Trevoh Chalobah is flying out to the United States after England lost Valentino Livramento to a calf injury on the eve of their opener against Croatia. The Chelsea defender has been called into England's 26-player squad at FIFA World Cup 2026, with FIFA regulations allowing an outfield replacement up to 24 hours before the first fixture. For Thomas Tuchel and England, it solves an immediate problem. It also leaves the right-back area looking thin before the tournament has even started.
Why England had to move quickly
The Football Association said arrangements were being made for Chalobah to join the squad in Kansas City, while the rest of the group heads to Dallas for Wednesday's opening game. The same statement confirmed that Livramento picked up the calf injury in training on Sunday afternoon, and a scan on Monday ruled him out of the tournament.
That is a sudden blow for England. Livramento has not just been a name on the edge of the squad, he had been involved recently for Newcastle, with 324 minutes across his last five matches and a 6.72 average rating in that spell. Chalobah's numbers are not far behind, either. He has 341 minutes across his last five Chelsea appearances and a 6.56 average rating, so England are not sending in someone short of rhythm.
Chalobah also has recent England experience. He has not featured for the national team since June 2025, when he played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Senegal. That makes the recall a proper emergency call rather than a long-running plan, but it still feels like a sensible one given the timing.
What it says about England's right-back depth
The bigger issue is not the replacement itself, it is how quickly England have already had to use it. Livramento's injury came before the opening match, and England are set to face Croatia on Wednesday. That means the squad adjustment matters immediately, not as some distant depth note.
Reece James is the obvious name people will now look at, even if the wider right-back conversation was already tight. Chalobah's call-up does not fix every concern in that area, but it does at least give England a defender who has been playing regularly and can step into the group without much delay.
For Tuchel, that is probably enough for now. England have patched the hole, Chalobah is on the way, and the first game against Croatia is next on the calendar.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →