Peterborough United sweating on the impact of international call-ups

The first designated international weekend of the season in September 24/25. Posh are due to host Port Vale in a League One fixture on Saturday, September 24, but any call-ups would also impact the EFL Trophy clash with Spurs Under 21s at the Weston Homes Stadium on September 20.

That latter fixture would definitely go ahead regardless of absent Posh players. Posh would need three senior men to be called up for international duty for the Vale game to be postponed.

"We don’t want to call any games off,” Posh manager Grant McCan said. “We don’t want to be playing catch up. We’re trying to get the Forest Green fixture rearranged as soon as possible.

"But we do have lots of boys in and around international squads at the moment so we will have to wait and see how many are called up when the squads are formally released.

"We’re always happy to see players called up for their countries though. We’d never try and stand in their way.”

England Under 20s have three matches scheduled between September 21 and September 27 and it’s likely Posh defender Ronnie Edwards would be called up to that squad.

Cameroon also have international friendlies on September 23 and September 27 and Posh midfielder Jeando Fuchs was included in one of their recent squads.

It’s unlikely Posh captain Jonson Clarke-Harris will be included in a Jamaica squad to play in Argentina on September 27, but Lucas Bergstrom (Finland) and Jack Taylor (Ireland) have been part of recent international squads.

The loss of Bergstrom would be a problem for Posh who have sent on-loan goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright back to his parent club Hull City for treatment on a thigh injury leaving teenage Academy graduate ‘keeper Will Blackmore as back up. Blackmore played well in his one senior start earlier this season at Stevenage in an EFL Trophy defeat.

Posh saw their home scheduled home game with Forest Green Rovers last Saturday postponed after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.