The June international window, low-key and unloved by many, is further complicated this year by the presence of FIFA's new Club World Cup, the 32-team tournament kicking off in the USA in the middle of the month.
For England manager Thomas Tuchel it is an early introduction into the frustration of life as an international boss, his first two matches in March having whetted the appetite but now faced, not only with a lengthy gap before the next game, but a group of players at the end of a long club season and some with more matches still to come.
With only one World Cup qualifier scheduled, the trip to Barcelona to face minnows Andorra, a more lively occasion will hopefully take place at a sold-out City Ground, home of Nottinghan Forest, for the friendly against Senegal on 10 June.
The prospect of senior international football on the banks of the River Trent, coupled with an excellent season in the Premier League for the Reds, orchestrated by England man Morgan Gibbs-White (included in Tuchel's squad for the June matches), should ensure the game, although not being played for points, will provide a competitive edge that allows Tuchel to take another step forward in his World Cup thinking.