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      ‘It’s taken a long time for players to get paid maternity leave. I’m happy this is now in place’, says Katie Chapman

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      KATIE CHAPMAN hopes WSL duels pull in more spectators during the pause in Premier League action for the World Cup.And the former Chelsea captain is pleased players can now receive 14 weeks full paid maternity leave – a right she believes was long overdue.
      Katie Chapman, who is a mother of three, is pleased WSL players now have a right to paid maternity leaveCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The new rules on maternity pay came into force at the start of this season.
      Everton ace Toni Duggan became the first English player in the top tier to officially take maternity leave this term.
      After 14 weeks WSL and Women’s Championship pros are entitled to a statutory wage
      Prior to the rule change, maternity pay was offered at the discretion of clubs leading some players and managers in the game to call for its introduction.
      Chapman, who has three sons aged 19, 14, and nine, said: “I’m happy we have this in place right now because it’s important.
      “A lot of female players suffer ACL injuries, and we are happy to help them with rehab.
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       “Why would we not support them in that situation (when they have a child)?
      “I had my first child in 2003 and back then, there wasn’t a lot of support within that.
      “It’s taken a long time to get to the point to even have maternity (leave) evolved into contracts.
      “As women (and football players) we have rights to have children and have maternity leave and to be paid during this period”
      Being brought up by a mother who played at the highest levels of club football as well as making 94 England appearances has seen Chapman’s sons develop huge respect for the women’s game.
      The former Blues midfield star added: “Having three boys and being a female playing football, my kids go to football, and they train and play with girls, and they don’t bat eyelid.
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      “There is not an issue with a girl or a woman playing football and I’m so proud of that.”
      This afternoon the Blues host Tottenham at Stamford Bridge with a few of Graham Potter’s Prem players away on World Cup duty.
      A crowd of around 40,000 are expected – a far cry from the numbers that watched the first Chelsea Women’s game played at the stadium in October 2016.
      Back then Chapman and her team-mates lost 3-0 to Wolfsburg in the Champions League.
      Chapman, who skippered Chelsea to their first WSL title in 2015, said: “I remember that game well as Wolfsburg were the bane of my life back then, but it was great to play at Stamford Bridge
      “The crowd that day wasn’t that great in terms of size. I think it was something like 3,700, but it was great for us to be there.”
      Chapman is keen to see more WSL duels played at bigger stadiumsCredit: PA:Press Association
      On the Blues duel with Spurs Chapman, who made 61 appearances for Emma Hayes’ side in a four-year spell, added: “Everyone loves a London derby.
      “It’s a great match to be played at Stamford Bridge and I believe it’s a sell-out which will be amazing for the women’s game.
      “The smaller grounds we’ve used are more intimate, but we are starting to fill those stadiums now.
      “Hopefully we can keep pushing forward and keep playing more games in the bigger stadiums and we can get the crowds in.
      “We should take the opportunity within this World Cup as well with the timing of it during the domestic season.”
      Blues heroine Chapman, who began her senior playing career at Millwall Lionesses in 1996, skippered Chelsea to two FA Cup wins in addition to a league title.
      Chelsea could go top of the table if they beat Rehanne Skinner’s Tottenham sideCredit: PA
      A glittering club career that led the midfield powerhouse to play for Arsenal, Fulham, and Charlton as well as Millwall winning 28 domestic trophies.
      These include a Champions League crown during a four-year Gunners spell and four league titles. 
      Honours that saw the former WSL player inducted into the Women’s Super League Hall of Fame in October alongside former Blues team-mates Eniola Aluko and Karen Carney.
      This afternoon Chapman’s former club aim to leapfrog Arsenal and Manchester United in the top flight.
      A win for the Blues in their clash with Tottenham, which kicks off at 1:00 pm, would see go top of the table
      The game will be Emma Hayes’ first match in the dugout for Chelsea following the Blues’ boss undergoing an emergency hysterectomy last month.
      The title-holders notched up six wins across all competitions in Hayes’ absence with their victories overseen by assistant Denise Reddy and general manager Paul Green
      These include gritty away defeats of United in the WSL and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
      Emma Hayes will be back in the dugout for Chelsea when they take on Spurs at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
      Chapman said: “Emma is a big person at Chelsea and I’m sure she has been missing in the club since she has been away,
      “But it shows how well she prepared herself for her not to be there for them to run the show.
      “They’ve got the results they needed from this period, and to have her back I’m sure would be an extra boost.” More

