Gareth Southgate confirmed Jack Butland will start in goal when England welcome Italy to Wembley but insisted the decision is not an indicator of his World Cup plans.
The England manager named four goalkeepers in his squad for the friendly double header against the Netherlands and Italy, with Jordan Pickford being given the nod ahead of Butland, Joe Hart and Nick Pope in the 1-0 win against the Dutch on Friday.
Butland will be given a chance to press his claims on Tuesday, with the experienced Hart, who started in all but one of England’s World Cup qualifiers, once again overlooked.
Southgate said at his pre-match press conference: “At the beginning of the week we decided to give (Pickford and Butland) a game for the experience.
“We’ve stuck with the plan right the way through with those decisions and there’s no reason to come away from that.
“In lots of positions on the field we’ve got really good options and players that can go into the team and do well for us. We’ve got tough decisions further down the line. There’s a lot to play for.
“It’s important that we have competition for places everywhere on the pitch, that breeds good performances. You need a clear understanding of how we want to play but then there’s the additional pressure of knowing you’ve got to play well to keep your place.”
Hart has lost his first-team spot at West Ham to Adrian in recent weeks, prompting speculation about how he fits into Southgate’s plans.
“Joe’s professionalism has been brilliant with us. He’s always performed well for us. We had the best defensive record in Europe in qualifying,” Southgate said in defence of Hart.
“This week, even though he knew he wasn’t going to be involved in the games, he’s been a positive influence on the other players.”
The Azzurri did not qualify for this year’s World Cup but Southgate is not writing them off.
“They’re not at the World Cup because they were in Spain’s group.
“They’ll press us with more intensity than we got pressed the other night and it’s a really good challenge for us to be able to play.”
