On the eve of England’s World Cup opener, a calf injury in training forced Tino Livramento out of the tournament and brought Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah in as an 11th-hour replacement. The scramble to change the squad just 24 hours before kick-off against Croatia was dramatic, but it was made possible by a specific FIFA rule designed to protect teams from losing key players to last-minute injuries.
At its simplest, this is what happened: Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, 23, sustained a calf injury during a training session on Sunday, 14 June 2026. A scan and medical assessment on Monday confirmed he could play no further part in the tournament. Under FIFA regulations, participating teams are allowed to replace an outfield player up to 24 hours before their first match. England took that option, calling up Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, who has one senior cap and last played for England in a June 2025 friendly against Senegal. The FA confirmed the change in a statement, and Chalobah is now flying to the team’s basecamp in Kansas City while the rest of the squad heads to Dallas for the Croatia match on Wednesday, 17 June.
“How England replaced Tino Livramento with Trevoh Chalobah under FIFA's injury rule”
The rule exists to give squads some flexibility when players suffer serious injuries in the days leading up to a World Cup. Without it, teams would have to go a man short if a player got hurt after the final squad deadline. The rule applies only to outfield players – goalkeepers have their own separate replacement rules – and the replacement must be made before the team’s first match. In England’s case, that match is against Croatia at 21:00 BST on Wednesday. Livramento, who had only recently returned from a thigh injury that kept him out of the final five weeks of his club season, was a fitness doubt before the squad was even announced. Manager Thomas Tuchel had included him partly because he can play on either flank, a versatility that was a bonus. But the injury leaves England with a concern: first-choice right-back Reece James also had an injury-hit campaign, missing nine games for Chelsea at the end of the season with a hamstring problem. Other options in the squad include Djed Spence, who can play both full-back positions, and Ezri Konsa, primarily a centre-back. Chalobah, like Konsa, is predominantly a centre-back but can fill in at full-back if needed.
For UK readers, this matters because it highlights the fine margins of tournament football. A single calf strain can change a team’s plans and force a call-up of a player who had been on the fringes of the squad. It also shows the importance of squad depth and versatility – Tuchel has a system that relies on tall, positionally versatile players, and Chalobah fits that profile. The replacement rule ensures that England are not forced to play a man down, but it also means a player like Chalobah, who posted “One day #Believe” on the day of the 2018 World Cup final, gets a dream opportunity. Meanwhile, Livramento’s tournament ends before it begins, a cruel blow for a player who made his debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2024 and had featured five times under Tuchel.
Q: When can a World Cup squad injury replacement be made? A replacement can be made up to 24 hours before the team’s first match of the tournament, provided the player has sustained a serious injury or illness. England’s opener against Croatia is on Wednesday, so the deadline was Tuesday, 16 June.
Q: Can a goalkeeper be replaced under the same rule? No. The rule described in the sources applies specifically to outfield players. Goalkeepers have their own separate FIFA regulations for injury replacements, which are not detailed in this article.
Q: How many players are in a World Cup squad? England’s squad, like all World Cup squads in 2026, consists of 26 players. Livramento’s departure and Chalobah’s call-up keeps that number at 26.
What happens next: Chalobah will not join the squad in time for the Croatia match, as he travels to Kansas City while the rest of the team prepares in Dallas. After the opener, he will link up with the squad. England’s tournament continues with matches against other group opponents, but the immediate focus is on Wednesday’s game against Croatia, where Tuchel must decide whether to start Reece James, Djed Spence, or another option at right-back. The replacement rule has been used, and now the football begins.