New York, June 30 (IANS) England defender Tino Livramento has undergone an operation on the calf injury that forced him out of the World Cup at the last moment.

The 23-year-old, who has played five times for his country, suffered the injury in training as England put the final touches to its preparations in Florida in the days before its opening Group L match against Croatia.

The injury forced Livramento to return to Newcastle for treatment at his club, with Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah drafted in as a late replacement, a decision that means the England squad now contains six central defenders and only three fullbacks.

Livramento’s club, Newcastle United, posted an update on his condition on Tuesday.

“Newcastle United can confirm that Tino Livramento has successfully undergone a minor surgical procedure. The defender, who returned from World Cup duty with an injury, is expected to return during pre-season.”

Meanwhile, England coach Thomas Tuchel appears likely to reshuffle his side once again as they prepare to face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Although England defeated a well-drilled but limited Panama 2-0 to ensure it finished top of Group L, the win did little to ease doubts over its ability to break down disciplined low-block defenses after its 0-0 draw with Ghana.

It took two moments of quality from Jude Bellingham to open the scoring with a smart finish from a corner and then set up Harry Kane for England’s second goal. England may not have conceded a goal, but its defense left spaces that more clinical teams might have exploited better than Panama.

DR Congo can be seen as a benchmark of how much African football has improved, reaching the round of 32 with a win against Uzbekistan, a creditable draw against Portugal, and a narrow 1-0 defeat to an impressive Colombia in the group stage.

–IANS

bsk/