England defender Tino Livramento is a major doubt for the FIFA World Cup after suffering a muscular injury during training.
The Newcastle United full-back is understood to have picked up the problem during England’s training session on Sunday and is currently being assessed by the team’s medical staff.
England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, leaving little time for Livramento to prove his fitness.
Fresh setback after recent recovery
The injury comes at a difficult time for the 23-year-old, whose World Cup participation was already uncertain.
Livramento missed the final five weeks of Newcastle’s season because of a thigh injury and had only recently returned to full fitness before joining England’s squad.
England monitoring situation
England’s coaching staff are awaiting the results of further medical assessments before making a final decision on the defender’s availability.
Any prolonged absence would be a significant setback for manager Thomas Tuchel, who values Livramento’s versatility across the defensive line.
Chalobah on standby
If Livramento is ruled out of the tournament, Trevoh Chalobah is among the leading candidates to replace him.
The Chelsea defender is currently on England’s standby list and could be called into the squad should a vacancy arise before the tournament gets underway.
England will now hope Livramento’s latest injury proves less serious than initially feared as they prepare for their opening World Cup fixture.
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