Livramento injury puts England's World Cup squad spot in doubt before Croatia opener

Tino Livramento faces a race against time to be fit for England’s 2026 World Cup opener against Croatia, with the Newcastle defender’s injury threatening to trigger a late squad reshuffle under FIFA’s replacement rules.

England are permitted to make changes to their 26-man tournament roster for injury or serious illness, but only within a defined window. The absolute deadline for naming a replacement outfield player is 24 hours before the Three Lions’ first group match against Croatia. Miss that cut-off and England would be required to compete with just 25 players for the remainder of the tournament — no further outfield additions are permitted once the opening match kicks off.

Any replacement must have appeared on the provisional 55-man longlist previously submitted to FIFA. That rules out several players who joined the England touring party but were not included on that original list. Ethan Nwaneri and Rio Ngumoha, for instance, are ineligible for promotion despite travelling with the squad.

Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is among the touring stand-ins who was included in the preliminary 55-man submission, making him eligible for a late call-up. Reports have also linked Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah with a place in the squad, with Chalobah seen as a natural fit to cover Livramento’s position on the right side of defence.

Before any change can be made official, the injury must be certified by FIFA’s Medical Committee. The committee is required to formally review the player’s medical data and confirm the injury or illness is severe enough to prevent participation — a safeguard designed to stop any manipulation of squad lists.

Goalkeepers operate under a separate set of rules. Unlike outfield players, a goalkeeper can be replaced at any point during the tournament in the event of a medical emergency, regardless of whether the squad’s opening match has already been played.

Tuchel’s backroom staff will be working against the clock to determine whether Livramento can recover in time, or whether a formal replacement request needs to be submitted to FIFA before the deadline expires.