Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has been named in England’s provisional 55-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. The call-up offers a lifeline for the defender, whose 2025-26 season was almost wiped out by a serious knee injury.
The 23-year-old has only recently returned to action after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in pre-season last August. Colwill made his long-awaited return as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on May 4 before earning his first start of the season in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool last weekend. After that game, Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane gushed over his performance:
“I thought Levi was the best player on the pitch for me. He allows us to defend man for man on the last line, so we can be really aggressive. He can play with his left foot. It’s a lovely balance in terms of when you’re building up.”
His man-of-the-match performance at Anfield (where he had 91 touches, six clearances, three interceptions and won all four of his individual duels) clearly caught the eye of Thomas Tuchel. The German tactician has added him to a preliminary list of up to 55 names, but he must whittle that group to a final party of 26 by next Friday, May 22.
Colwill Given FA Cup Final Opportunity Ahead of Tuchel’s Squad Cut
Colwill is now in contention to start Chelsea’s FA Cup Final clash with Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday, with McFarlane already insisting the defender is “definitely” ready to be involved in the starting XI. The Blues also have Premier League games against Tottenham (May 19) and Sunderland (May 24) before the campaign finishes, offering the centre-half three further chances to show he is properly match fit.
The Stamford Bridge defender has won five senior England caps to date, although only one of those has come under Tuchel – a start in the 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal in June 2024. However, the 23-year-old had already been included in three matchday squads under the German coach, indicating he was already firmly in his long-term thinking before the cruciate setback.
Tuchel’s Three Lions play two warm-up friendlies against New Zealand (June 6) and Costa Rica (June 10) in Orlando before opening their Group L campaign against Croatia at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 17. England then face Ghana in Boston on June 23 and Panama at MetLife Stadium on June 27, with Colwill desperately hoping he has done enough by squad-cut day to earn his seat on the plane stateside.