Wales coach Rhian Wilkinson sleeps in Italian airport after flight diversion

Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson was left trying to sleep overnight in an Italian airport after preparations for Friday's Women's World Cup qualifier in Montenegro were severely disrupted by bad weather.

Wilkinson's squad took off from Cardiff at 16:30 BST on Wednesday and had been due to arrive in Montenegro around three hours later.

However, they were unable to land in Podgorica due to electrical storms around the Montenegrin capital and eventually diverted to the Italian port city of Brindisi.

After more than three hours on the tarmac in southern Italy, during which Wales had hoped weather conditions would ease, the decision was taken to stay in Brindisi on Wednesday night.

That left Football Association of Wales (FAW) officials scrambling to secure hotel rooms for the travelling party, as well as trying to arrange travel plans for Thursday.

Wales were able to find accommodation for their players, but a shortage of hotel options meant Wilkinson and some members of her backroom staff remained in an airport waiting area throughout the night.

Wales take on Montenegro in Podgorica in their penultimate Group B1 fixture at 17:00 BST on Friday.

They then host Czech Republic, their rivals to finish top of the group, in their final fixture in Cardiff on Tuesday.