Tino Livramento's World Cup Dream in Jeopardy After Injury

Tino Livramento’s World Cup dream is in serious danger after the Newcastle United defender suffered a muscular injury in England training just days before the tournament kicks off.

The 23-year-old full-back picked up the problem during Sunday’s session and is now being assessed by England’s medical staff, with time already against him. England open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday night at 21:00 BST, and the clock is ticking.

A cruel twist for a latecomer

Livramento’s place in the squad was never guaranteed. He missed the final five weeks of the club season with a thigh injury and only just played his way back into Gareth Southgate’s plans under Thomas Tuchel’s tenure with the national team.

Handed his international debut in November 2024, he has featured five times under Tuchel, starting twice. He came on at half-time in the 1-0 warm-up win over New Zealand, a solid, composed showing that underlined why England value his energy and direct running from deep. He then watched the next friendly, against Costa Rica, from the bench.

Now, on the eve of the tournament, his involvement hangs by a thread.

Chalobah on standby

If Livramento is ruled out, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah is the leading candidate to come in. The 26-year-old sits on England’s stand-by list and can be drafted into the squad up to 24 hours before the opening game, in line with World Cup regulations on replacing seriously injured outfield players.

Chalobah has not played for England since June 2025, when he completed the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Senegal, but he remained close to the set-up, making the bench for several World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel. Like Ezri Konsa, his preferred position is centre-back, yet his tactical discipline and comfort in wide defensive roles make him a logical emergency option.

Right-back roulette

Livramento’s setback lands in a position already loaded with questions. Reece James is Tuchel’s first-choice right-back, but his own fitness cannot be taken for granted after another stop-start campaign with Chelsea. The 26-year-old missed nine matches at the end of the season because of a hamstring injury and has been managed carefully ever since.

If both James and Livramento are compromised, England’s depth at full-back suddenly looks less like a luxury and more like a puzzle.

Djed Spence offers one answer. Able to operate on both flanks, he has featured six times under Tuchel and brings pace and aggression out wide. Konsa, predominantly a centre-back, has 11 caps under the current regime, including nine starts, and has shown he can shuffle across the line when required.

None of them replicate Livramento’s blend of youthful fearlessness and attacking thrust on the overlap, but they might have to cover that void.

For now, England wait on the verdict of the medical team. One training-ground twinge could reshape Tuchel’s defensive blueprint before a ball is even kicked in Croatia.