England, the day before the duel with Croatia, left without Tino Livramento; Tuchel subsequently called up Trevoh Chalobah
The England national football team had to make a late change to its squad for the 2026 World Cup after Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento was ruled out due to an injury sustained in training. According to reports from Sky Sports and ESPN, the 23-year-old full-back will not take part in the tournament, and head coach Thomas Tuchel has called up Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah as his replacement. The change comes on 16 June 2026, just one day before the match in which England open their Group L campaign against Croatia. It is an unpleasant blow for the England team because Livramento was part of the final 26-player list and one of the footballers who were expected to make their first appearance at a major senior tournament.
According to the available information, Livramento was injured during preparations ahead of the match against Croatia, and the British media describe the injury as a muscle problem. Sky Sports and ESPN stated that it was a hamstring injury, while some agency reports mention a calf injury, which means that at this moment one can speak of a confirmed absence, but not of fully harmonised public information about the medical details. For Tuchel, the most important consequence is clear: a player who was supposed to offer additional depth on the right side of the defence is no longer part of the tournament squad. England therefore used the option of a late replacement, permitted by FIFA rules in the event of a serious injury or illness before the national team's first match.
A late change ahead of the first match in Group L
England and Croatia play on 17 June 2026 at Dallas Stadium, in the first-round match of Group L. According to FIFA's preview material, the duel begins at 15:00 local time in Dallas, that is, at 21:00 London time and 22:00 Central European Time. The same group also includes Ghana and Panama, which creates a very demanding schedule from the very first round. In its presentation of Group L, FIFA emphasised that the group brings together two national teams with significant experience of deep runs at World Cups, England as former world champions and Croatia as the 2018 finalist.
For England, the encounter with Croatia is important both sporting-wise and psychologically because it is a match that can set the tone for the entire competition. The 2026 World Cup is the first edition with 48 national teams and 104 matches, and it is being played in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. In such an expanded format, the first match does not necessarily have to be decisive, but it can significantly affect the balance of power, confidence and pressure in the remainder of the group. After Croatia, England play against Ghana and Panama, while Croatia, after the English challenge, have matches against Panama and Ghana.
Livramento's absence is therefore not viewed only as an individual injury, but also as a tactical problem arriving at the most sensitive moment. Ahead of the tournament, he was part of the defensive group that gives Tuchel more solutions on the flanks, especially in matches in which speed, playing out of pressure and aggression in defensive transition are required. His ability to play at a high energy level was important for squad depth, even if it was not certain that he would start the match against Croatia. Losing such a profile immediately before the first match reduces the coaching staff's room for manoeuvre and places additional emphasis on the remaining defenders.
Why Livramento's absence is especially inconvenient for Tuchel
Livramento entered the England squad as a player who can cover the right-back position, but also offer an athletically powerful option in different defensive setups. England Football states in the player's profile that, after developing in Chelsea's academy and establishing himself at Southampton, he moved to Newcastle United in 2023, where his performances earned him senior international status. In the English association's announcement of the final World Cup squad, it was stated that Livramento was among nine players for whom the tournament was meant to be a first major senior appearance. Such a context makes the injury even more difficult for the player himself, because he is left without the opportunity to play at a competition where he could have confirmed the continuity of his international progress.
For Tuchel's team, the practical consequence is even more important than the symbolic one. England have several defenders on the final list capable of playing in different roles, but Livramento was one of the more natural choices for the flank. Depending on the system, such players often have a key role in the balance between attack and defence, especially against an opponent that uses the half-spaces well and has experience in controlling the rhythm of a match. Under Zlatko Dalić, Croatia have often built their game in previous major competitions on patience, a technically secure midfield and the ability to adapt during a match. England therefore, ahead of their mutual encounter, are not losing only one member of the squad, but also one option for specific tactical tasks.
An additional problem for the coaching staff is time. A squad replacement can be registered and a player can travel, but entering tournament rhythm a few hours or a day before the first match is never ideal. According to agency reports, Chalobah was expected to join the national team in the USA, that is, in the camp connected with England's preparations for the match. This means Tuchel must quickly assess how much the new player can help immediately, and how much he will use him as squad depth for the remainder of the competition. In such circumstances, familiarity with the system, physical condition and the player's ability to fit into the coach's demands without lengthy preparation often prove decisive.
Chalobah brings depth and a different defensive profile
Trevoh Chalobah, the Chelsea defender, enters the England squad as a player with a different profile from Livramento. England Football states in his profile that he was born on 5 July 1999 in Freetown, that he plays for Chelsea and that, through England's younger selections, he appeared from the under-16 level to the under-21 national team. He was first brought into the senior squad in May 2025, when Thomas Tuchel called him up for matches against Andorra and Senegal. According to the same profile, Chalobah has one senior appearance for England, which means he arrives at the tournament with limited, but existing, experience in the senior national team.
His advantage is versatility in the back line. In club football, Chalobah developed as a centre-back who can play in different defensive configurations, and, if needed, can also help in the role of a defensively oriented full-back or the right-sided member of a three-man back line. This does not mean he is a direct copy of Livramento, but that Tuchel gains an additional option for stability and for covering several scenarios during the tournament. If England against Croatia, or later in the group, need a firmer defensive structure, Chalobah's profile could be useful. If pure explosiveness on the flank is required, Livramento's absence could be felt more strongly.
