The red card all but scuppered Obano's chances of being included in England's squad for the tour of Japan and New Zealand in June and July.

His last England cap came during the 2023 Six Nations, although he was called up to a training squad before the tournament this February.

Long-term injuries in 2018 and 2021 have also previously come at times when he was on the cusp of breaking into the national team.

Speaking the day before England's squad was announced, Obano said he had spoken to England boss Steve Borthwick recently and that he did not "'envy" the head coach's position in having to choose the squad.

"I can't control those decisions; whether I agree with them or not it's not important," Obano said.

"What I can control is my attitude towards training here [at Bath] and towards playing here and helping and contributing to the team, and that's really what I try and put my focus on.

"There's so many things he's got to balance when he's selecting a team, regarding opposition, regarding the other people in my position. All those aspects and leadership roles.

"There's just a lot to balance - it's not as simple as what you do on a Saturday, you play well enough therefore you get picked."

Dee, 30, missed the end of last season and the summer Tests against South Africa and Australia but was expected to return at the start of this campaign.

Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan says Dee, who has played 51 Wales internationals, suffered a "little setback" and is not expected back until December.

Young Cardiff hookers Evan Lloyd and Efan Daniel, who both toured Australia, are struggling with injury, their captain Liam Belcher is definitely missing, and Ospreys number two Sam Parry was out of favour in the summer.

With Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias the experienced hookers available to Gatland, young Dragons front-rower Brodie Coghlan, 23, could be an another Wales option after impressing for the Dragons at the start of the season.

"We would be ecstatic if any of our players gets picked but probably more so with Brodie given the work and effort he has put in," said Flanagan.

"Not long ago he was up in [North Wales regional team] RGC on loan fighting to be a professional rugby player, but it's one step at a time for him.

"We didn't necessarily think we would see this level of impact but what we did see was somebody who took his job very seriously over the summer.

"He changed his body shape, reflected on what he needed to do physically, and you can see a very fit player."

Major League Soccer president Don Garber said the recent antitrust lawsuit before the European Commission in Brussels could spark change to the congested global calendar.

On Tuesday, LaLiga president Javier Tebas said that FIFA's 2025 Club World Cup, which still does not have sponsorship or broadcast deals, should be cancelled.

Garber said he recognises the concern over the revamped 32-team Club World Cup to be hosted in the United States.

He warned there could be danger of oversaturation in football but sees how the lawsuit could actually be a pathway to a more palatable global calendar and greater collaboration between governing bodies and leagues.

"I read about the lawsuits just the other day, but sometimes it takes a little disruption to get everybody to sit at the same table and make the right decisions," Garber told reporters at The Summit, part of Leaders Week London.

"I would hope that you make those right decisions, because you're basing those decisions on data, fact and research and strategy, but if not, sometimes you have to be forced to make those decisions."

The new tournament from football's world governing body, featuring 12 European clubs, will come after a season featuring an expanded Champions League and before an enlarged 48-team World Cup in 2026, hosted in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

"We all need to be mindful of the calendar, and I understand Javier's views," Garber said.

Top players have criticised the ever-increasing fixture schedule, with some talking of strike action.

European Leagues, players' union FIFPRO Europe and LaLiga jointly filed a complaint to EU antitrust regulators this week against FIFA's international match calendar.

"I think we've got to all work to see whether or not we can be a more engaged part of the decision-making process, and I would include that in the Club World Cup. We as a league are as mindful as everybody else about the toll on our players and all the various competitions they have to compete in," Garber said.

The 2025 Club World Cup, due to run from June 15-July 13, will be held around the same time as Concacaf's Gold Cup, to be hosted on the Western Coast of the U.S. and Canada.

The MLS season is set to resume after that as well as European leagues.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday began a tour of U.S. cities that will host the Club World Cup.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

Former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué on Wednesday said it was the responsibility of all football organisations to find a solution.

"There are too many games, and we are seeing now players saying 'listen, we are getting injured. There are games every three days, we don't have time to rest in summer'," the 37-year-old told The Summit, part of Leaders Week London.

"I would suggest to reduce the games," he added when asked what he would do if he were in charge of global football.

"Go to the leagues and say, 'listen, instead of 20 teams, why you don't do leagues of 16 teams.

"And at the same time, I would go to UEFA and say, 'why you create this Nations League, which is the new competition that is difficult to follow' and I will go to FIFA and say, 'okay, don't do this FIFA World Cup of clubs that you created now.'

"I understand that they want to generate more revenues, but for the sake of football, I think that it could be much better to have less games, more premium and more exclusive [experiences] and it will be much easier also to follow from the audience point of view, and for players it will be less games."

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida is recovering from surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder.

