting better for the team,” Stewart said. “Can’t wait to go out there and perform.”

While the Trojans are dealing with some injuries, the highest-profile injury is on the other side as the Buckeyes will be without their star quarterback Julian Sayin, who was injured during Ohio State’s win over No. 4 Indiana on Oct. 17.

Sayin, who is expected to miss the rest of the season, had the second-most passing yards in the Big Ten (2,007), tied for the most passing touchdowns (19) and the highest passer rating (184.9).

Since Ohio State had a bye last week, coach Ryan Day hasn’t had to announce whether freshman Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair will get the start in Sayin’s stead. Riley and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri both told reporters that the team is preparing for both and will be ready to adjust during the game.

“There’s an expectation that there will probably be some sort of adjustment in some way, and we’ll have to do a good job handling that,” Riley said of planning for two quarterbacks. “I think that’ll be one of the keys, I’m sure, to this matchup.”

The Trojans are set to kick off their high-stakes Halloween-homecoming matchup with the Buckeyes at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Quinton Byfield scored at 3:37 of overtime and the Kings beat the Ottawa Senators 6-5 on Thursday night after blowing a four-goal lead in the third period.

Byfield beat goalie Samuel Ersson with a snap shot from the high slot, with Drew Doughty picking up his third assist of the night on the play.

Erik Haula tied it for the Kings (4-6-2) on a first-period power play and Trevor Moore, Mikey Anderson, Joel Armia and Artemi Panarin scored in the second to make it 5-1. Panarin capped the run on a power play after Ottawa’s Hayden Hodgson was tossed for boarding defenseman Brandt Clarke.

Clarke missed the rest of the game because of an upper-body injury.

Ottawa roared back in the third, with Shane Pinto tying it 5-5 with 1:40 left and Ersson off for an extra attacker.

Dylan Cozens scored twice in the period and Drake Batherson also connected. Cozens and Batherson struck in a 33-second span, and Cozens cut it to a goal with 7:26 remaining. Tyler Kleven opened the scoring for Ottawa (8-5-1) in the first period.

Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves for the Kings.

Jonas Johansson stopped 12 of 16 shots before giving way to Ersson in the second. Ersson made 20 saves on 22 shots.

Up next for the Kings: vs. the Buffalo Sabres at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and NFC West teams have been busy making moves.

But Rams coach Sean McVay indicated Wednesday that the injury-ravaged Rams are standing pat — for now.

The defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks added three-time All-Pro offensive lineman Quenton Nelson. The San Francisco 49ers reacquired All-Pro defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. Both teams executed trades with the Indianapolis Colts.

Have the Rams made plans or had trade discussions?

“No,” McVay said. “Based on our situation, I mean the good thing for us is, what you look at is hopefully some of those trades will be guys getting back from injury that haven’t played for us.

“That’s kind of the way we look at it.”

Multiple Rams star players are on injured reserve or are done for the season because of injuries.

Edge rusher Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, has not played since undergoing knee surgery after the season-opening defeat by the 49ers in Australia. He has been eligible to return since before the Rams played the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 18, but McVay said Wednesday that the Rams would not open the 21-day window for Garrett to return.

Tight end Terrance Ferguson, on injured reserve because of an ankle injury, also is eligible to return but will not practice this week.

Defensive lineman Poona Ford is out for the season because of a triceps injury, and defensive lineman Kobie Turner must sit out three more games while on injured reserve because of a groin injury. Star receiver Davante Adams is on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out several more weeks.

General manager Les Snead is known for pulling off unexpected deals — see his trade for Garrett last June. But the Rams lack draft capital and have a league-low $206,406 of cap space, according to Overthecap.com.

So the Rams are apparently looking inward.

“The amount of guys that have not been available, that are key and focal points for really both sides of the football, you look at those guys hopefully being able to return within a month,” McVay said, “and that’s kind of where that value lies for us.”

Snead has a history of making big moves before or at the deadline.

In 2018, they traded for edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. In 2019, they traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey. In 2021, they signed receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and traded for edge rusher Von Miller.

Last season, the Rams made a low-key move, trading for defensive back Roger McCreary.

