Chalobah Called Up As Livramento Withdraws From World Cup

Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento has been ruled out of England’s World Cup campaign with a calf injury and has been replaced by Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.

Livramento, 23, sustained the injury during a training session on Sunday, just days before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday (21:00 ). His participation in the tournament had already been in doubt after he missed the final five weeks of the domestic season with a thigh injury, and the latest setback has now ended his hopes of featuring.

Chalobah, who has one senior cap to his name, will not join up with the squad until after the Croatia match. He is currently en route to England’s camp in Kansas City, while the rest of the squad travel to Dallas for the opening fixture.

Under tournament regulations, outfield players who sustain a serious injury or illness can be replaced in a World Cup squad up to 24 hours before the team’s first match gets under way. The English Football Association moved swiftly to activate that provision once Livramento’s injury was confirmed.

Livramento was handed his international debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2024 and has since featured five times during Thomas Tuchel’s reign, starting twice. He came on at half-time during England’s 1-0 warm-up victory over New Zealand but was left on the bench against Costa Rica, suggesting he was already on the fringes of the starting lineup.

His absence, however, leaves Tuchel with limited cover at right-back. Reece James remains the German coach’s first choice in that position, but there are significant question marks over his fitness following another injury-hit campaign.

The 26-year-old Chelsea captain missed nine games at the end of the season because of a hamstring injury, raising concerns about his durability over a demanding tournament.

Other options already in the squad include Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa. Spence, who can operate on both flanks, has featured six times under Tuchel, while Konsa—predominantly a centre-back—has played 11 times, including nine starts. Both offer versatility, though neither is a specialist right-back in the mould of Livramento or James.

Chalobah, 26, has not featured for England since June 2025, when he played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Senegal. However, he was on the bench for multiple World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel and is familiar with the squad dynamics. Like Konsa, his preferred position is centre-back, but he is capable of slotting into a back three or covering at full-back if required.

His late call-up adds defensive depth to a squad that now faces early injury concerns in a critical position. With Livramento out and James’ fitness uncertain, Tuchel may be forced to rethink his defensive setup ahead of what promises to be a challenging group stage campaign