England turn to Bournemouth’s Hill as defensive cover ahead of Croatia clash

James Hill, 24, has earned his first senior England call‑up as Thomas Tuchel seeks defensive cover ahead of Thursday’s Nations League clash with Croatia at Wembley, after the Bournemouth defender has featured in every minute of their Premier League campaign this season.

Injury crisis opens door for Hill

England need defensive cover ahead of the Croatia fixture. Hill is in, Ezri Konsa is out for Thursday.

Konsa’s knee injury was sustained in the Champions League win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday. He was taken off in that match, yet he completed the full 90 minutes in the win over Hull on Saturday.

The expectation is that Konsa will return to full training this week ahead of England’s game against Spain in Madrid on Sunday. For now, he remains unavailable for the Croatia match, giving Hill his opportunity.

Hill joined Bournemouth from Fleetwood in January 2022 for an undisclosed fee. He made only 24 appearances across his first three and a half years at the club.

Last season he became a regular as Bournemouth achieved a sixth‑place finish, their highest top‑flight position. This season he has stayed ever‑present while Bournemouth compiled an eight‑match winning run in all competitions and sit seventh in the Premier League. He has also featured in every match of Bournemouth’s first Europa League campaign.

England’s defensive reshuffle had already started before Hill’s inclusion. On Sunday, Dan Burn replaced Marc Guehi after the Man City defender withdrew with a hip injury.

Tuchel now has another centre‑back option in Hill, who earned it by playing, staying fit and doing his job each week. There is no romance in the selection, only logic, as England needed cover and Hill provided a reason to trust him.