Chalobah earns late England World Cup call-up after Livramento injury blow

By Trust Ittai 
 
 

England have made a late change to their World Cup squad, with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah drafted in to replace injured Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento ahead of the Three Lions' opening match of the tournament.

Livramento, 23, was forced to withdraw after sustaining a calf injury during training on Sunday. Medical assessments and scans conducted on Monday confirmed that the Newcastle defender would be unable to participate in the World Cup.

Under FIFA regulations, teams are permitted to replace injured players in their final 26-man squads up to 24 hours before their first group-stage fixture, provided the injury is deemed significant. England begins their Group L campaign against Croatia on Wednesday.

The Football Association confirmed that Chalobah will join England's base camp in Kansas City, while the remainder of the squad travel to Dallas for their tournament opener.

Livramento's place in the squad had already been under scrutiny following an injury-plagued season. 

The right-back missed the final five weeks of Newcastle's domestic campaign due to a thigh problem and made only 17 Premier League appearances. 

His season was disrupted by two separate knee injuries and a hamstring setback in January that sidelined him for 15 matches.

Despite his fitness struggles, Livramento had established himself in the national team setup. He made his senior England debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2024 and went on to earn five caps under current manager Thomas Tuchel.

 He featured in England's 1-0 warm-up victory over New Zealand but was not involved in the subsequent friendly against Costa Rica.

The injury further compounds England's concerns at right-back, with Chelsea captain Reece James also managing fitness issues after another campaign interrupted by injuries. 

James missed nine matches for Chelsea late in the season with a hamstring problem.

Tuchel still has alternatives available, including Djed Spence, who has featured six times under the German coach, and Ezri Konsa, an experienced international with 11 England caps.

For Chalobah, the call-up represents a significant opportunity. 

The versatile defender has not featured for England since a friendly against Senegal in June 2025, although he has remained on the fringes of the squad, earning places on the bench during several World Cup qualifying matches.

With England's World Cup campaign set to begin, Chalobah now has the chance to stake his claim on the biggest stage after receiving a last-minute call to duty.

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