Roy Hodgson exuded an air of quiet satisfaction at the Stade de Suisse as he contemplated victory over Italy, his mood considerably buoyed by the favourable impressions made by five young debutants. Yet that glow of positivity may fade when reality sets back in this weekend. For those upon whom the England manager may come to rely, a journey from Berne to the bench awaits.

It is a scenario Hodgson is ready to endure. Of those involved against the Azzurri, Adam Johnson, Andy Carroll and Ryan Bertrand will almost certainly make the substitutes' list at best at their respective clubs when the Premier League begins. The same peripheral existence might apply to Jack Rodwell, now of Manchester City, and Steven Caulker, and possibly even Jake Livermore and Tom Cleverley. Likewise, what awaits Danny Welbeck, such a key part of England's Euro 2012 campaign, at Manchester United now that Robin van Persie has been lured to Old Trafford?

These youngsters are supposed to be the country's future, perhaps even major players in qualification for the World Cup in Brazil, and yet they seem more integral for country than club. Hodgson attempted to sound bullish in addressing the issue, suggesting this is merely a test the bright young things must now pass, but it undoubtedly makes his task harder. Playing time will be lacking. Fabio Capello had a loose rule that if a player was not featuring regularly for his club, he was not in contention for England.

"I don't think you need a rule as such, but what you need is a commonsense approach to the subject," said Hodgson. "A guy who is not playing regularly, his chances do diminish. I can't argue with that. It has to concern the players themselves. They will realise their chances of playing for England increase when they are playing more regularly for their club sides, especially when the England staff are watching. So if those players are not getting in their teams, it would concern me.

"Look at Andy [Carroll], who did show signs he was lacking match practice, but he did not lack determination, courage and desire to do the job. I'd have to have the courage to pick a player who is not getting in his team, and work on the basis that if he is fully fit and raring to go … well, with a 10-day period to work with him, we might be able to knock that player into shape, match-fitness wise. We overcame it tonight. Whether we can week after week, I don't know."

Carroll, his future uncertain at Liverpool, appeared rusty against Italy. Cleverley was more involved on his debut, though he must compete in a rejigged formation at United following Van Persie's arrival and with Shinji Kagawa, another summer recruit, also expecting to play. Phil Jones and Nick Powell, signed from Crewe, might also be reduced to bit-part roles, though theirs is a predicament shared by youngsters across the Premier League's elite. Josh McEachran and Daniel Sturridge feel like back-ups at Chelsea, the former again likely to go out on loan – most likely in the Championship – in search of regular football.

Then there is Manchester City. The champions added Rodwell to their squad last week, the player considering it "a once in a lifetime opportunity" but conceding it might "take some time" to make an impression in an imposing squad. "I know I'll have to be patient, but I'm still young and have time on my side," the 21-year-old said. "That's the great thing for me. I'll learn a lot and hopefully improve my game as well. I'm looking forward to working with all my new team-mates, but particularly Yaya Touré, a great player. He's a great role model."

That much is true, but will that education be more profitable than playing consistently elsewhere? Arguably, Rodwell had yet to do that at Everton, even if that owed more to injuries, but his new club-mate Adam Johnson's situation should serve as a warning. The 25-year-old has made 39 Premier League starts for City – 10 of which came last season – in two-and-a-half years since his £7m move from Middlesbrough. The frustration he expressed in the aftermath in Switzerland suggested he remains surprised to find himself on the fringes of a club that virtually considers the £12m it took to secure Rodwell as small change.

"I'm the kind of player that needs to be playing regularly," said Johnson. "Any player does really, no matter what age they are. I need to play week in, week out. You can't just go into one game after not having played for five and be expected to perform. It would be nice to get a run of games with England and hopefully I can push on to the next qualifiers. But I'm not sure if I'll get that chance at City. Time will tell."

The winger could yet depart before the end of the transfer window in search of that first-team football, though Hodgson will merely watch on with interest. "It is all out of my hands, and I just accept these situations," said the national manager. His is an acceptance that those who will forge England's future may not be at the forefront in the season to come, but such is Hodgson's lot these days.