Ezri Konsa to Miss England's Opener but Cleared for Return

Ezri Konsa will miss England’s first match of the November international break, but there is no sense of alarm around his fitness, with the defender expected back in full training before the week is out.

The FA confirmed on social media that the Arsenal centre-back will not feature in Thursday’s clash with Croatia, though he remains part of Gareth Southgate’s plans for the camp.

“Ezri Konsa will miss Thursday's match against Croatia, but will return to full training later this week,” read the brief update – a line that tells its own story. This is precaution, not crisis.

Konsa’s recent weeks with England have been anything but straightforward. During the last international window he played through discomfort in the opening game against Spain, then sat out the next fixture against Czechia. When he did return, another blow – a hit to the quad against Croatia – cut his involvement short and forced him out of the camp.

Even so, he recovered quickly enough to feature for Arsenal between the two breaks, slotting back into club duty without obvious restriction. That made his latest England call-up routine, not risky.

This time, though, England’s medical staff appear determined not to push their luck. After that stop-start spell in the previous window, they have chosen to manage his minutes and give his body a breather at the start of this one.

From Arsenal’s point of view, the decision is close to ideal. The London club keep their defender in the national-team setup, but without the strain of another immediate international outing. With the FA stressing there is no indication of a serious problem and no need for a withdrawal, the 29-year-old effectively gets a short spell of managed rest in the middle of a gruelling schedule.

England will not be short of Arsenal representation against Croatia. Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze are all in line for involvement, ensuring Mikel Arteta’s squad remains firmly woven into the national side’s core.

Konsa, meanwhile, is expected to rejoin full training later in the week and travel with the squad for the final Nations League group game away to Spain on Sunday, November 15th – a fixture that could demand exactly the kind of calm, composed defending he has built his reputation on.