First the good news for Roy Hodgson: Jack Butland is ready to be installed as Joe Hart’s understudy. The bad news? Mark Hughes, the goalkeeper’s manager at Stoke City, will ask for him to be excused a senior call-up for England in a few days’ time.
The reason is that Butland broke a finger in training last week, which did not prevent the 22-year-old, capped once at senior level in 2012 and earmarked for elevation from the under-21 squad, from defying Norwich on numerous occasions.
“England’s number one!” the visiting fans chanted as Graham Dorrans, twice, Nathan Redmond and Cameron Jerome, the former Stoke striker, were denied in a second-half onslaught that should have brought Norwich three points.
Hart will take some dislodging, of course, but Hodgson knows that the form of Butland, the first choice at his club after Asmir Begovic’s summer departure to Chelsea, means that he can move Robert Green back into the international long grass and not fret about the fitness of Fraser Forster or Ben Foster. Hodgson can expect a phone call from Hughes before England’s two European 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland early next month.
“There is an international window coming up and it’s a good time to let the injury settle down,” Hughes said. “He is due to be very sore for a number of weeks, so he needs to keep out of training sessions where balls are getting blasted at him and I will tell Roy that.”
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However, Butland is keen to carry on. “I have got one cap and that is certainly a target for me to get back in that squad,” he said.
Mame Biram Diouf took advantage of poor marking to head Stoke in front from Xherdan Shaqiri’s 11th-minute free kick but Russell Martin soon equalised and Norwich dominated thereafter.
“We probably should have gone on to win but Jack Butland had an unbelievable game,” Dorrans said. “Some of the saves he pulled off were incredible.”
Ratings
Norwich City (4-4-1-1): J Ruddy 6 — S Whittaker 6, R Martin 7, S Bassong 7, R Brady 7 — N Redmond 7, A Tettey 6, G Dorrans 7, J Howson 6 (sub: G O’Neil 86) — W Hoolahan 8 (sub: B Johnson 77) — C Jerome 5. Substitutes not used: D Rudd, A Wisdom, L Grabban, G Hooper, R Bennett. Booked: Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Tettey.
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Stoke City (4-2-3-1): J Butland 8 — G Johnson 6, G Cameron 7, M Muniesa 7, E Pieters 6 — G Whelan 6, M van Ginkel 6 (sub: C Adam 79) — X Shaqiri 7, I Afellay 5 (sub: S Ireland 57, 6), M Arnautovic (Joselu 57, 5) — M B Diouf 7. Substitutes not used: S Given, M Wilson, P Crouch, R Wollscheid. Booked: Pieters.