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      Marc Skinner praises win that got him dancing as Manchester United turn up the heat on title rivals

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      MARC SKINNER admits he broke out new dance moves following Manchester United’s victory against Arsenal at the Emirates.And you could hardly blame him after Alessia Russo and her colleagues’ 3-2 win ended the Gunners’ unbeaten streak.
      Marc Skinner says Manchester United’s defeat of Arsenal was a huge shot in the arm for his sideCredit: Getty
      Millie Turner levelled the score for United late on before Alessia Russo netted the winnerCredit: Getty
      The Saturday night result saw United claim their first win in the league over their opponents at the Emirates.
      Arsenal looked on course to notch upa 15th successive win after going 2-1 up courtesy of Laura Wienroither’s classy volley late in the game.
      But the Red Devils refused to chuck in the towel showing the maturity and resilience Skinner had called for prior to his side’s previous league outing against Chelsea.
      United boss Skinner said: “When I look at a Manchester United team, famous on the men’s side, it’s about that never-give-up attitude, and we’re going to keep going until the final whistle.
      “We got a full Manchester United [performance].
      “Our job is to bring the women under that same banner of we might go down, but we’re never beaten.
      “That for me is a huge shot in the arm for our experience. Nothing more, nothing less.”
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      Earlier his week Skinner said he wanted brains on seats with WSL clubs aiming to take advantage of the pause in Premier League action to get more fans to WSL fixtures.
      And United’s supporters and their Arsenal counterparts heeded the call creating a lively atmosphere following a cagey first spell that saw Ella Toone give the visitors the lead.
      In front of a 40,064-strong crowd – including a raucous Red Devils away end of around 1,500 – Skinner’s aces put a dent in Arsenal’s title charge.
      They came from 2-1 down with Millie Turner leaping high to head home, taking the score to 2-2 in the 85th minute after skipper Katie Zelem’s pinpoint free kick.
      And that was before Russo nodded in a header of her own taking advantage of another fine Zelem delivery in injury time.
      Despite the win – United’s second in six WSL duels with Arsenal – Skinner was keen to emphasise the result was just three points with the season far from over.
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      The Leigh Park Village chief added: “It’s huge, there’s no doubt about that. It’s huge in the sense of the experience.
      “It’s three points, let’s be very clear – we lost three (points) against Chelsea.
      “I’m not blowing it up that way. But we decided we did not want to leave this game without showing that bravery and personality.”
      After Toone’s first-half opener Arsenal fought back with Frida Maanum equalising with a strike deflected off Maya Le Tissier.
      The hosts looked to boost their firepower up front bringing on Vivianne Miedema in the 59th minute in place of Jordan Nobbs.
      Laura Wienroither then fired the North London giants into the lead with 17 minutes of normal time remaining
      But their rivals hit back with a quickfire double in the space of six minutes before the game was briefly interrupted by two children darting onto the pitch.
      Post-match Leah Williamson could be seen giving a talk to her team-mates with the Gunners facing a home clash with Everton next, while United play Aston Villa.
      The centre-back’s commanding presence was missed on the pitch as well that of her fellow defender Rafaelle and the midfield dynamism of skipper Kim Little.
      The England and Brazil captains are working their way back to full fitness with Williamson pictured back in training during the week.
      When asked about the Gunners’ 14-game winning streak coming to an end boss Jonas Eidevall said: “I don’t think like that, like I said with the title race before I think forward
      Alessia Russo’s injury-time goal for the Red Devils was her third in five top tier games this seasonCredit: Getty
      “We have things to accomplish. I am not going to take the foot off the gas pedal for things we need to work on because we have had some good results.”
      The outcome will no doubt have pleased Chelsea with the club firmly in the race for the title.
      A Blues win against Tottenham later at Stamford Bridge, with Emma Hayes making her return to the dugout, will see her side go top of the table with a three-point lead. More

