England legend Wayne Rooney has expressed confusion over Thomas Tuchel's 'strange' decision to select Trevoh Chalobah as a replacement for the injured Tino Livramento, while overlooking Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw. Livramento suffered a calf injury during England's training session on Sunday, ruling him out of the entire World Cup, just three days before the Three Lions' opening group match against Croatia in Dallas.
Chalobah Called Up
Chalobah, a Chelsea central defender with only one senior England cap, has been summoned to replace the versatile 23-year-old Livramento. The 26-year-old will travel to the team's basecamp in Kansas City but is not expected to feature against Croatia on Wednesday. The selection came shortly after Harry Maguire voiced his frustrations at being overlooked, revealing he 'had a few words' with Tuchel.
Rooney's Reaction
Speaking to the BBC, Rooney said: 'It's a bit strange. I would have liked to have seen Luke Shaw. And then Djed Spence maybe being cover for Reece James and Luke Shaw come in. But I'm sure Thomas Tuchel has kept contact with players to stay available and I'm sure he (Chalobah) was one of those who was available.'
Chalobah made 47 appearances for Chelsea last season but was an unused substitute in the FA Cup final loss to Manchester City. Shaw, meanwhile, featured 38 times for Manchester United and appeared to regain form under interim head coach Michael Carrick. However, Shaw has not played for England since the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, where he came on as a half-time substitute. The 30-year-old made his senior international debut in 2014 and has 34 caps, notably scoring in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
Rooney's Praise for Shaw
Just last month, Rooney called Shaw the 'most improved player' in the Premier League this season. 'I think, for me, Luke Shaw. I think Luke Shaw has been the most improved player this season,' Rooney said on his BBC podcast. 'I know he's an experienced player now but I think his level this season has been much better than they have been in recent seasons. People might look at Kobbie Mainoo but I don't think he's improved. It was just the fact he wasn't playing under the former manager so it wasn't good or bad.'
The debate over Shaw's omission continues as England prepare for their World Cup opener.
