Hill gets first England call-up as Konsa cover

What the report says

Bournemouth defender James Hill has received his first senior England call-up, with the 24-year-old added to Thomas Tuchel’s squad ahead of Thursday’s Nations League meeting with Croatia at Wembley. BBC Sport reported that Hill was brought in as cover after Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa was withdrawn because of a knee injury.

According to the BBC, Konsa’s issue came after the Champions League win at Slavia Prague, although he had still played the full match in Arsenal’s weekend win over Hull. The report also noted that he is expected to return to full training later this week, before England’s next fixture against Spain in Madrid on Sunday. Hill’s arrival follows another defensive change, with Dan Burn previously called up when Marc Guehi pulled out with a hip injury.

Hill has been a regular for Bournemouth this season, playing every minute of their Premier League campaign so far and appearing in each match of their first Europa League run. He joined from Fleetwood in January 2022 and, after limited early opportunities, established himself as a key starter last season as Bournemouth finished sixth in the Premier League, their best top-flight placing. The call-up adds to England’s defensive reshuffle before a busy international week.