Konsa ruled out of England's Croatia clash but could face Spain
Ezri Konsa has been ruled out of England's Nations League match against Croatia on Thursday, with James Hill called up to Thomas Tuchel's senior squad for the first time as a result.
The Arsenal centre back is reportedly training away from Tuchel's main group this week, following his own individual programme, as England prepare to host Croatia before travelling to face Spain on Sunday in a match that could decide top spot in the Nations League group.
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According to the Evening Standard, the expectation is that Konsa will return to full training later this week and be in contention to face Spain at the weekend.
A recurring issue
Konsa has been managing a minor issue in recent weeks, one that led to him being substituted when Arsenal played Slavia Prague in the Champions League. Despite that concern, he was passed fit to face Hull and played the full 90 minutes, appearing to come through the match without any further problems.
It has since been decided that he will sit out the Croatia fixture with a view to being available for the Spain match, rather than risk aggravating the issue in a game that is less significant for England's group standing.
Konsa has started each of Arsenal's last 12 matches across the Premier League and Champions League this season, establishing himself as one of the club's most consistent performers. He has slotted in alongside Gabriel at the heart of defence, filling the void left by an injured William Saliba.
A fight for his place
With Saliba now fit again and closing in on a return to first team action, Konsa faces competition to retain his starting spot under Mikel Arteta. His form in recent months has made that far from a formality, but the return of Arsenal's first choice centre back pairing will inevitably test his standing in the side.
For now, the priority is managing his fitness through the international break so he returns to north London without further complications. Hill, meanwhile, gets his first senior England call up after representing the Three Lions at Under 21 level. The 24 year old has played every minute in the Premier League for Bournemouth this season and started three of their four Europa League matches.
Arsenal will be watching Konsa's situation closely over the coming days, keen to have him back available and firing on all cylinders once domestic action resumes after the break.