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      ‘I’ve had so many people write to me who are on a waiting list for a hysterectomy’, says Emma Hayes

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      EMMA HAYES has called for greater investment in gynaecological healthcare for women after undergoing an emergency hysterectomy.And the Chelsea boss, 45, hit out at the lengthy waiting time facing those seeking appointments for gynaecological concerns.
      Emma Hayes will be back on the touchline for Chelsea when they play Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on SundayCredit: Getty
      Blues assistant Denise Reddy has been overseeing the team alongside general manager Paul Green during Hayes’ absence from the dugout following a hysterectomyCredit: Getty
      Hayes, whose team face Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, has been absent from the dugout for Chelsea for the past six weeks after undergoing an emergency hysterectomy.
      The surgery followed her “ongoing battle with endometriosis”.
      The condition leads to tissue similar to that contained in the lining of the womb growing in other parts of the body.
      The Blues chief said: “I had six weeks of recovery and I’m still recovering.
      “I still think it will take probably through the rest of this year to return to complete normality.
      “But I’m just grateful to feel a lot better and happy to come into a team doing really well in my absence and just to be around the players and staff again.”
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      Around 1.5 million women in the United Kingdom are living with endometriosis, a gynaecological condition, which can cause chronic back and pelvic pain amongst other symptoms.
      This is according to the charity Endometriosis UK.
      And the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says more than 570,000 individuals are on the waiting list for a gynaecology appointment.
      In England, the number of women waiting over a year for care has risen from 66 before the Covid pandemic to nearly 25,000.
      Hayes added: “What I realised in all of this period is that my privilege took my pain away.
      “I have health insurance. But my pain and suffering were no different to anybody else’s.
      “Whether it be my 18-year-old niece who suffers from ‘period problems’ to younger women who struggle with endometriosis or polycystic ovaries, there are half a million women sat on a waiting list for a prolonged period to see a gynaecologist.
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      “I don’t think it’s acceptable. I was completely unaware that my own pain was as bad as it was.
      “I was just getting on, being told that maybe it was period pains,
      “What I realised is that we do have enough gynaecologists, trained at least, but there are not enough jobs for them. Why?
      “We need to do more and do better and I decided that (to be open about my condition), rather than just say I’m unwell.
      “It might be uncomfortable for some, who think I should keep that private.
      “But I have learned through my own struggles how little knowledge some women have from puberty to menopause (on this issue) and if I can champion that then, why not?
      Reddy and Paul Green (pictured) have guided Chelsea to six match wins across all competitionsCredit: PA
      “Some days I was in agony going to work.
      “It wasn’t until I had this time to recover that I realised ‘oh my god I’ve been so ill for so long, how many other people are going through this?’
      “I’ve had so many people write to me who are either on a waiting list for a hysterectomy or young people who keep getting dismissed and being told it’s their periods, or people’s partners struggling and unable to help.”
      Aside from focusing on her recovery, Hayes has been looking ahead to her return to the dugout for the first time since the Blues’ 3-1 defeat of West Ham on September 28.
      The Blues will oversee her side with her players aiming to beat Spurs for the sixth time in the WSL.
      A sell-out crowd of more than 40,000 are expected to watch Chelsea take on their rivals in their first game at Stamford Bridge since their 1-0 defeat of Tottenham in September 2019.
      Back then a Bethany England rocket shot gave her team victory over their opponents who are currently fifth in the league.
      Bethany England netted Chelsea’s match-winning goal when they last played Spurs at Stamford Bridge in 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      The Blues chief added: “I was telling my doctors that (my first game back) would be in front of 40,000. I’m about ready for that!
      “I think the club have done so well to be able to sell out — as many clubs have done in the WSL.
      “I’m just really looking forward to seeing the fans and being with my team again. There’s no better place to play than Stamford Bridge.”
      The match will see former Blues star Drew Spence, 30, go up against her old club and boss for the first time since her summer move to Tottenham.
      And the Jamaica midfielder, who made 220 Chelsea appearances from 2008 to 2022, has netted three goals in five WSL appearances for her new club
      Hayes joked: “Of course, I want Drew to be on the losing team,
      Drew Spence could be set to face Chelsea for the first time since leaving the club to join Tottenham in June this yearCredit: Alamy
      “When I think about Drew, I just have pride because she is a huge part of what’s made this team successful and yes, she’s playing for the opponent.
      “But I’m just proud of her and I think she’s having an amazing season.
      “She’s been really impactful for them and just look forward to giving her a hug and saying ‘hi’.” More