McVay acknowledged that “you always think about” possible deals and that the “conversation” might be different if more players were out for the season.

“But the good thing is a lot of the guys that are big, huge parts that we’re missing, we do expect to get back at some point, just not exactly sure when that is,” he said.

It was a potential nightmare scenario. Starting left tackle, Elijah Paige, had been scratched in pregame warm-ups at Penn State. And in his place stepped a true freshman in his first start at USC, forced to find his way in a White Out, surrounded by a hostile crowd of 114,000 strong.

But when Vlad Dyakonov learned he was stepping in, a couple of hours ahead of kickoff, his coaches were surprised by how little it seemed to faze him.

“Some of us [coaches] were like, ‘Does he realize what he’s getting himself into?’” coach Lincoln Riley said, with a grin. “He didn’t flinch, man.”

You could say the same, generally, about USC’s entire front through the first half of this season. After years of shallow depth, unfortunate injuries, and transfer misfires at the position, USC’s offensive line has been the stabilizing force propelling its high-powered attack to a 6-1 record.

USC running back King Miller carries the ball as the offensive line blocks during a win at Penn State on Oct. 10.

(Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

That’s a testament primarily to offensive line coach Zach Hanson, who, in his fifth season, has now fully rebuilt the room in his image.

“He’s a very steady guy,” Riley said of Hanson. “He’s not a guy who fluctuates a lot day to day, so our players kind of feed off of that. There’s a steadiness to our group.”

USC is also entering the brutal back half of its schedule with that group as healthy as it has been all season. As the Trojans take to the road Saturday looking to build momentum off the big win over Penn State and subsequent bye week, they’ll have all five starters available along the offensive line against Wisconsin. Paige is set to return, as is left guard Hayden Treter, who missed the last two games.

It comes at an ideal time, considering the pass rusher they’ll have to contend with Saturday. The Badgers have just eight sacks as a defense this season, but boast one of the best pass rushers in the Big Ten, senior Sebastian Cheeks. Cheeks leads the conference with 28 quarterback pressures.

Few teams, though, have been better than USC through seven games at protecting the quarterback. The Trojans’ starting offensive line has only given up one more combined pressure (29) than Cheeks has accumulated himself this season, while only allowing seven sacks in seven games.

“We’re a unit,” center Tobias Raymond said. “So everyone is feeding off each other.”

USC offensive lineman Elijah Paige blocks during a game against Oregon at the Coliseum on Sept. 26.

(Ben Liebenberg / Getty Images)

With Cheeks and a handful of other fearsome pass rushers approaching on USC’s upcoming Big Ten slate, right tackle Justin Tauanuu said the Trojans used the bye week to get back to the basics up front.

“Going against great players like that, you have to go back to fundamentals,” Tauanuu said. “Fundamentals will triumph over everything else.”

USC hasn’t looked like a line in need of much instruction this season. Jayden Maiava has faced pressure on just over 20% over his dropbacks, which ranks 10th among all quarterbacks nationally. It’s also a considerably lower rate of pressure than any USC quarterback has faced in recent years. The previous low, under Riley, was 30.5% with Miller Moss at quarterback in 2024.

Part of that success is Maiava’s penchant for getting rid of the ball quickly. But his protection has certainly been a critical aspect of his success this season. Because when pressure has managed to reach him, the USC senior has been much less effective as a passer. According to Pro Football Focus, Maiava has a completion rate of just 39% under pressure versus 79% when he has a clean pocket.

Blitzes also haven’t bothered USC’s passing attack much, either. Another product of the line’s impressive performance to date. Maiava has essentially had the same amount of time to throw when blitzed (2.7 seconds) versus when not blitzed (2.78 seconds).

Creating room in the run game has been a different story. USC has been considerably less effective on the ground this season than in recent years — a fact that Riley said was front of mind during the bye. The Trojans rank ninth in the Big Ten in rush yards per attempt (4.33) and 10th in rush plays of 20-plus yards (5).

“We definitely can run the ball better,” Riley said. “We’re gonna need to run the ball better. Good is not good enough for us.”

As a whole, though, it’s hard to imagine USC being in a better place up front this season. Especially considering where the position stood at the start of Riley’s tenure. The coach tried, at first, to build the room through the transfer portal and saw mixed results. After that, injuries ravaged an otherwise thin room.