The call-up for Chalobah also shows that Tuchel chose a solution he knows and can quickly integrate into the broader concept. Although he is not one of the most experienced England internationals, Chalobah has experience of playing in a demanding club environment and enough tactical flexibility for a tournament squad. In competitions such as the World Cup, where opponents of different styles change in a short period, such flexibility often has great value. His call-up can also be read as Tuchel's attempt not to change the basic logic of the squad, but to compensate for the loss of one player with a defender who covers several potential needs.
FIFA rules enabled a last-minute replacement
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA allows national teams a final list of 23 to 26 players, with at least three goalkeepers. According to FIFA's official explanation of squad-list rules, a player from the final list can be replaced only in the event of a serious injury or illness, and no later than 24 hours before his national team's first match, unless FIFA approves otherwise. Since England play their first match on 17 June, the Livramento case falls into a particularly sensitive time zone immediately before the deadline. That is precisely why the decision on Chalobah was made quickly and without a long wait.
Such rules exist so that national teams have protection in situations when a player objectively cannot play, but also so as to prevent tactical changes to the squad after the competition has practically already begun. A replacement is not a coach's usual choice based on form, but an exception connected with medical reasons. In England's case, the injury in training meant that Livramento could not remain in the squad only as a symbolic option, because that would reduce the number of realistically available players for the group matches. For a tournament that lasts several weeks and takes place across large distances between host cities, squad depth and medical readiness are especially important.
FIFA had earlier announced that all national teams had to submit their final lists on 1 June. The Croatian Football Federation, in its publication of the final list, also stated that Croatia officially sent the final selection to FIFA that day, with the list remaining unchanged compared with Dalić's previously announced list. England announced their list at the end of May, and Livramento was then included as part of the generation meant to expand competition and bring freshness. His later withdrawal shows how much tournament plans can change even after the official publication of the squad list.
Croatia enter the encounter with big-match experience
Croatia await the match against England as a national team with a very strong tournament legacy over the last three decades. FIFA and UEFA, in previews of Croatia's participation, highlight the results that have marked the modern history of the national team: third place in 1998, the final in 2018 and bronze in 2022. Under the leadership of Zlatko Dalić, Croatia showed at previous World Cups the ability to get through difficult knockout matches, but also to build their game around experienced leaders. Ahead of the 2026 tournament, the Croatian Football Federation announced that the final squad was confirmed on 1 June, and the national team's official website states that Croatia play their first Group L match precisely against England in Dallas.
For England, this means that the first opponent is not a team relying only on current form, but a national team with experience of playing under the pressure of major tournaments. Croatia traditionally attach great importance to controlling midfield, patient attacking build-up and the ability to take the match into a rhythm that suits them. Such an opponent can punish every insecurity in defensive organisation, especially if the opposing team has to change plans immediately before the encounter. Livramento's absence therefore does not change England's status as one of the national teams with major ambitions, but it can affect the details of preparation for the match.
Group L has additional weight because of its composition. England and Croatia attract the most attention because of their results and reputation, but Ghana and Panama are not opponents that can be viewed only through the prism of outsiders. FIFA, in presenting the group, emphasised that the expanded championship format brings more matches and more unknowns, and such an environment increases the importance of a stable start. If England fail to achieve the desired result against Croatia, the pressure would immediately shift to the meetings with Ghana and Panama. If, however, they win despite the late injury, Tuchel would receive confirmation that the squad can absorb unexpected blows.
England seek stability ahead of a tournament of high expectations
England arrive at the World Cup with high ambitions, but also with the burden of expectations that follows every one of their generations at major competitions. A squad that includes players such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka has the individual quality for a deep run, but tournaments are rarely won by names alone. Continuity, medical stability, tactical clarity and the ability to adapt after unplanned problems are needed. Livramento's injury is a reminder that even a carefully prepared squad can change in the final hours before the start of the competition.
Tuchel's first task now is to prevent the late change from disrupting the team's concentration. In the match against Croatia, the emphasis will probably be on discipline without the ball, control of transitions and quality of decisions in the final third of the pitch. England will have to find a balance between attacking ambition and caution toward an opponent that has experience of punishing tactical impatience. Chalobah's arrival does not have to immediately change the starting line-up, but it changes the structure of the bench and the options the coach has during the tournament. How much Livramento's absence will really be felt will be shown already in the first match.
For Livramento himself, the injury means a painful interruption of a tournament dream at a moment when it seemed he had taken another step in his international career. For Chalobah, it is a sudden opportunity to get involved in football's biggest competition and try to help a team that has been left without one defensive solution. For England, it is a test of squad depth and the ability to turn an unforeseen problem into a controlled adjustment. The encounter with Croatia will therefore not be only the beginning of the Group L campaign, but also the first test of Tuchel's ability to quickly find a functional solution under pressure.
Sources:
- Sky Sports – report on Tino Livramento's injury and Trevoh Chalobah's call-up to the England squad (link)
- ESPN – news about Tino Livramento dropping out of the England squad and Chalobah's call-up (link)
- FIFA – official overview of Group L and the England – Croatia match at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – explanation of rules on final squad lists and player replacements before the first match (link)
- England Football – official schedule of the England national team at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- England Football – announcement of England's final squad for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- England Football – profile of Trevoh Chalobah in the England senior national team (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – announcement of Croatia's final squad for the 2026 World Cup and the national team's schedule (link)