Hill gets first England call-up as Konsa cover

Bournemouth defender James Hill has received his first senior England call-up as cover for Ezri Konsa, who is unavailable for Thursday’s Nations League match against Croatia at Wembley. Hill’s selection adds depth at centre-back after Marc Guehi also withdrew from the squad with a hip injury.

The 24-year-old has played every minute of Bournemouth’s Premier League season and appeared in all their Europa League matches. After making 24 appearances in his first three and a half years at the club, he became a regular last season as Bournemouth finished sixth, their highest top-flight placing; the team are now seventh and have won eight matches in a row in all competitions. Konsa is expected to return to full training this week ahead of England’s match against Spain in Madrid on Sunday.