Fans agree as Thomas Tuchel picks a last-minute substitute for injured Tino Livramento.
England manager Thomas Tuchel had picked who would replace Tino Livramento before their World Cup opener against Croatia – and fans have had a lot to say about his choice.
On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Livramento will miss the World Cup this summer because of a calf injury he got during training.
The 23-year-old full-back, who can play on both sides of defence, was in the running to start against Croatia on Wednesday despite a tough season with injuries at Newcastle United.
But because of this new injury, Tuchel had to find someone else. In the end, he chose centre-back Trevoh Chalobah over others on his 55-man provisional squad.
Chalobah, who worked with Tuchel before at Chelsea, was also part of England’s squad for World Cup qualifiers in November.
Tuchel really likes the 26-year-old. He gave Chalobah his first Chelsea senior game in 2021 during the Super Cup final and has praised him many times. Tuchel even tried to sign him when he was Bayern Munich’s manager in 2023.
Tuchel’s choice surprised many people. Chalobah has played full-back a few times for Chelsea, but players like Lewis Hall and Trent Alexander-Arnold seem more natural in wide defence positions.
Here’s how fans reacted on social media after Tuchel picked Chalobah as Livramento’s replacement:
One fan said, “Lewis Hall must be wondering what’s going on, right?” Another wrote, “I’ve understood most of Tuchel’s choices, but this one with Chalobah really confuses me.”
A third fan said, “I like Chalobah, but wouldn’t Lewis Hall or Miles Lewis-Skelly be better? What role did Livramento have that Chalobah can now cover? Does he fix a weakness in the team?”
Someone else pointed out, “Still no call-up for Trent,” and another asked, “How does replacing a right-back with a centre-back make sense when Trent Alexander-Arnold is available?”
The 17-year-old forward Trevoh Chalobah is among four young players Tuchel took to Florida with his 26-man World Cup squad, along with Alex Scott, Josh King, and Ethan Nwaneri.
However, Chalobah won’t be able to play in this summer’s tournament.
FIFA rules say teams can only make changes to their squad up to 24 hours before their first match if a player gets injured or sick. Also, the replacement has to be on the 55-man provisional list. So if anyone in England’s squad gets injured or falls ill before their first game, Chalobah can’t join last minute.
The only standby player who could be called up is Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who is on the provisional list.
What do you think about Tuchel’s choice? Share your thoughts in the comments below!