England's World Cup preparations have been thrown into disarray on the eve of their tournament opener against Croatia, with Newcastle defender Tino Livramento emerging as an injury doubt. The 26-man squad selected by manager Thomas Tuchel faces a critical window to adjust before the official start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA regulations allow England to make a change to their roster for injury or serious illness reasons prior to the tournament's official start. The absolute final deadline to officially name a replacement is up to 24 hours before England's opening group match against Croatia. Any player brought in must have been named on the provisional 55-man list previously submitted to FIFA – a rule that rules out young talents Ethan Nwaneri and Rio Ngumoha, who were absent from that list despite joining the Three Lions on tour.
“Tino Livramento injury doubt forces England to consider late World Cup replacement before Croatia opener.”
One eligible option is Bournemouth star Alex Scott, who was included in the preliminary 55-man squad. Additionally, Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah has been tipped for a late call-up to directly fill Livramento's defensive role. To prevent manipulation, the injury must be formally certified by FIFA's Medical Committee, which will review medical data to confirm the severity.
Once England kick off against Croatia, the squad for outfield players becomes completely locked for the remainder of the competition, regardless of how many subsequent injuries occur. However, an entirely different set of emergency rules applies to goalkeepers, who can be replaced at any time during the tournament if a medical emergency arises.
As England scramble to finalise their squad, the rest of the World Cup action continues. The BBC will show 54 matches live, including the final on 19 July, with 92 games available on BBC Sounds and every single match covered on the BBC Sport website and app. Four more group games are scheduled today, featuring France and Argentina in action.