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      Clare Balding backs Lionesses to build on Euros glory and hails ‘fierce competitiveness’ of female sports stars

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      CLARE BALDING believes England have a good chance of besting their Women’s World Cup rivals following their Euros triumph.And the sports broadcaster praised the “fierce competitiveness” of the country’s top female athletes.
      Hannah Cockroft (pictured with Tokyo Paralympic Games silver medallist Kare Adenegan) is one of six 2022 BT Sport Action Woman nomineesCredit: PA
      Beth Mead has also been nominated for this year’s BT Sport Action Woman of the Year AwardCredit: AP
      Tonight, Balding will host the 2022 BT Sport Action Woman of the Year Award, with the event now in its tenth year.
      Three of the six nominees in contention are Scottish long-distance runner Eilish McColgan, 31, Euros winner Beth Mead, 27, and record-breaking wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft.
      And Winter Olympic curling gold medallist Eve Muirhead, 32, diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 18, and UFC heroine Molly McCann, 32, make up this year’s other individual nominees.
      Balding, 51, who hosts her sports chat show on BT Sport and BBC Two said: “What I’m really pleased about is the breadth of sports that are represented.
      “I think it’s the first time we’ve had a UFC fighter on the list, two from athletics, one from football, one from diving, and one from curling.
      “It shows you what an extraordinary year we’ve had for women’s sport.
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      “In the past, we’ve seen such a range of winners.
      “It’s lovely to be spoilt for choice as to who you’re going to put on the list and to have some sports that do get a lot of press coverage and others that don’t.
      “And that’s where I think it’s still important to celebrate these achievements and to showcase what women are capable of and what they’ve been doing.”
      2022 has been a standout year for women’s sports with the triumphs and performances of a number of national teams and individual athletes.
      This year saw England’s Red Roses notch up 30 successive wins
      And they battled their way to the Rugby World Cup final before falling to defeat to New Zealand’s Black Ferns in front of a record 42,579 crowd at Auckland’s Eden Park.
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      In football, the Lionesses made history by winning the Euros for the first time with Mead claiming the Golden Boot by finishing as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with five goals in six games.
      And England’s 2-1 defeat of Germany at Wembley in July was watched by an 87,192-strong crowd, breaking the attendance record for any European Championship final.
      Elsewhere McColgan clinched gold and silver medals in the 10,000 and 5,000-metre races at the Commonwealth Games.
      Eilish McColgan won silver in the Commonwealth Games 5000m and emulated her mother Liz by winning gold in the 10,000m raceCredit: PA
      And Cockcroft, 30, triumphed in the T33/34 100m race at the Games.
      This saw her add to her tally of seven Paralympic gold medal wins, 11 World Championship triumphs, and three European Championship golds.
      And Balding believes the success of Cockroft and her fellow nominees has helped to evolve perceptions of femininity in sport.
      She added: “These women talk so well about what good teamwork is.
      “And for the individual athletes coming to my mind, Hannah Cockcroft has taken wheelchair racing to a whole new level.
      “Her training regime, her fierce competitiveness, and the way she talks about that, I think that’s really important for girls to understand we are allowed to be competitive; it is still feminine.
      Hannah Cockroft’s win at this year’s Commonwealth Games saw her add to her Paralympic, European, and World Championship triumphsCredit: Alamy
      “That understanding of what is feminine is so broadened and enriched by the way these women can talk about what they do.”
      This evening awards ceremony which commences at 8:00 pm comes eight months ahead of Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses kicking off their quest to become the first England Women’s side to win a World Cup.
      This year saw the Lionesses beat Germany, Japan, and the USA, three nations that have won the tournament in the past thirteen years.
      “We know they (the Lionesses) can give the USA a game and they have done recently, so they can beat the best in the worldClare Balding
      Balding said: “I think with England the belief and the ability are there. Let’s hope everyone’s face stays fit and healthy.
      “We know they can give the USA a game and they have done recently, so they can beat the best in the world.
      “In the past at World Cups, it hasn’t quite clicked but I do think Sarina Wiegman is an outstanding coach.
      “They believe in her and that carries a lot of weight.
      Sarina Wiegman and England will begin their bid to reach the 2023 World Cup final with a group D opener on July 22 in Brisbane, AustraliaCredit: EPA
      “She makes the right decisions and explains what she’s doing for them as a team.
      “It’s like when you have your favourite teacher at school who will always bring the best out in you
      “I think Sarina Wiegman has that as a coach and they will perform up a level for her. That gives them a really good chance.”
      Clare Balding is hosting the 2022 BT Sport Action Woman of the Year Awards live on BT Sport tonight at 8:00 pm. For more details visit btsport.com/actionwoman More

