England could be dealt an early setback ahead of their opening match at the FIFA World Cup 2026, with defender Tino Livramento facing a race against time to prove his fitness for the tournament.

According to reports from BBC Sport, the 23-year-old suffered a muscle injury during a training session on Sunday and is currently being assessed by England's medical staff. The extent of the problem remains unclear, but concerns are growing that the full-back could miss not only the team's opening fixture but potentially the entire tournament.

The latest setback comes after an already difficult period for Livramento, whose place in England's World Cup squad had been under scrutiny following an injury-disrupted end to the 2025/26 season. The defender missed the final five weeks of the campaign due to a thigh problem.

Should Livramento be ruled out, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, currently on England's standby list, is expected to be the leading candidate to replace him in the squad.

The timing is far from ideal for England, who are preparing to launch their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a highly anticipated Group Stage encounter against Croatia on Wednesday.