Southampton keeper Fraser Forster was recalled from the English national team with an unspecified arm injury, FA and club media report.
The injury, described as minor in nature, was first reported two days ago in The Telegraph, though it is unclear when it was actually sustained.
It’s a disappointing blow for Forster, 28, who saw service as the backup keeper in Euro 2016 and was pipped by Sam Allardyce to potentially start the 4 September match against Slovakia. With him out, former Manchester City and current Turin keeper Joe Hart is likely to get the nod.
In place of Southampton’s number one, fellow Saints keeper Alex McCarthy has been called to action. McCarthy, 26, transferred to Southampton from Crystal Palace this summer and has yet to start a match in the regular season.
McCarthy is uncapped at senior level for England, but has three U21 appearances for the Three Lions. His last outings for England came in May 2013 against Brazil and the Republic of Ireland.
With Forster injured for an indeterminate period, and McCarthy on England duty, the club may be faced with the prospect of starting its third-choice keeper, Stuart Taylor.
35 year old Taylor joined the Saints as a free agent this summer, having most recently been associated with Leeds United last year. He’s had a long and storied career keeping the net for Arsenal, Manchester City, Leicester and Aston Villa among others, and was brought on largely to provide experience for the goalkeepers’ corps at the club.
But with first-choice out injured, and second-choice in Europe fighting for England’s place in the World Cup, Taylor might soon find himself called to action once again.
As of press time, neither Claude Puel nor the club have commented on Forster’s injury. It is unknown if the English keeper will start for Southampton in next week’s match versus Arsenal, but in the absence of any official word it seems fans have little to fear.