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Southampton keeper Fraser Forster has undergone surgery on his knee
Ben Foster is also out injured as England lack options in goal
QPR keeper Rob Green has not represented England in almost three years
Three Lions face Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania on Friday
England keeper Joe Hart could gain his 50th cap against Italy next week

Published: 17:30 EST, 25 March 2015 | Updated: 02:50 EST, 26 March 2015

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Joe Hart did not need a blinder in Barcelona to confirm his status as England’s No 1 goalkeeper, but serious injuries to his two deputies will revive concerns at the lack of cover available to Roy Hodgson.

Fraser Forster met with specialists on Wednesday after scans confirmed he broke his left knee-cap in Southampton’s win against Burnley on Saturday.

Forster will miss the rest of this season and may not play again this year which is a blow for Saints as they aim for Europe, and also for England boss Hodgson at a time when Ben Foster is out for six months.

Joe Hart talks to the media on Wednesday ahead of England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania on Friday

Manchester City goalkeeper Hart makes a save during training at St George's Park with the England squad

Foster damaged cruciate ligaments in his left knee while playing for West Bromwich Albion against Stoke 12 days ago.

Hodgson will be exposed if Hart is hit by injury or suspension, although the Manchester City goalkeeper has backed the decision to recall QPR’s Rob Green for the first time in nearly three years.

‘Greeny is rock solid,’ said Hart. ‘His mentality is great. And he is a very good goalkeeper who has been playing at the top level for a long time. There are no surprises.

‘I was gutted for Ben and Fraser. It’s really, really sad news.

‘It has rocked us all as a goalkeeping group and rocked all the lads in the squad because they are great guys and they are having great seasons.

‘But Greeny has come in and hopefully he can profit. He did brilliantly in the Championship last year.

Roy Hodgson: We expect to lose more players before Italy

Robert Green (right) trains with Joe Hart (centre) at St George's Park in Roy Hodgson's England squad

Fraser Forster suffered a knee injury after colliding with Burnley's Sam Vokes at the weekend

West Brom keeper Ben Foster makes a save against Tottenham in January but is out injured for six months

‘I remember watching him in the play-off final, when he was man of the match for me. QPR are in a bad position but he has been fantastic this season.’

Green has 12 caps, but only one since the World Cup in South Africa when he was pilloried for a mistake which gifted the United States an equaliser as England drew 1-1 in their opening group game.

He did not play again for Fabio Capello, and his only game since was against Norway, in Hodgson’s second game in charge.

Neymar attempts to nip the ball away from Hart's clutches at the Nou Camp during the Champions League tie

Lionel Messi tries to find a way past Hart but the England stopper was in fine form at the Nou Camp

The English keeper once again thwarts Messi during the Champions League last-16 encounter

Green, 35, has not been in the squad since Euro 2012 despite his reliable form at QPR, but will be on the bench for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley on Friday and probably for the friendly against Italy in Turin on Tuesday.

Jack Butland, 22, has been promoted from the Under 21 squad. He has been capped once at senior level, in a friendly against Italy in Switzerland in 2012, but he has had little first-team action this season.

Butland played six times during a loan spell at Derby and has played five cup games for Stoke, where he has been unable to oust Bosnian international Asmir Begovic since signing from Birmingham.

Others who might come into Hodgson’s thinking are John Ruddy, who also has one cap — as a half-time substitute for Butland in that Italy game — and is enjoying a good season in the Championship with Norwich, and Tom Heaton at Burnley.

Heaton is at least playing regularly in the Barclays Premier League, where 75 per cent of the goalkeepers are foreign.

Butland’s step up leaves Under 21 boss Gareth Southgate with two Championship goalkeepers — Jonathan Bond, 21, understudy to Heurelho Gomes at Watford, and Marcus Bettinelli, 22, who has recently broken into the Fulham team.

Some experts believe the next keeper to emerge as a serious challenger to Hart will be Manchester City and England Under 19 keeper Angus Gunn, 19-year-old son of former Scotland international Bryan Gunn.

Hart will win his 50th cap in Italy on Tuesday, if he plays in both these international games, and is still only 27. He could play at the top for another decade if he can stay fit — Hodgson will pray that he does — and that would bring Peter Shilton’s record of 125 England caps into range.

Shilton was 31 when he played his 50th game for England but went on until he was 40.

‘It’s exciting, 50 caps would be an amazing milestone, but I want to get there first,’ said Hart.

‘We have two games and we’ve seen recently that you never know what’s going to happen. I just want to push on and earn my right to keep playing for my country.

Peter Shilton was 31 when he won his 50th England cap, while Hart could win his against Italy next week

‘I want to be here for as long as I can, but there are plenty of other English goalkeepers who want to be in my place and I’m going to have to be at my very best to keep that position.’

Tottenham defender Danny Rose on Wednesday night withdrew from the squad with hip and hamstring problems.

Rose was called up by England after Manchester United’s Luke Shaw withdrew on Saturday. But the left back has now been sent back to his club with an injury of his own. With Leighton Baines and Keiran Gibbs already in the squad, Hodgson has decided not to call up a replacement.