Need to knowTino Livramento has emerged as an injury doubt for England on the eve of their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener vs Croatia13:07, 16 Jun 2026Updated 13:08, 16 Jun 2026Tino Livramento has handed England a major injury blow(Image: Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Here, Mirror Football takes a look at the rules surrounding whether England can name a replacement to their World Cup squad for the injured Tino Livramento...England can make a change to their 26-man tournament roster for injury or serious illness reasons prior to the tournament's official start. This gives Thomas Tuchel a critical window of time to adjust his plans following the injury to Newcastle defender Tino Livramento.The absolute final deadline to officially name a replacement player is up to 24 hours before England's opening group match against Croatia. If an outfield player is injured after this exact point, a replacement cannot be called up and the Three Lions would be forced to play the tournament with just 25 players.Any player brought into the squad to replace Livramento must have been named in the provisional 55-man list previously submitted to FIFA. Because players like Ethan Nwaneri and Rio Ngumoha were absent from that original 55-man list, they are ineligible to be added to the tournament squad despite joining the Three Lions on tour.Bournemouth star Alex Scott is one of the few young touring stand-ins who was included in the preliminary 55-man squad, rendering him eligible for a late promotion. Additionally, reports suggest Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah could be called up to the squad to directly step into Livramento's vacated defensive role.To prevent any manipulation of the squad list, the injury must be officially certified by FIFA's Medical Committee. The committee must formally review the medical data to confirm that the injury or illness is sufficiently severe to prevent the player from participating in the tournament.Once England kick off their opening match against Croatia, the squad for outfield players is completely locked for the remainder of the competition. No outfield players can be added or swapped out for any reason, regardless of how many subsequent injuries the squad suffers during the group or knockout stages.FIFA regulations dictate that a completely different set of emergency rules applies specifically to the squad's goalkeepers. Unlike outfielders, an injured goalkeeper can actually be replaced at any time during the tournament if a medical emergency arises.Follow here: World Cup LIVE: England rocked by injury as Thomas Tuchel replacement options explained