The team announced Wednesday that Yoshida, 31, underwent successful surgery on Oct. 3. Dr. Evan O'Donnell performed the procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital. The Red Sox didn't say whether he'd be ready for the start of spring training.

Yoshida played seven years of pro baseball in Japan before signing a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox on Dec. 7, 2022.

In two seasons in Boston, he has an average of .285, with 261 hits, 116 runs, 25 homers and 128 RBIs in 248 games.

He was limited to 108 games in 2024, largely due to a left thumb strain that sidelined him on April 28. He did not return until June 11.

Johnny Gaudreau's Columbus teammates were given a few options for how to handle their emotions during the Blue Jackets' home opener.

If you want to cry, cry.

If you want to laugh, laugh.

The only rules -- play the game the way "Johnny Hockey" would and with him in mind.

Emotions ran high in Columbus on Tuesday night, when the Blue Jackets paid tribute to their star and his late brother, Matthew, at their home opener against the Florida Panthers. Among the highlights: A banner was raised to the rafters in Gaudreau's memory as fans cheered, both teams stick-tapped the ice in the traditional hockey salute and his family looked on, their arms intertwined.

And before the puck dropped, the teams stood still as 13 seconds -- Johnny Gaudreau's number -- ran off the clock and his left-wing position remained vacant, the Blue Jackets having sent four skaters onto the ice instead of the usual five. The puck dropped, and the Blue Jackets' Sean Monahan passed it to Florida's Sam Bennett.

Monahan and Bennett were teammates with Gaudreau in Calgary. It couldn't have been more fitting.

"I don't want anyone to be sad," Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny's wife, said in a recorded message played shortly before faceoff. "I want you all to be inspired by the life that John lived. That means love your family first and foremost, and when it's time to drop the puck, let's love the game that John loved."

Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets star who would have been entering his third season with the club and 11th NHL season overall, and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were killed on Aug. 29 when police said they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while they were riding their bicycles on a rural road in New Jersey on the eve of their sister Katie's wedding.

"It's such an unprecedented thing and something that obviously none of us wanted to go through, and nobody ever wants to go through it," Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said Monday as final preparations for the home-opener celebration of the Gaudreaus were being made. "But we have to."

The 31-year-old Gaudreau wore jersey No. 13 for the Blue Jackets. Matthew Gaudreau -- who was 29 and played five pro seasons in the American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and in Sweden -- wore jersey No. 21. All 32 NHL teams are wearing decals with 13, 21 and the letter G on their helmets through Oct. 24. USA Hockey has a similar tribute for its teams at all levels this year.

On Tuesday, the "13" tributes were everywhere. Both the Blue Jackets and Panthers took the ice for warmups wearing jerseys bearing the name "Gaudreau" and the No. 13; those sweaters will be auctioned and raffled off to benefit the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation. There was "13" on the ice behind the goals. All fans in attendance received a "13" patch like the ones Blue Jackets players will be wearing on their jerseys this season.

"It's an emotional night for the hockey world," Bennett said. "I'm glad I can be here and honor his legacy in any way."

The Panthers, like the rest of the NHL, are mourning right along with the Blue Jackets. Gaudreau was beloved by players, whether they ever were his teammate or not. Florida star Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the game with illness, knows of Gaudreau's affinity for purple Gatorade and bags of Skittles. So, every Panthers player got off the bus in Columbus on Tuesday afternoon with Gatorade and Skittles in their hands.

"Johnny was a huge part of the hockey community, but to me he was much more than that," said Tkachuk, a teammate of Gaudreau's for six seasons in Calgary. "A great friend, teammate and family man. Not a day goes by without me thinking about Johnny and Matthew."

The Blue Jackets set up a replica of Gaudreau's locker in the arena for fans to visit. Many fans did, reading some of the signs that were left in front of Nationwide Arena in the hours and days after the crash that claimed the lives of the brothers. They hugged and took photos, wiped away tears and reminisced.

Kristen and Katie, the sisters of Johnny and Matthew, visited the memorial during the game. Kristen donned a No. 13 Columbus jersey in the home blue, while Katie wore a leather jacket with her brothers' numbers of 21 and 13 on the front and stacked across the back, along with "Gaudreau."

Johnny Gaudreau -- all of 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds -- was a star at Boston College before making it to the NHL, his debut coming in Calgary's finale for the 2013-14 season. His first goal came on his first shot in his first game, and his star only kept shining brighter from there.

The player who fished the puck out of the net after Gaudreau's first goal was Monahan.

"Johnny was a huge part of the hockey community but to me he was much more than that. A great friend, teammate and family man. Not a day goes by without me thinking about Johnny and Matthew."

Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk

"He had an impact on so many people," Monahan said.

Monahan never aspired to be a donkey. Going forward, the Blue Jackets will clamor to be one.

