Big setback for England before their first game as a key player is likely to miss the World Cup because of an injury.
England has just faced a big injury problem right before their first game in the 2026 World Cup.
Thomas Tuchel’s team will start their tournament against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday night. They’ll also play Ghana and Panama in Group L.
England got off to a good start with friendly wins over New Zealand and Costa Rica, but now there are reports of an injury right before their opening match.
According to The Telegraph, defender Tino Livramento hurt his hamstring during training and will likely miss the whole tournament this summer.
The 23-year-old played 45 minutes in the 1-0 win against New Zealand but didn’t play in the 3-0 win over Costa Rica in their last friendly game.
It’s expected that Tuchel will call up Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah to replace Livramento.
Livramento has played six times for England since his debut two years ago. His injury is a big setback so close to the start of the tournament. Last season was tough for him, as injuries limited him to just 26 games for Newcastle.
Chalobah, 26, has only one England appearance, in a tough 3-1 friendly loss to Senegal last year. This might be another disappointment for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, who missed the initial squad and is likely to be passed over again for a less experienced defender.
Maguire wasn’t included in the 26-man World Cup squad. Tuchel chose Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Jarell Quansah, Dan Burn, and John Stones as his five central defenders instead.
Maguire shared a statement saying he was “shocked and gutted” by not being picked. His family also spoke out, calling the decision “disgusting.”
Tuchel said he was “surprised” by Maguire’s statement and mentioned they had a private talk where Maguire could share how he felt.
Most people think Manchester City’s Stones and Aston Villa’s Konsa will be the main center-back pair for England at the World Cup this summer.