England’s World Cup preparations have been hit by a major injury concern, with Tino Livramento expected to be ruled out of the tournament.According to The Telegraph, the Newcastle United full-back is now unlikely to feature at the 2026 World Cup, although the FA has not yet officially confirmed the situation.That final detail matters, but the mood around the camp appears worrying ahead of England’s opening match against Croatia.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CAUGHTOFFSIDE APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYLivramento was named in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad and had been viewed as an important defensive option because of his pace, energy and ability to play on either side of the back line.FourFourTwo listed him among the fresh faces selected for England’s tournament squad, underlining how much faith Tuchel had placed in him.England consider Chalobah as possible replacementTrevoh Chalobah is reportedly one of the options being considered as a replacement. That would make sense from Tuchel’s point of view.The Chelsea defender is versatile, mobile and already familiar with the manager’s demands from their time together at Stamford Bridge.Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustTuchel has previously shown he values defenders who can cover different roles, and Chalobah fits that profile.He may not be a natural like-for-like replacement at full-back, but he can operate across the defensive line and would give England another athletic option if the squad needs adjusting.More Stories / Latest NewsSpain manager after Cape Verde shock: “We have to continue with the same idea”Jun 16 2026, 13:25Just in: England suffer World Cup injury blow as defensive plans take late hitJun 16 2026, 12:57Chelsea look towards London rivals for defensive solution under Xabi AlonsoJun 16 2026, 12:26A massive blow at the worst possible timeThis is a frustrating moment for England because defensive balance was already one of the biggest talking points around Tuchel’s squad.The likes of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were not selected in the squad which raised eye-brows.Tuchel would be hoping that his decision prove to be right in the end since criticism would be massive if he gets his selections wrong, having made some unpopular calls.Losing Livramento now would remove one of the squad’s most dynamic wide defenders just as the tournament begins.England still have quality options, but tournament football often comes down to depth, flexibility and fitness.England are still waiting for official confirmation from the FA. But if Livramento is ruled out, Tuchel will have to react quickly.“I don’t care” – Michael Owen suggests radical tactic to prevent issue that could “kill” England at World Cup The post Just in: England suffer World Cup injury blow as defensive plans take late hit appeared first on CaughtOffside.