But now the depth Hanson has built over the past few years is paying off. USC has already weathered injuries, including a season-ending injury to last year’s starting center, Kilian O’Connor. Meanwhile, several highly touted linemen are still currently buried on the depth chart, among them five-star freshman Keenyi Pepe, whose progression Riley said has been impressive.

“If you just kind of look at the makeup of it, we don’t have transfers,” Riley said. “We have a lot of guys who were kind of homegrown in this program. We have a good healthy young group. Zach has obviously had a big role in putting that whole group together.”

Matthew Stafford does not typically stray much from comments about sticking with his process.

But in the wake of a rash of injuries suffered by several of the Rams’ key players, the veteran quarterback and reigning NFL most valuable player on Wednesday sounded as if he intended to be a calming presence.

“Been a part of these times before,” said Stafford, an 18th-year pro. “That’s when my role becomes even more important as a leader, as somebody that can try and help steady the ship for us and make sure that I’m doing my part to do everything I can to help us win football games becomes even more important.”

Stafford has passed for 11 touchdowns with six interceptions for a team that has lost two games in a row to fall to 2-4.

The Rams play the Raiders on Sunday in Las Vegas.

For that game — and more — they will be without star receiver Davante Adams and defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Poona Ford, all of who suffered injuries Sunday in an 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals.

Coach Sean McVay has said Adams would be out six to 10 weeks because of a hamstring injury. The Rams on Wednesday placed Turner on injured reserve because of a groin strain, and Ford is out for the season because of a ruptured triceps.

On Monday, McVay said linebacker Nate Landman was in concussion protocol. And All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, who sat out against the Cardinals because of a groin injury, did not practice Wednesday.

Edge rusher Myles Garrett and tight end Terrance Ferguson remain on injured reserve.

“Everybody sees these and they’re on their fantasy team or whatever and they’re like, ‘Aww. I’ve got to trade a guy in and out now,’” Stafford said. “And we’re like, well that guy’s worked … for the last eight months to get this opportunity and it’s unfortunate he doesn’t get to do what he loves to do. … I know the work that they put into it to be out here doing what they love.

“I just feel even more responsibility to try and be as good as I can be.”

The Rams have four more games — against the Raiders, Chargers, Washington Commanders and the Cardinals — before a bye.

Stafford indicated he would lead by example — and more.

“I’m not going to go outside of the framework of what I feel comfortable with when it comes to leadership,” Stafford said, “but at the same time, just how steady can I be? How good can I be?

“Sometimes that’s having a conversation with a guy. Other times that’s checking the ball down and not forcing one…

“I just want to lead the way for those guys and let them know that, ‘Listen, I’ve been in instances like this before and I’ve been on teams that have turned things around in that regard.’ So hopefully they can look to me and feel comfortable that I’m leading the way and doing what I can to help us be where we want to be.”

The Rams’ injury woes continued Thursday when star receiver Puka Nacua left practice because of a calf injury, a team official said.

Nacua was sidelined for two games this season because of a hip injury, but he has played the last three games for a Rams team that opened the season as the Super Bowl favorite but is 2-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

The Rams are already thin at receiver in the wake of a hamstring injury suffered by Davante Adams during the Rams’ 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. Adams, 33, will be sidelined for six to 10 weeks, coach Sean McVay said.

It remains to be seen if Nacua, who led the NFL in receptions last season, will play against the Raiders.

Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels are other Rams receivers.

Arsenal‘s style of play has been criticised this season but, even before Saka’s withdrawal, the Gunners played on the front foot and enjoyed more possession than their German opponents.

Losing Saka, who has scored four goals in 11 appearances in all competitions, will be tough to deal with.

But the Gunners have invested heavily in their squad over the past two summer transfer windows and have options.

Madueke can play on both wings, while summer signing Christos Tzolis – although currently out with a hamstring injury – has started the season well.

The Gunners also have 16-year-old Max Dowman as an attacking option, and the youngster has already shown that he can have an impact for the senior side after scoring in the Premier League last season.

Arteta, who was asked what the rest of the forward line will need to do in Saka’s absence, said he was pleased with what he saw against Bayern.

