Livramento injury forces England change, but Tuchel decides against calling up Alexander-Arnold or Maguire
Tino Livramento's injury saw Trevoh Chalobah called up by England. Tuchel reportedly preferred Chalobah due to his tactical fit and pre-existing relationship with the player, rather than recalling omitted players like Alexander-Arnold or Maguire.
Tino Livramento's injury saw Trevoh Chalobah called up by England. Tuchel reportedly preferred Chalobah due to his tactical fit and pre-existing relationship with the player, rather than recalling omitted players like Alexander-Arnold or Maguire.
Tino Livramento's injury saw Trevoh Chalobah called up by England. Tuchel reportedly preferred Chalobah due to his tactical fit and pre-existing relationship with the player, rather than recalling omitted players like Alexander-Arnold or Maguire.
England full-back Tino Livramento suffered a calf injury ahead of England's World Cup opener against Croatia, prompting coach Thomas Tuchel to replace him with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.
Ideally, the story should have ended there. Instead, England fans were left asking one question: why did Tuchel turn to Chalobah- who has not played for England since featuring in a friendly against Senegal in June 2025- rather than recalling big shots Trent Alexander-Arnold or Harry Maguire?
The answer appears to lie in Tuchel's long-term plans. Both Alexander-Arnold and Maguire had been omitted from the final 26-man World Cup squad, and reports suggest the England coach had no intention of using either player during the tournament.
According to Sky Sports, Tuchel felt there was little point in calling up a player who would have no realistic prospect of playing and would be included only as cover on the bench.
Maguire's situation appears more complicated. Sky Sports reported that the relationship between Tuchel and the Manchester United defender deteriorated after the coach informed him that he would not be part of the World Cup squad.
Maguire publicly questioned the decision before Tuchel officially announced his squad. Maguire later revealed that the England manager could not provide a satisfactory explanation for his omission and admitted that he had "given him a few words" in response — a reaction that reportedly did not go down well with the German coach.
There is also a strong footballing reason behind Chalobah's selection. The defender worked closely with Tuchel during the latter's spell as Chelsea manager, with the German known to be a long-time admirer of the player.
Another factor may have been logistics. Chalobah was already holidaying in the United States and was therefore able to join the England camp quickly.
FIFA regulations allow teams to make changes to their final 26-man World Cup squads up to 24 hours before their opening group-stage match in cases of significant injury, enabling Tuchel to bring Chalobah into the squad at short notice.