England have added Bournemouth centre-back James Hill to the squad after Ezri Konsa was ruled out of Thursday’s match against Croatia. It is Hill’s first chance at senior international level in camp, and it comes after Thomas Tuchel had already brought in Dan Burn to cover for Marc Guéhi’s injury withdrawal.
Tuchel's defensive reset
The change is driven by availability, not selection whim. A federation spokesperson said Konsa will not be in the match squad for Thursday’s game at Wembley because he is still following an individual training programme, and will return to full training later in the week before Sunday’s away match against Spain.
That leaves Tuchel working through another defensive adjustment before the camp has even settled. Guéhi’s injury first opened the door for Burn, and now Hill has been added as the latest cover option.
Hill's club case
Hill does not arrive as an inexperienced outsider. He has 10 Premier League appearances in 2026 and 900 minutes already, and he has completed the full 90 minutes in each of his last five Bournemouth appearances.
That club load is probably the best reason England have taken the look now. Bournemouth have also won four of their last five league matches, so Hill is coming in from a side that has been competing well rather than simply filling a training-ground gap.
The immediate issue, though, is still the same. England need a workable back line for Croatia on Thursday, and the squad has already changed twice in response to absences before that match even arrives.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
