Newcastle's Tino Livramento on cusp of major opportunity thanks to Chelsea star and Arsenal snub

The future is looking bright for Newcastle United's Tino Livramento

Tino Livramento's surprise England call up on Wednesday reinforced just how highly he is thought of by interim Three Lions boss Lee Carsley - and delving into the current state of affairs when it comes to the national side's right-back options, there is evidence to suggest the Newcastle United favourite is on the cusp of grasping a major opportunity.

Livramento, 21, is in a fierce scrap with Kieran Trippier at club level as the two shrewd operators battle for a starting spot in Eddie Howe's setup. The former looked to have nailed down a place on the right of Newcastle's defence in the early stages of the campaign as rumours swirled over Trippier leaving, before the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back regained his place for consecutive league clashes against Wolves, Fulham, Manchester City and Everton.

For England, it is a different story. Trippier recently bowed out of international duty after earning 54 caps over a stellar seven-year period and despite a crowded field of talent, Livramento faces just a few serious options in his quest to become England's out and out right-sided full-back.

Kyle Walker of Manchester City continues to command a spot in the England ranks despite a shaky start to the season with the champions and the fact the 34-year-old is entering the twilight of his career. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold, another called up for this month's fixtures with Greece and Finland, may well have a future in the centre of midfield after showing a liking for a role further up the pitch in the final months of Southgate's reign.

Then there are those uber-talented stars who won't be seeing another England cap any time soon - which boosts Livramento's chances. Starting with Chelsea captain Reece James, who has not made a competitive appearance for the Blues in five months. Arguably England's most talented right-back, the 16-cap star hasn't played for his country since March 2023.

Arsenal's Ben White is another who has not been seen on the international stage for some time, albeit for very different reasons. The former Brighton defender has ruled himself out of contention in recent months, refusing to make himself available despite consistently impressive form at the Gunners.

Elsewhere, you would then have to look at the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is yet to show enough to revive any prospective England career after moving to West Ham United, or Joe Gomez who has only played 102 minutes of competitive football for Liverpool so far this term.

Recently called up members of Carsley's squad, Ezri Konsa and Rico Lewis, have both proved they can play on the right but the Aston Villa man is more likely to be used at the heart of the defence, while Lewis is preferred on the left or in the middle of the park.

Back to Livramento, it is clear there is a level of trust there with Carsley after the duo worked together at England youth level. The Newcastle star was handed his maiden senior call up by the new head coach last month but failed to feature in the two Nations League clashes. This time around, a senior debut could be on the cards.

“No, I didn’t know anything [about the call up]," Livramento said last month. "Obviously, with Lee getting called up to be the seniors’ manager, I’ve seen it as a good opportunity for me because obviously, I knew him.

“But I think it’s down to you as a player with how you play every weekend for your club. I think that’s the main thing. I feel like I’ve started this season alright, so this is a good opportunity for me.”