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      England 1 Norway 1: Maanum cancels out Daly’s opener as Lionesses draw to extend their unbeaten run under Wiegman

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      FRIDA MAANUM helped ten-player Norway thwart England’s hopes of an end-of-year win by clinching a draw with the Euros champions.Just as it looked as if the Lionesses would claim a victory the Arsenal star pounced on a goalkeeping error to nab a 1-1 draw.
      Rachel Daly gave England a 1-0 lead in the first half of their friendly against NorwayCredit: Getty
      Frida Maanum came off the bench to score for Norway late on in the duel at the Pinatar Arena in SpainCredit: AP
      Following a 4-0 hammering of Japan, Sarina Wiegman made a few first eleven changes with Lauren James among her starters alongside debutant Maya Le Tissier.
      And Rachel Daly started up top for the Euros winners with England’s number nine spot up for grabs.
      The Aston Villa hotshot, who normally plays as a left-back, rewarded her boss by netting her second goal in the second of the Lionesses’ two November internationals.  
      On scoring her team’s opener, Daly told ITV Sport: “I’m delighted to be on the score sheet.
      “As a forward coming into the game that was my target to score.
      “Ultimately we didn’t win which is disappointing but we’re ending the year with a 20-game unbeaten run.
      “I love the number nine position, but I love football, I say it to everyone, I am happy to play everywhere.
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      “It is special wearing the number nine shirt, it was the number my dad wore when he played so even more special.
      “But I’m prepared for both positions always, I can’t just focus on one. It’s nice to have that role.”
      Despite the result, England extended their unbeaten run under Wiegman to 26 games on Tuesday night. 
      The England chief said: “Did we do enough to win? No, because we didn’t.
      “We tried enough – we did a lot to score that second goal, but it didn’t go in.”
      “Although I’m a little disappointed with this game, it’s really incredible what has happened since last September
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      “We have a lot of players making debuts now. We got a lot of information from these games, to get ready for the World Cup.
      On the equaliser, Wiegman added: “It’s disappointing, but these things happen sometimes, and when it happens to the goalkeeper, then it’s a goal.
      “As a team, we had to score another goal, and that’s what we tried to do.
      The last time the two sides faced off, the Lionesses wiped the floor with their opponents in an 8-0 Euros group stage trouncing at the Amex.
      But last night’s match saw their opponents, now under the management of former England boss Hege Riise, put in a more defensively solid shift.
      Norway without the services of Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen, and skipper Maren Mjelde tested their rivals in the second minute.
      Maya Le Tissier and Katie Robinson made their senior debuts for England during the 1-1 draw with NorwayCredit: Getty
      Emilie Haavi forced a decent save from Ellie Roebuck at the near post.
      Later Guro Reiten fired wide of the left post after being put through by the Haavi who had put in a good shift on the flank.
      The 0-0 scoreline lasted until the 33rd minute with Daly nodding England in front following a probing cross from Chloe Kelly.
      And Reiten forced a diving save from Roebuck with her free kick looking destined for the top corner.
      Norway looked as if they would be for a far tougher night with Anja Sønstevold given her marching orders for a shirt tug on Nikita Parris.
      Norway were reduced to ten players in the 72nd minute when Anja Sønstevold was sent off for a foul on Nikita ParrisCredit: Getty
      It was her second foul of the game against the forward. 
      But super substitute Maanum came to Riise’s side’s rescue denying Roebuck the chance of a clean sheet following a solid shift in goal.
      The midfielder pounced on the goalkeeper’s missed clearance to net an 80th-minute leveller and a hard-fought draw.  More

