Adam Bartlett on standby for Hartlepool after Trevor Carson gets international call-up

Hartlepool must reckon without No 1 goalkeeper Trevor Carson for their league clash against Cheltenham Town after he was called into the Northern Ireland squad.

Carson has been included in a 25-man squad for his country’s upcoming fixtures against Azerbaijan and Croatia.

Carson will link-up with his international team-mates after Sunday’s FA Cup game against Stamford but will miss Pools’ Checkatrade Trophy clash against Rochdale and then the Sky Bet League Two game against Cheltenham.

Michael O’Neill’s side will host Azerbaijan in their latest World Cup qualifier at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast on Friday, November 11.

They will then play a friendly on home soil against Croatia on Tuesday, November 15 as Northern Ireland bring down the curtain on a memorable year which saw them qualify for Euro 16, where they reached the last 16.

Pools star Carson will once again be in the squad for the two games, battling against Norwich City’s Michael McGovern and St Johnstone’s Alan Mannus for the No 1 jersey.

The former Sunderland trainee was included in the squad for World Cup qualifying games against San Marino and Germany last month, but has yet to win a full senior cap for his country.

Adam Bartlett is likely to deputise again for Carson, as he did during the last international fixtures when Pools played Crawley.