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England have suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with right-back Tino Livramento ruled out of the tournament due to a calf injury, according to multiple reports.

Livramento, who was selected by Thomas Tuchel as a backup to Reece James, will now be forced to miss the competition as he returns home to begin his recovery process. This was set to be the Newcastle United defender’s first major tournament selection with the Three Lions, but England will now have to identify a replacement in his position.

The Newcastle full-back sustained the injury after a season in which he made just 17 Premier League appearances. He will return to club duty to start his rehabilitation under the supervision of Newcastle’s medical team.

England have until 24 hours before their opening fixture, scheduled for 9pm BST tomorrow, to name a replacement for Livramento. Under FIFA regulations, Thomas Tuchel can call up a player from the original 55-man provisional squad that was trimmed down to the final 26-man roster.

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah is believed to be among the leading candidates to replace Livramento in the squad. Another possible option is Djed Spence, who also plays as a right-back. Additionally, Livramento’s Newcastle teammate Dan Burn could provide cover at left-back, with Chalobah potentially being utilised both at centre-back and right-back if selected.

England’s injury concerns extend beyond Livramento. Bukayo Saka remains a doubt for the opening match against Croatia as he continues to deal with Achilles tendinitis, an issue that troubled him during the final phase of Arsenal’s 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

Livramento has endured a difficult run with injuries over the past few seasons. In September last year, he was sidelined with a knee injury that caused him to miss 13 matches for both club and country, followed by another knee problem in December. The 23-year-old also missed approximately 90 days of action for Newcastle after Christmas due to hamstring and thigh issues.

Earlier in his career, Livramento suffered a cruciate ligament tear in 2022 while playing for Southampton, keeping him out for an extended period. However, since joining Newcastle, he has largely avoided long-term absences, apart from two brief ankle injuries during the 2023/24 campaign, missing only one match in the following season.

Livramento has earned six international caps for England and was seen as a promising defensive option for the national team before this latest setback.