Tentative discussions have taken place over the possibility of an additional England friendly being arranged for June.
Fabio Capello's side have one Euro 2012 fixture arranged, against Switzerland on 4 June, before they head east to play Thailand in a match that has been arranged as part of England's campaign to try to secure the hosting rights to the 2018 World Cup.
It has now been suggested that another match might be played in the Asia-Pacific region, with Japan, South Korea and Australia mentioned as potential opponents.
The speculation might alarm England's leading clubs, who would hope to have their players on holiday at that point. However, the Football Association believe obstacles such as player-release can be overcome if the plan for an extra fixture is formalised.
The FA is not making any public statement but it stresses privately that talks are at the earliest stage and there is no guarantee a third June fixture will be agreed.
An extra game would probably be a useful exercise for Capello given that his team are already well placed to reach the next European Championship, by which time the Italian will have to find a way to get the best out of his players at the end of a hard season, something he failed to achieve at the World Cup.
The FA is keen to stress that if another match is played it would not involve travel beyond south-east Asia, which would rule out Australia as a destination if not an opponent.
The FA also believes Capello is generating goodwill by not demanding his players report for duty ahead of next month's qualifier with Montenegro until 7 October, giving them three days off when the season is at one of its most congested phases.
As England have only one competitive game to play in March, clubs may not be too worried about their players being involved in three June fixtures if they have benefited at a time that suits them.