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Chelsea star receives shock England call up following late injury to Tino Livramento

JUAN MABROMATA/GettyImages

Trevoh Chalobah has just received a phone call he would have only of dreamed of a couple of weeks ago.

Amazingly, the Chelsea defender has been called up by Thomas Tuchel to join the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Chalobah has now become the Blues' 12th player at the World Cup and their second to be included in the England squad.

Tino Livramento injured, Trevoh Chalobah to take place at World Cup

Despite being excluded from the Three Lions' final 26-man squad, Chalobah has made the cut after Newcastle United's Tino Livramento suffered a late injury.

According to Sky Sports News, the FA were forced into making a split second decision that will see Livramento leave the England camp after the full-back suffered a minor injury.

FIFA's rules state any nation can make late changes to their 26-man squad so long as they are made at least 24 hours before their first game and the regulatory body's medical team can prove injuries are genuine.

For Livramento, this is obviously a heartbreaking moment. Not only would this summer's World Cup have been his first, but he was also set to play an important role.

Why Thomas Tuchel picked Chalobah over every other England player

Obviously, on the flip side, Chalobah will be relishing the surprising opportunity.

Just a few hours ago, the 26-year-old was not expecting to play any part in England's World Cup tournament, but here he is, on his way to join the rest of the camp in Kansas City.

Tuchel, and the FA's decision, to replace Livramento with Chalobah was largely down to the defender already being in the United States on holiday.

The timing of Livramento's injury, which happened approximately 30 hours before their Group L opener against Croatia, meant replacing him was a logistical nightmare. However, with Chalobah already Stateside, it was a no brainer for Tuchel to make the call.

Chalobah, now on his way to Missouri, will team up with the rest of the squad, which includes Reece James, and learn the extent in which he can expect to contribute.

An appearance at the World Cup for Chalobah would be just the second senior international cap of his career having made his debut under Tuchel in June last year during a friendly against Senegal.

Now with a World Cup inclusion on his CV, Chelsea's number 23 will feel vindicated following his recent comments firing back at fans who criticised his ability to play at the top.

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