Tuesday 27 March 2018 13:02, UK
Jack Butland will start in goal for England against Italy on Tuesday as Gareth Southgate prepares to blood some new talent at Wembley.
Burnley's James Tarkowski, Swansea's Alfie Mawson and Bournemouth's Lewis Cook could make take their first senior caps in the second of two pre-World Cup friendlies, following Friday's 1-0 win over the Netherlands.
Southgate is expected to play a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 against the Italians, who have not qualified for the tournament in Russia this summer, and Eric Dier is likely to skipper the side if Jordan Henderson does not feature.
After Everton No 1 Jordan Pickford played the full 90 minutes in Amsterdam, Butland has been confirmed as the 'keeper in London as Southgate continues to analyse his goalkeeper choices ahead of the tournament.
"At the beginning of the week that's what we'd decided we were going to do - give them both a game for the experience," Southgate said. "We've stuck with the plan right the way through on those decisions and there's no reason to move away from that."
Southgate has refused to rule out long-term No 1 Joe Hart from the running, admitting though that "they're tough decisions to make further down the line".
Butland, meanwhile, insists the "intense" competition between England's goalkeepers is driving up standards in the squad.
He said: "Training between all of us is extremely intense. Obviously, it's one we're all trying to take for ourselves but ultimately whoever deserves it, whoever the manager feels, will get it and we're all trying to do our bit to make sure it's us.
"The manager will make his decision when he's ready, until that time and even beyond that time we'll all be battling to show who is best.
"I think that's a great way to go into a World Cup, the fact not knowing who it is yet shows the competition is great and whoever it will be is going to be coming off a battle, which is what we want."