Johnny Gaudreau used that term -- "donkey" -- endearingly around friends and teammates. The Blue Jackets had a celebration for about a decade where the player of the game gets to wear a Civil War-style kepi hat, the recipient selected by the previous one. The kepi is retired. The player of the game now gets a donkey hat. Monahan was the first to receive it.

"I'm really happy that we've kind of switched it up," Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson said. "I think it's fitting for us. It was a great idea. And, you know, we wish the little guy was still here calling us that, But Monny is the right guy to get that the first time, for sure."

The tributes aren't over. They'll keep going for years to come. Guy Gaudreau, the late brothers' father and a longtime coach, was on the ice with the Blue Jackets for practice in Columbus on Monday and was back for morning skate on Tuesday. And the banner bearing Johnny's name went up, fans chanted "Johnny Hockey" as his family couldn't help but smile.

There was a game afterward, one the Panthers would go on to win 4-3. It seemed secondary.

"The first part," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said, "is clearly the most important part of the event tonight."

Thomas Tuchel has admitted taking charge of England is a "step into the unknown" but said he is relishing the prospect of winning over his sceptics by putting "another star on the shirt" and guiding the country to victory at the 2026 World Cup.

The 51-year-old was unveiled as Gareth Southgate's successor at Wembley on Wednesday after agreeing an 18-month contract to become only the third foreign-born men's manager in the country's history.

Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham revealed the organisation spoke with "approximately 10 people" including "some English candidates," with sources telling ESPN that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was among those considered.

Tuchel has won 11 major honours during his time with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich but has never stayed anywhere for more than two years since a five-year spell at Mainz which ended in 2014.

Asked how he felt about potentially having just one shot at ending England's 58-year wait for a men's trophy, Tuchel said: "Let's see, let's see. It is 18 months and then we agreed to sit together and we'll see. I have good experience with 18 months personally, unfortunately, sometimes. I'm working on my long-term game. You never know.

"The point was in this particular case that it was important for me to have a little bit of a frame around it because it is a little bit of a step into the unknown for me.

"I am used to work on a daily basis with staff, with the team, to have the influence on 60-80 people in a training camp every single day, to be three days a week away in hotel rooms and prepare matches. This will be very different.

"The last piece of it for me to understand that this is something that can really excite me to the fullest was the timeframe of 18 months and to also demand from myself to not lose the focus, for all of us. So I think it is a good timeframe for all of us because it will help us to focus.

"We are focused on the qualification and on the World Cup. It will help us in the nomination process. It will help us in the communication towards the players within the staff.

"So I think this is now very streamlined and very easy to explain. We are here to work on the best possible outcome for the World Cup '26. And then let's see. Whatever comes, comes."

Tuchel, who will start work on Jan. 1, is the first German to manage England's men's side, following Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello as non-natives in the role.

Interim boss Lee Carsley stoked controversy when declining to sing the national anthem given he had represented Republic of Ireland on 40 occasions as a player.

When asked what Tuchel would do given the rivalry between England and Germany, he said: "I understood from Mark [Bullingham] that it is a personal decision, first of all if you sing it. There were managers who sang it and other who didn't. I have not made my decision yet. I want to be very honest with you.

"Your anthem is very moving, the English anthem is very moving. I experienced it several times here at Wembley, even out with the players at the FA Cup final. It was very touching. No matter what decision I will take ... we have time until March ... I will always show my respect to my new role, to the country and of course to a very moving anthem. But as this is a new subject I will take a bit of time for this decision.

"I'm proud to be here, I'm proud to represent England. I want to put the second star on this shirt. I think we deserve a fair chance, we deserve the credit for having a good record in the country, for never being shy of how much we love to live in the country and how much we enjoy working with the players in the Premier League. Maybe this counts a little bit for a British edge on my German passport. So we will try to convince them by results and the way we play."

England reached back-to-back Euros finals under Southgate -- in addition to a World Cup semifinal and a quarterfinal -- during eight years of substantial progress without ending their 58-year wait for silverware.

"I know that there are some trophies missing for the federation and of course I want to make it happen," Tuchel said. "The group of players of proved that they are there. The consistency of quarterfinal, semifinal, finals is impressive. And it shows that we have players who compete in the strongest league in the world, day in, day out. So we have the ingredients.

"And we fully trust that this is the moment to install maybe also from club football patterns, behaviours, principals that can maybe help to push the team over the line. We will need luck, we will need the momentum, we will need to be lucky, not to have injuries and so on, little decisions within the games, that is a given.

"But we feel confident to add something from our experience in club football that can maybe help. But most important is .... even if we speak out now very openly about what the target is, about the second star ... we have to prove ourselves all the time."