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England Replaces Livramento with Chalobah for World Cup

6/16/2026

Summary

Chalobah Replaces Livramento

England named Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah as Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento’s replacement for the 2026 World Cup.
Livramento suffered a calf injury on Sunday, with a Monday scan confirming he cannot play.
England made the change just over 24 hours before its Group L opener against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, within FIFA’s 24-hour replacement window.
Chalobah will travel to England’s Kansas City base camp while England right-back Reece James is expected to start.

Summary

Chalobah Selected

Southgate selected Caleb Chalobah, shifting England’s opening matches to a more conservative defensive formation.
Chalobah logged 34 appearances in the 2025/26 season and averaged 2.1 interceptions per game, demonstrating defensive reliability.
Betting markets reacted sharply to the selection of Chalobah.
Fans in Kenya debated how the swap could affect England’s World Cup prospects.
FA officials announced they will publish video of Chalobah’s first training session on Wednesday morning.

Summary

Mitchell Omitted

Oliver Glasner called Tyrick Mitchell “one of the best” League defenders, yet Mitchell was omitted from England’s 55-man provisional squad.
Mitchell earned his first England cap in March 2022 versus Switzerland and a second against Ivory Coast.
He logged 55 appearances, three goals and four assists for Crystal Palace.
England named Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah as a full-back replacement after Newcastle’s Livramento injury left the club without a key full-back.

History

Historical Context

In 2002, England entered the first World Cup held in Asia under Swedish manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, reaching the quarter-finals after a 5–1 win over Germany in Munich that secured qualification. The tournament saw right-back Gary Neville’s hamstring injury prompt a last-minute call-up of Ashley Cole, a pattern echoed in 2026 when Tino Livramento’s injury forced Gareth Southgate to replace him with Trevoh Chalobah under FIFA’s 24-hour rule.

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Chalobah Replaces Livramento

England named Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah as Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento’s replacement for the 2026 World Cup.
Livramento suffered a calf injury on Sunday, with a Monday scan confirming he cannot play.
England made the change just over 24 hours before its Group L opener against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, within FIFA’s 24-hour replacement window.
Chalobah will travel to England’s Kansas City base camp while England right-back Reece James is expected to start.

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