“I think Ebs [Eze] had a great game. Not only the ball, but the actions. His overall performance, I think his commitment without the ball as well,” he said.

“And when the other ones come in, I think they really contributed to this. First of all, the energy.

“And then to bring different tools that the team needed in that moment to get something out of the game. So, very pleased again.”

Ben Simmons’ comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings generated more than one blip on the basketball radar during the preseason before it came to an abrupt end Sunday when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during practice.

Injuries had restricted the former No. 1 overall draft pick to appearing in only 107 games the last five seasons, but his return on a one-year $3.5 million, non-guaranteed contract had gone well enough that he was set to start in the regular-season opener Wednesday against the Clippers.

Simmons, considered the greatest player to come out of Australia, made news in August by taking part in the national team’s player-driven minicamp in Melbourne, a precursor to the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Simmons, 30, has never played in a major tournament for his home country.

He also became an unwitting part of an embarrassing episode three weeks ago at Kings media day when open microphones captured an off-air conversation between female reporters discussing the physical appearance and personalities of Simmons and teammates.

A woman’s voice said, “That’s what comes with being Ben Simmons. He is cringe, cringe,” and another woman added that he is “lucky he’s so fine.” The first media member agrees, saying, “He’s a good-looking dude. His skin is, like, so smooth, I was like, damn, no tattoos?” The media members have yet to be identified.

He refrained from commenting on the exchange except to back teammate Zach LaVine, whose personality also was criticized by the reporters. But Simmons will be in street clothes from now on. The Kings said he will undergo surgery to repair the tear, which normally requires a recovery period of six to 12 months.

“I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I’ve found a way through every single one of them,” Simmons said in a statement posted to his Instagram Stories.

Being sidelined is nothing new for Simmons. He missed his entire first NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-2017 with a foot injury, missed the entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury and the entire 2025-2026 season to focus on his physical recovery from back and leg issues as well as his mental well-being. He last played for the Clippers in the spring of 2025, averaging 16.4 minutes and 2.9 points over 18 games.

That production was a far cry from the promise he displayed coming out of LSU, where in his one season was a consensus All-American after averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists a game. A 6-foot-10 point guard, Simmons was NBA Rookie of the Year in 2017-2018, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only rookies to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. And Simmons was an All-Star the next three seasons before injuries began mounting.

His return this preseason was intentionally low key, sliding onto the roster of the lowly Kings (22-60 last season) without much fanfare. Simmons was quietly repairing a reputation marred by his succession of injuries and the performance anxiety and emotional burnout he has openly discussed.

He also seemed keen on representing Australia for the first time. Simmons was forced to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics with a back injury after passing on the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Games even when relatively healthy. Now any sort of return is again in jeopardy.

SACRAMENTO — He made millions playing an indestructible action hero in the movies, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sounded altogether mortal as he talked for the first time Wednesday about the pain and frustration he has felt since his holiday skiing accident.

At a news conference where he released his new budget, Schwarzenegger told reporters that since his surgery two weeks ago he has been in continuous pain.

“The operation was a very complicated operation,” he said, “and I don’t think I can ever remember having had pain — ongoing pain, 24 hours a day — like after this operation.”

In a statement put out last month after the Dec. 23 accident, the governor’s doctor described the surgery planned for Schwarzenegger as routine.

Schwarzenegger had previously said nothing publicly about his accident, and his staff had refused to confirm reports that the governor tripped and fell while standing on a mountain slope in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Adi Erber, a ski instructor who was with the governor at the time, said Schwarzenegger’s pole got caught in one of his skis, causing the fall. Schwarzenegger was then carried down the slope on a toboggan and taken to a hospital.

Asked for his own account of how the accident happened, Schwarzenegger offered a few details about his complicated medical history, which has included steroid use, a heart valve replacement, a torn rotator cuff and broken ribs. He said that he has also had an artificial hip put in — a procedure that, he maintained, helped cause the leg break.

Schwarzenegger said that because he was moving “at a very slow speed,” his ski stayed on.

Had he been moving fast, he said, the ski would have popped off, probably sparing him any real injury.

“I had an artificial hip that was replaced around five years ago,” he said. “Because it was vulnerable, the ski torqued the leg, and it broke the femur because of that. If I were to have that accident at 50 mph — and many times I’ve crashed at that speed — nothing happens.

“So this is what the unfortunate thing was.”

Soon after the injury, speculation bubbled up that the governor’s steroid use might have left his bones weakened, making him more susceptible to a break. Schwarzenegger has admitted using steroids when he was a champion bodybuilder.

The governor’s office released a statement from his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, addressing the steroid question.

“Any suggestion that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s injury was sustained as a result of anabolic steroid use is wrong and has no basis in fact,” Ehrhart said. “His bone was completely healthy and rock solid.”

Normally upbeat in his public appearances, Schwarzenegger said the accident has left him shaken. He has looked thinner and somewhat drawn since the surgery.

At his inauguration last week, First Lady Maria Shriver clutched the governor’s arm as he took the oath of office — as if holding him up — and handed him bottled water afterward. Shriver also attended the governor’s budget address.

Schwarzenegger suggested Shriver has been at the receiving end of his darkened mood.

“So it’s really annoying to me, and believe me, there’s nothing I hate more than having an obstacle like this. So this is very frustrating to me. It’s very tough on my wife.

“When I get frustrated and have those obstacles, I’m very angry a lot of times,” he said, “and so I’m working through all of this and trying to get rid of this problem as soon as I can.”

peter.nicholas@latimes.com

Former Neighbours star Delta Goodrem will return to Strictly Come Dancing this week after previously being forced to take time out when she sustained a rib injury

Delta Goodrem will return to Strictly Come Dancing this week, it has been confirmed.

The pop star, 41, had been forced to take time out of the BBC Saturday night favourite when she sustained a rib injury and was given a free pass but it was uncertain whether she would be well enough to make it back to the show at all.

But on Monday morning, the official social media account for Strictly announced that her comeback was imminent. A statement posted to Instagram read: “Following her bye last week due to injury, we’re delighted to confirm Delta has been given the all clear to dance again this weekend.

“She’ll return to the #Strictly ballroom on Saturday night, and Abi Clarke will pop into her rehearsal room for a chat on Training Room Diaries on Wednesday evening.”

Reacting to the news, one fan said: “Great news can’t wait to see your dance this week,” whilst another wrote: “Whoop whoop have missed her.”

A third wrote: “Unfinished business to attend to! Can’t wait to see you back out there,” and a fourth said: “Amazing news, welcome back delta.”

Delta, who is best known for starring in Australian soap Neighbours and releasing hits such as Innocent Eyes, recently told fans she was hoping to recover in time for the next round and – following her doctor’s order – had been getting rest at home.

Taking to social media, Delta, who is paired up with professional dancer Kai Widdrington, wrote: “Just wanted to come on here and say a big Thank you to everyone who has sent messages and wrote lovely comments the last couple of days, I see them all.

“Not the start to the week I’d hoped for but your support has meant the world. Also special big thank you to my amazing dance partner @kaiwidd who I will miss dancing with this weekend but I am so beyond grateful for his guidance and friendship through it all.. as well as the wonderful Strictly team!!”

She added: “Resting and recovering at home and will be cheering everyone on from my couch on Saturday night xx.” Delta had previously said she was “absolutely gutted” to be out the show for the week, and hoped she’d be back the following week.

Delta had planned dance to Dolly Parton’s Jolene with Kai during Icons Week but it was performed instead by Amy Dowden.

A spokesperson for the show had said: “Due to injury, Delta Goodrem has been advised by doctors to rest and, as a result, will not dance on this weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing.

“In line with the rules of the show, Delta and Kai will receive a bye through to next week when it is hoped they will be able to dance again. We wish Delta the very best as she continues her recovery.”

Delta added: “I’ve been loving every second of this experience, so having to sit this one out is heartbreaking – especially after the high of Saturday night.”

“I cannot tell you how much I love being a part of this magical show. I’m going to focus on resting and recovering, and hopefully I’ll be back on that dancefloor very soon. Thank you so much to everyone for all the love and support. It’s so appreciated. I’ll be cheering everyone on from the sidelines this week!”

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