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      Sarina Wiegman hails Maya Le Tissier’s ‘leadership’ with England’s young stars ‘finding their way’

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      MAYA LE TISSIER could be in line to make her senior England debut with the Euros champions aiming to beat Norway.Sarina Wiegman could look to shuffle her deck with Ebony Salmon, Lauren James, and Jess Park among the rising stars vying for minutes.
      Maya Le Tissier is one of three WSL players who received their first senior Lionesses call-upCredit: Getty
      Maya Le Tissier’s versatility has impressed England boss Sarina WiegmanCredit: Reuters
      Le Tissier, who sealed a summer switch from Albion to Manchester United, has hit the ground running for the Red Devils.
      Her versatile defensive displays have seen her earn praise with the defender netting twice in six WSL games this term.
      England chief Wiegman told reporters: “Maya has played well in our possession games. 
      “She has played in different positions at centre-back, at right-back, and sometimes defensive midfield. 
      “She has a natural leadership in her and is pretty outgoing.
      Le Tissier is part of a group of emerging England aces and one of three players under 23 to receive their first senior national call-ups.
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       Wiegman added: The younger players are doing good, I think it is a great opportunity for them,” said Wiegman.
      “We saw last Friday that with lots of changes and some younger players in that they were finding their way.
      Tuesday night’s friendly will see the Lionesses go up against their former interim boss Hege Riise, who became Norway’s new gaffer in August.
      Last summer the head coach, who won Euros and World Cup trophies as a player, led Team GB to the Tokyo Olympics women’s football quarter-finals.
      There they fell to a 4-3 loss to Australia.
      Norway have won three of their last five games since Riise’s appointment.
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      Results include 1-0 and 5-0 World Cup qualifier defeats of Belgium and Albania.
      But they fell to a 2-1 friendly loss to France on Friday with West Ham’s Vivianne Asseyi bagging the winner for the Euros 2022 semi-finalists.
      And Wiegman, whose Lionesses hammered Norway 8-0 during the contest in July, expects her team will face a defensively cautious side.
      The England boss added: “We expected a different Norway (that day). We played really well then and they didn’t have a good day.
      “Now they have changed. They’ve changed their coach and they have changed their style of play. 
      Jess Park could be in line for another senior England appearance after netting on her debutCredit: Getty
      “They’re a little more defensive so we expect a very different game.
      “The 8-0 win was nice because that made us qualify for the next round (after the group stage) at the Euros.
      “This is a totally different game as they have some other players, different coaches, and another shape.” More

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      Everton heroine Toni Duggan makes history as she becomes first England footballer in the WSL to take maternity leave

