Northern Ireland Women dealt injury blow as midfield star pulls out ahead of key double-header
The midfielder has picked up a hamstring injury that has ruled her out for the clashes at home to Poland and away to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Nottingham Forest Women defender Nat Johnson has been called up to replace the 26-year-old Scofield, who has been a regular in Oxtoby's starting line-up since switching allegiance and making her debut for Northern Ireland in 2024.
The London-born midfielder has just completed a loan spell at Sheffield United Women in the FA Women's Championship from London City Lionesses, while she also previously plied her trade for Leicester City Women in the Women's Super League.
Scofield's withdrawal is unwelcome news for Oxtoby with Northern Ireland facing Poland at Seaview on Friday, May 30 (7.00pm) before travelling to Zenica to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, June 3 (6.00pm BST) in two crucial Nations League B, Group 1 encounters.
With Northern Ireland sitting second in the group with seven points from four games as they stare into the final two games of the League, the first clash sees them lock horns with unbeaten League leaders Poland, who have 10 points, before tackling the third-placed Bosnians who are perched on four points.
Their current position would be good enough for a Promotion Play-Off to get into League A, however failing to beat Poland would rule out their chances of automatic promotion courtesy of their inferior head-to-head record.
Similarly, they are at risk of falling into a Relegation Play-Off. Bettering third-placed Bosnia's result against winless Romania on Matchday Five would eliminate that possibility and confirm Northern Ireland's League B survival, however any other outcome would ensure their fate goes right down to the final day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
15 hours ago
- Metro
How to watch Club World Cup 2025 in UK: TV channel and live stream
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has arrived – here's the TV channel and live stream information you need to watch the action for free in the UK. The revamped competition – taking place in the United States this summer – features teams from around the globe and lasts for almost a full month. There are two Premier League sides taking part, Chelsea and Manchester City, along with a number of other European clubs such as Real Madrid. Scroll down to find out which TV channel will be showing the Club World Cup, how to live stream it, the kick-off times and how each group looks… Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. To watch the Club World Cup for free on terrestrial TV in the UK, you can tune in to 5, which was formerly known as Channel 5 and Five. 5 is showing 23 games during the Club World Cup. If you have Sky, the channel you need is 105 for 5 HD (High Definition). It's also channel number 105 if you have a Virgin Media box. On Freeview, it's 5 for SD (Standard Definition) and 105 for HD. Football fans are also able to watch all of the Club World Cup via a live stream on DAZN, with all 63 matches to be broadcast globally for free. If you are not already a subscriber, don't fear, because you can sign up for a free DAZN account with no hidden costs or fees. Kick-off times in the UK during the group stage of the Club World Cup vary on each day between 5pm BST (British Summer Time) and 2am BST. If you stay up late enough on Saturday, June 14 you'll be able to watch the first match at 1am on Sunday, June 15 as Al Ahly play against Inter Miami. The next matches are Bayern Munich vs Auckland City (5pm UK time) and Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid (8pm UK time) on Sunday, June 15. Chelsea's first match against Los Angeles FC kicks off at 8pm BST on Monday, June 16. The Blues then lock horns with Flamengo (7pm UK time) on June 20 and face ES Tunis (2am UK time) on June 25. City, meanwhile, are in action against Wydad AC on June 18 (5pm UK time), Al Ain on June 23 (2am BST) and Juventus on June 26 (8pm BST). Palmeiras – Winners of the 2021 Copa Libertadores Porto – Fifth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Al Ahly – Winners of the 2020/21 CAF Champions League Inter Miami – Winners of the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield PSG – Second-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Atletico Madrid – Sixth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Botafogo – Winners of the 2024 Copa Libertadores Seattle Sounders – Winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League Bayern Munich – Best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Auckland City – Best OFC Champions League winners in the OFC four-year ranking Boca Juniors – Second-best ranked eligible team in the CONMEBOL four-year ranking Benfica – Seventh-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Flamengo – Winners of the 2022 Copa Libertadores Esperance de Tunis – Best-ranked eligible team in the CAF four-year ranking Chelsea – Winners of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Los Angeles FC – Winners of the play-in match River Plate – Best-ranked eligible team in the CONMEBOL four-year ranking Urawa Red Diamonds – Winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League Monterray – Winners of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League Inter Milan – Fourth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Fluminense – Winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores Borussia Dortmund – Third-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Ulsan HD – Best-ranked eligible team in the AFC four-year ranking Mamelodi Sundowns – Second-best ranked eligible team in the CAF four-year ranking Man City – Winners of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League Wydad AC – Winners of the 2021/22 CAF Champions League Al Ain – Winners of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League Juventus – Eighth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking Real Madrid – Winners of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League More Trending Al Hilal – Winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League Pachuca – Winners of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League Red Bull Salzburg – Ninth-best ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking MORE: Chelsea begin talks to sign Robert Sanchez replacement ahead of Manchester United MORE: Chelsea make final decision over Jadon Sancho return to Manchester United MORE: Atletico Madrid send message to Arsenal and Liverpool over Julian Alvarez transfer
BBC News
17 hours ago
- BBC News
'No trophies - but Edinburgh now a team to be proud of'
Edinburgh have played 26 games this season in all competitions. In 12 of those we have conceded a total of 16 tries in the 10-minute period following is more than we concede in any other part of our matches. Over the season it has arguably cost Edinburgh at least two league wins. On Saturday it cost us a chance of a score Bulls got in the 51st minute and the fact they failed to cross the line again in the remainder of the match makes it hard to see past that 40-51 minute period as being in the game the broadcasters showed a graphic that told us Bulls forwards were 57kg heavier than Edinburgh. That weight certainly showed at scrum time and as weird as might seem when you score five tries it felt like a rearguard action for much of the 80 a lot of ways our three games against Bulls this season typify what progress there has 1. I described Edinburgh as asthmatic and wasteful. Only one 2. A much improved and focused win. We looked like a 3. A five-try thriller where we just fell short on on your viewpoint the progress is there. A semi-final and a quarter-final allied to a try count we have only surpassed once in our history is balanced out by the fact we won fewer games in the league than we did last are no trophies. That's not new and if that's your reason for supporting Edinburgh, then to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, you've been there is now a team you can be proud of. A team who are putting their bodies on the line for their long-suffering supporters. A team that finally looks like it wants to live up to the 'on paper' reputation that seems to follow them have some departures that could hurt, Jamie Ritchie probably chiefly among those, but we have recruited well and I'm excited to see them make their mark alongside some of the young players who are stepping up.I'm already looking forward to next season as long as we continue playing as if we have a chip on our shoulders as opposed to a silver spoon in our Smith can be found at The Burgh Watch, external
Belfast Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast Giants to open new season with Finnish double-header in Champions League
Adam Keefe's double winners, who earned their place at Europe's top table courtesy of reclaiming the Elite League title in April, will start their season with the visits of Liiga champions KalPa and Tampere-based Ilves in a blockbuster opening two fixtures. KalPa, who won their first Liiga title back in May, will be the Giants' first competitive opponents at the SSE Arena on Thursday August 28 before Ilves arrive into Belfast two days later on Saturday August 30, both games having a 7pm face-off. That is followed by the first of two trips to Switzerland a week later, the draw unkindly giving the Giants three National League teams to face in the League stage of the competition, with games in Lausanne and Zug comprising their double-header road trip in rounds three and four. There will be a French flair to kick things off as Belfast will be at the Vaudoise Aréna to take on Swiss regular season champions Lausanne on Friday September 5 at 5pm BST before a trip to the German side of the country, with their visit to the Brossard Arena in Zug on Sunday September 7 at 1pm BST. As per usual, the tournament takes a break for about a month before returning for two midweek games in October to round out the League stage, the Giants completing their Swiss sojourn with a trip to Bern in round five, clashing at the PostFinance Arena on Wednesday October 8 with a 6.45pm BST face-off. And their schedule will be rounded out a week later on Tuesday October 14 with their final home game, Swedish side Brynäs coming to the SSE Arena for a 7pm face-off. In order to reach the knockout stages, which begin in November, the Giants need to emulate last season's Sheffield Steelers and finish in the top-16 of the 24-team League, which would likely require around eight or nine points – a tall order given the brutal draw the Giants have received. Belfast Giants' Champions League schedule All face-off times BST Thursday August 28: Belfast Giants v KalPa, SSE Arena, 7pm Saturday August 30: Belfast Giants v Ilves, SSE Arena, 7pm Friday September 5: Lausanne HC v Belfast Giants, Vaudoise Aréna, 5pm Sunday September 7: EV Zug v Belfast Giants, Brossard Arena, 1pm Wednesday October 8: SC Bern v Belfast Giants, PostFinance Arena, 6.45pm
