Rather than bolster the attack-minded quota following Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana's withdrawals from the England squad, manager Gareth Southgate has taken the peculiar step of calling up a fourth goalkeeper.
Fulham's Marcus Bettinelli, who made only his second Premier League appearance on Saturday, will reunite with his former Under-21 boss at St George's Park ahead of the weekend's Nations League clash with Spain and a friendly with Switzerland next Tuesday.
He will challenge Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, and Alex McCarthy for minutes between the sticks.
"I'm extremely proud to be called up, it's always been a dream of mine since I was a young boy," Bettinelli told the Cottagers' website.
"I understand the goalkeepers in the England squad are very good and I'm happy to be involved in that, whatever my position may be and I'm just looking forward to meeting up with the team today and I'm really happy, really excited and extremely proud."
Bettinelli was selected ahead of recent squad members Joe Hart and Tom Heaton of Burnley, and Southampton pair Angus Gunn and Fraser Forster. Nick Pope, also of Burnley, is nursing a long-term shoulder issue.
Following the injuries to Sterling and Lallana, Southgate's remaining options who are able to play in withdrawn or wide attacking positions are Dele Alli, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Danny Welbeck, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The former Middlesbrough handler has so far resisted the urge to call up uncapped quartet Will Hughes, Phil Foden, James Maddison, and Nathaniel Chalobah, who were rumored to be under consideration.
