Tino Livramento has been ruled out of the World Cup with a calf injury, with Trevoh Chalobah called up to replace him ahead of England’s opening match against Croatia.
Tino Livramento’s World Cup lasted only as far as a calf injury could take it.
On Tuesday. England confirmed the Newcastle defender would not be able to play any further part in the tournament after a late medical update. forcing coach Thomas Tuchel to change his squad ahead of the opening game against Croatia. The news lands just days before England’s first group match. with the team now preparing to travel to Dallas for the Wednesday kickoff.
Livramento was injured during training on Sunday, the English Football Association said. A scan and medical assessment on Monday then ruled him out of the tournament, leaving Tuchel no choice but to reshuffle his options at the last moment.
Trevoh Chalobah has been called up as the replacement. He is set to head to the England training camp in Kansas City, stepping into a squad that was built with Livramento in mind.
Livramento had been selected largely for his versatility, comfortable at both right back and left back. In practice, his role had been shaped by Reece James’s recurring fitness concerns, with Livramento chiefly viewed as the backup at right back.
Chalobah, meanwhile, has spent most of his recent time with Chelsea as a centre back, but he has experience playing right back as well—an important fit given the problem England have had to solve on short notice.
England’s schedule also matters here. Injury replacements are allowed up to 24 hours before the kickoff of a team’s first group game, and England’s decision now brings that deadline into sharper focus as they turn immediately toward Croatia.
Livramento’s withdrawal is the first major blow to Tuchel’s tournament plans. and it comes at the point where preparation has to become execution. With a trip to Dallas and a match against Croatia already fixed for Wednesday. Chalobah’s arrival is now the crucial moving part—whether England can settle quickly enough to avoid paying for the disruption they’ve just been handed.
England World Cup Tino Livramento Trevoh Chalobah Thomas Tuchel Croatia Newcastle Chelsea calf injury Kansas City Dallas
Calf injury again… players can’t just be fully healthy for once. England doomed already?
So they take Livramento out like that and just plug in Chalobah? Seems crazy that a backup can just learn the whole plan in like 2 days. Also “calf injury” sounds minor but apparently it’s the end of the whole World Cup.
Wait Chalobah is a center back but they’re using him at right back now? I thought right back was like… the whole point with England. And they built the squad around Livramento but he gets injured training Sunday?? That timing is brutal. I’m confused how the deadline works too—24 hours before kickoff or whatever.
This is why you don’t mess around in training the Sunday before the World Cup lol. They should’ve had someone else ready, like a second-choice already in Dallas or whatever. Also Tuchel changing the squad last minute feels like it always backfires. Chalobah to Kansas City then to Dallas… sounds like travel chaos more than football chaos.