The FA have confirmed that Ezri Konsa will miss England's clash with Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, meaning the Arsenal defender is set to feature in just one of England's two fixtures during the current international break. He is expected to return to full training later this week.
Konsa has been a regular in Arsenal's lineup since his summer arrival, playing consistently between the September-October and November international breaks. He was substituted in the second half of Arsenal's match against Slavia Praha, with Mikel Arteta explaining the move was precautionary.
"Obviously, he's playing a lot. He's played so many games in the last few weeks, and he had some issues, and we decided to take him off," Arteta said, as per football.london.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday ahead of Arsenal's win over Hull City, Arteta said Konsa was "fine", and the defender went on to play the full 90 minutes, helping Arsenal keep a clean sheet against the Tigers.
Thomas Tuchel has also had to contend with Marc Guéhi withdrawing from the England squad due to fitness issues, with Dan Burn called up as cover. Had Konsa also been unavailable, England would have been without both of their first-choice center-backs for the upcoming games against Spain and Croatia.
England take on Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, having beaten the same opposition 7-0 away previously. Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarell Quansah and Ben White remain viable center-back options alongside Burn, while the versatile Arsenal right-back could also provide additional defensive cover.
The FA released the following statement: "An update from the #ThreeLions camp, as James Hill is added to Thomas Tuchel's squad. Ezri Konsa will miss Thursday's match against Croatia, but will return to full training later this week."
The news will be welcomed by Arteta and Arsenal, with Konsa having featured in just one match across the two-week international break. With a tough away fixture at Newcastle United awaiting Arsenal upon resumption, and William Saliba still working his way back to full fitness following injury, having a well-rested Konsa represents a notable boost for the defending champions.