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      TONI DUGGAN is set to become the first English player in the WSL to take maternity leave following the introduction of new rules this season.Top-tier and Women’s Championship players will receive full salaries for the first 14 weeks of maternity leave.
      In September this year, Toni Duggan announced her pregnancyCredit: AP
      This is according to new legislation agreed on by the FA and Professional Football Association earlier this year.
      After the 14-week period, maternity leave pay for players will then be followed by statutory wages after this period.
      In a BBC Sport interview Duggan, who is currently four months pregnant, revealed she had to inform her club coach of her baby news before telling her parents.
      The Everton forward, 31, who has enjoyed a trophy-winning career, says it was a relief to eventually be able to share her pregnancy news with her Toffees team-mates.
      Duggan told BBC Sport: “It’s not so common in our environment for this to happen so that was quite tough initially.
      “I was probably more shocked, and it was more difficult to deal with.
      “I had to tell the coach before I told my mum. That was different and new.
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      “It was something I wouldn’t have wanted to do, but as a professional footballer, I had to.
      “Now I’m starting to feel the baby kick a bit more so that makes it feel more real.”
      Duggan, who began her senior playing career at Everton in 2007, has won 10 major trophies during stints with the Toffees, Manchester City, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.
      The WSL ace, who netted 22 times in 76 senior England appearances, has always wanted to become a mother, but wasn’t sure at what stage of her life “that would happen”.
      Before the start of this season, it was not compulsory for WSL and Women’s Championship clubs to offer players full paid maternity leave for 14 weeks.
      The measure was put in place as part of contract reforms agreed upon by the FA and PFA in February.
      Changes also included enhanced injury and sick pay for professional female players.
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      In February Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said she hoped to see contract reforms introduced in England replicated in other parts of the world.
      And Duggan hopes to see more analysis of how professional female players in other nations are helped when they hope to become parents.
      The Walton Hall Park forward added: “Just because it’s not common doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be guidelines and protocols in place.
      “I want to know how other countries and players go about it.
      “The ones that I do know of are such powerful, strong women and they have come back from it and are doing so well in football.
      “That obviously gives me inspiration that I can do it.”
      Earlier this year Emma Hayes said changes made to maternity leave pay for WSL and Women’s Championship players were “massively needed”Credit: Getty More

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      Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead withdraw from Lionesses camp ahead of clash with Hege Riise’s Norway side

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      Beth Mead has withdrawn from England’s camp before the team’s final fixture of the year due to family circumstances.The Arsenal star, 27, who played in the Lionesses’ 4-0 defeat of Japan returned home today following the Friday night match in Spain.
      The FA says Beth Mead has left England’s camp due to family circumstancesCredit: Getty
      Lucy Bronze will return to Barcelona due to a minor injuryCredit: Getty
      Mead, who made her 50th international appearance in the game, paid tribute to her team-mates for “another solid performance”.
      Lucy Bronze also leaves the squad with the full-back returning to her club Barcelona.
      The FA says Bronze’s departure before England’s Tuesday night duel with Norway is a precautionary measure due to a muscle issue.
      Head coach Sarina Wiegman confirmed the full-back had sustained the minor injury ahead of her side’s game against Japan at the Pinatar Arena.
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      In a statement, the FA said: “Beth Mead has withdrawn from the England squad due to family circumstances.
      “Lucy Bronze will also leave the squad and return to her club over the weekend as a precaution due to a minor injury.
      Mead’s return home along with the absence of Manchester City ace Lauren Hemp could see Wiegman give more minutes to England forwards Ebony Salmon and Lauren James.
      Salmon impressed for the Euros winners registering assists for Ella Toone and debutant Jess Park with Mead teeing up England’s first two goals.
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      The Lionesses’ upcoming clash against Norway, which kicks off at 7:00 pm on November 15th will be the first time the sides have faced each other since the Euros.
      In July Wiegman’s rampant team brushed their opponents in a blistering 8-0 victory.
      And Norway’s group stage exit from the Euros was later followed by head coach Martin Sjogren resigning from his role.
      Since the tournament, Norway have won three of the last four games they have played under new boss Hege Riise.
      The former interim England chief led Team GB to the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics in Japan last year.
      England will play a Norway side managed by their former interim boss Hege Riise (right)Credit: Sportsfile More