Bournemouth defender James Hill has received his first England senior call-up after Ezri Konsa was ruled out of Thursday's Nations League match against Croatia at Wembley. The 24-year-old Hill has become a key player for Bournemouth this season, making 15 appearances as the club secured eight consecutive wins before the international break. Konsa will miss the Croatia fixture but is expected to return to training this week ahead of England's Sunday clash with Spain in Madrid.
Arsenal's Konsa picked up a knee issue during Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League victory over Slavia Prague. Manager Mikel Arteta initially downplayed the concern, and Konsa subsequently played the full 90 minutes in Friday's 1-0 win over Hull, but England has deemed him unavailable for the Croatia match as a precaution.
Hill's call-up marks the second defensive adjustment for England manager Thomas Tuchel this week, following Marc Guehi's withdrawal due to injury. The Bournemouth defender represented England at Under-20 and Under-21 levels, earning four caps for the youth side between 2021 and 2022.
