Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterIt's been a difficult first week for England at the 2026 World Cup, and Thomas Tuchel's men haven't yet kicked a football.England will face Croatia in their opening Group L fixture on Jun 17, held at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Unfortunately for the Three Lions, their plans were first derailed by a bizarre World Cup robbery, and now a late Tino Livramento injury, resulting in a controversial replacement decision.Trevoh Chalobah replaces Tino Livramento in late England squad swap-out, 2026 World CupThe Newcastle prodigy was forced to back out of the tournament by a calf injury, leaving space in the England squad for a replacement.Livramento's inclusion was a surprise to begin with, having missed the Magpies' final five fixtures of the season with a thigh issue. You may like When is England's World Cup squad announced? England squad for World Cup 2026 squad in full: Thomas Tuchel's 26 men, notable omissions and predicted starting XI When is the England World Cup 2026 squad announced? Play our free match predictor and win �1kTrevoh Chalobah has stepped in for the 23-year-old, but will still miss the opening match of the tournament against Croatia.Instead, the Chelsea centre-back will head to Kansas City - the base in which England were heading to at the time of their World Cup robbery - in preparation for the Three Lions' next game.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Chalobah's newfound place in the England 2026 World Cup squad has, naturally, ignited significant fan debate.Among the names not selected by Tuchel, neither in his initial 26-man squad or in this last minute inclusion, are Lewis Hall, Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold.All three were surprising misses then, making their absences even more surprising now, particularly in the cases of Hall and Alexander-Arnold who would have filled the now vacant position more effectively.Tuchel is now left with just Reese James and Djed Spence as natural right-back options in the squad, with Livramento being replaced by a centre-back instead.Chalobah has just one senior international cap, which arrived against Senegal in a 2025 friendly that England lost 3-1.The 26-year-old is currently en-route to the United States, where he will join forces with fellow Chelsea player James, but only time will tell whether online football fans know more about their national team than Thomas Tuchel does.TOPICSTrevoh ChalobahWorld Cup 2026Kedar BayleySocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterKedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC,he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television,you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.
