England can still replace injured player before World Cup
England can still replace an injured player before the World Cup begins. England entered the tournament after a friendly win over New Zealand without injuries. They begin the group stage against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June, under manager Thomas Tuchel.
FIFA permits one injury replacement up to 24 hours before a team's first match. The substitute must have been named in the 55‑man provisional squad submitted before the final list. No further additions are allowed after the deadline.
Only Alex Scott and Jason Steele meet the eligibility criteria for England. Both were included in the provisional list and are currently training with the squad in Florida. Rio Ngumoha, Ethan Nwaneri and Josh King were omitted from the provisional list and cannot be called up.
Germany recently lost Lennart Karl to injury and brought in Assan Ouedraogo as his replacement. Bayern Munich youngster Karl was ruled out, prompting the change. In a separate case, Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi is being considered for the Argentina squad to replace the injured Leonardo Balerdi.
England have used the replacement rule before. In 2010 Michael Dawson stepped in for Rio Ferdinand after the captain withdrew through injury. The team was unable to replace Ben White in 2022 after he left the squad following the group stage.
Tyler Adams, the Bournemouth midfielder, said Alex Scott is ready for an England call‑up. He praised Scott's season and said the midfielder could seize the opportunity if it arises.
The announced England squad includes Jordan Pickford, Ezri Konsa, Nico O'Reilly, Declan Rice, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Bukayo Saka, Elliot Anderson, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford, Tino Livramento, Dean Henderson, Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Ollie Watkins, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney, James Trafford, Reece James, Djed Spence and Jarell Quansah. Danny Welbeck, Luke Shaw and Trent Alexander‑Arnold were also listed on the provisional roster.
England will face Costa Rica on Wednesday at 21:00, with the match broadcast on talkSPORT. The Three Lions remain in Florida for pre‑tournament preparations.