Tino Livramento's injury has highlighted Thomas Tuchel's risky defensive selections for England's World Cup squad. The decision to replace him with Trevoh Chalobah raises questions about the exclusion of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Tino Livramento's departure from England's World Cup squad has exposed the gambles and potential weaknesses in head coach Thomas Tuchel's defensive selection.
Livramento sustained a calf injury in training before Wednesday's opening World Cup group game against Croatia in Dallas (21:00 BST), with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah called up as his replacement.
Tuchel's initial picks in this crucial area already carried high risk given the injury problems of likely starters Reece James and John Stones last season, which Livramento's departure will bring under further scrutiny.
And the choice of Chalobah, a central defender by trade, will once again fire up the debate about why Tuchel seems to have no intention of restoring Trent Alexander-Arnold to England duty.
Livramento's latest injury should come as no surprise to Tuchel given the Newcastle full-back - who carried the appeal of being able to play on both flanks - missed most of the end of last season with a thigh problem and had also been absent with hamstring issues.
It leaves England with three natural full-backs in James, Tottenham Hotspur's Djed Spence - another who can play on right and left - along with Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly, who can also play in midfield.
Newcastle's Dan Burn can play at left-back, while Jarell Quansah and Ezri Konsa can play in the wide positions, but there would be serious worries about deploying any of them in unaccustomed roles against high-class forwards at a World Cup.
As Tuchel's successor Sir Gareth Southgate found when he played Alexander-Arnold in midfield at Euro 2024, a major tournament is no time for experiments or square pegs in round holes.
Image caption,
Reece James and John Stones are high-class defenders who will start for England - but have both had injury problems
Replacing Livramento with Chalobah - in another example of Tuchel's apparent preference for tall, physical defenders - again suggests Konsa will be selected ahead of Marc Guehi against Croatia.
Chalobah only has one senior England cap, in the 3-1 defeat to Senegal at the City Ground a year ago, so it is big vote of confidence from Tuchel in a 26-year-old who is inexperienced at this level.
Tino Livramento sustained a calf injury in training, leading to his removal from England's World Cup squad.
Trevoh Chalobah, a Chelsea defender, was called up as Livramento's replacement.
The choice to exclude Trent Alexander-Arnold has sparked debate, especially following Livramento's injury and Chalobah's selection.
Tuchel's selections raise concerns about defensive stability, particularly given the injury issues of key players like Reece James and John Stones.
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Stones, 32, remains England's classiest and most experienced defender as he goes into his sixth major tournament. Tuchel is a huge admirer of his quality.
However, the centre-half has struggled with injuries - starting only five Premier League games last season. He left Manchester City at the end of last season.
Chelsea captain James has struggled with regular hamstring injuries in recent years. He started only 20 league games last season.
Stones and James are high-quality defenders, but Tuchel will have to keep his fingers crossed over their fitness and manage minutes in the searing conditions England will face.
The Three Lions' defence is the least settled and most concerning area of the team. It will continue to be so.
Tuchel's decision to select a central defender in Chalobah, rather than a natural full-back replacement, is further proof Real Madrid's Alexander-Arnold remains well out of the picture.
Alexander-Arnold's fate seemed sealed as far back as August when Tuchel left him out of England's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
This was after Tuchel even opted to pick Alexander-Arnold's former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones, a central midfielder, ahead of him at right-back against Andorra in June.
Tuchel has made his concerns over Alexander-Arnold's perceived defensive frailties clear, saying: "If he wants to have this impact in the English national team then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously.
"Because when we are talking, especially about qualifying football, and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100% awake, can be decisive. It can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home."
Packing his suitcase early for a flight back to England is not on Tuchel's agenda - so one of the country's most naturally gifted footballers is overlooked again.
Alexander-Arnold was not included in Tuchel's 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, missing out again when the coach needed to seek reinforcements.
Tuchel instead picked Arsenal's Ben White, who has not been a regular at club level and had been in self-imposed England exile since the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Alexander-Arnold did make Tuchel's provisional 55-man World Cup squad, although that could hardly be called a ringing endorsement.
It is in sharp contrast to the faith placed in Alexander-Arnold by Lee Carsley, England's Under-21 coach who bridged the gap between Southgate's departure and Tuchel's appointment.
Carsley even used Alexander-Arnold at left-back in a 3-1 Nations League win at Finland in October 2024, crowning his performance with a superb free-kick.
Alexander-Arnold started four games out of six under Carsley but none of Tuchel's 14 - those facts speak for themselves.
As a head coach who fixates on squad togetherness, was there a worry that having such a high-profile player on the margins might lead Alexander-Arnold to provide an unintentional distraction and focus of attention?
Alexander-Arnold's latest rejection appears to be further evidence there is no way back for him with England as long as Tuchel is in charge.
When Tuchel named his 26-player World Cup squad, he made his approach to selection crystal clear.
The German said: "We are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships."
If there is a nod to history, this was the exact mission statement from Sir Alf Ramsey before England won the 1966 World Cup.
Tuchel has picked a talented squad, but also a pragmatic one he believes is physically equipped for the task ahead.
That was bad news for Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall, while Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly's renaissance came just too late to change Tuchel's mind.
Manchester United veteran Harry Maguire broke ranks before the squad was officially named to reveal he had been left out and was "shocked and gutted".
Tuchel, in fact, had stated after Maguire made an England return for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March that he was still fifth choice on his central defensive list.
Image caption,
Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah has been called up to replace Tino Livramento
Disappointment for some meant joy for others. And Chalobah's call-up is easy enough to explain.
The Chelsea man is a strong physical, aerial presence - right up Tuchel's street for a defender.
This is why Aston Villa's Konsa is tipped to get the nod over Manchester City's Guehi against Croatia and goes a long way to explain the inclusion of the 6ft 7in Burn.
The giant 34-year-old is unlikely to be a starter, but his physical presence could have a significant impact in the air at both ends, with set-pieces an important part of Tuchel's strategy.
Conditions are expected to be gruelling in the USA, with the possibility England could also face co-hosts Mexico at altitude in Mexico City in the last 16.
And it is clear Tuchel wants England to be just as ready physically as in the football context as they embark on their quest to win the World Cup.