Emma Saunders, the Sky Sports presenter, has announced she will return to the screen for the 2025/26 season in August, following a battle with thyroid cancer and a brain infection that left her in a coma. The 32-year-old revealed in March that she had been diagnosed with encephalitis, an infection of the brain, after previously undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
Saunders shared her recovery journey on Instagram, thanking her partner, former RC Lens manager Will Still, for his support. She wrote: 'Unfortunately life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of weeks ago and I'm now off work while I recover from Encephalitis. I hope it wont be long until I'm back to see out the end of 2024/25 – especially after missing part of the start of the season before this when I was treated for Thyroid cancer.'
In a more recent update, Saunders confirmed her final game of the season was at Anfield in February, adding: 'Wasn’t to know at the time but a trip to Anfield in Feb was my last game this season; gutted to have had this campaign cut so short but at least we signed off on a high at the home of the Champions. Looking forward to a fresh start in August.'
Meanwhile, Will Still has announced he will leave RC Lens at the end of the season to return to the UK to be closer to Saunders during her recovery. He said: 'The main reason that pushed me to make this decision is the fact that I need to go home. Everyone is well aware of what happened in my life. The logical choice is that I get closer to my [partner] for her well-being too.' Still is reportedly in talks to become Southampton's new manager, aiming to return them to the Premier League.
