ATHLETIC'S home clash with Greenock Morton next month has been postponed due to international call-ups.

The SPFL have agreed to the club's request to reschedule the game, that had been due to take place at East End Park on November 11.

Under league rules, "a club shall be entitled to apply to the board for the postponement of any official match where three or more of its players who would otherwise have participated in such match are unavailable through international selection and, following receipt of such an application, the board may postpone and rearrange the relevant official match in accordance with Rule G3".

Earlier this week, striker Callum Smith and defender Stuart Morrison - who is on loan at Edinburgh City - were called into the Scotland under-19 squad for three European Championship qualifiers.

The games with Luxembourg, Albania and the Czech Republic will take place on November 8, 11 and 14 and although only Smith would be absent for the Pars, boss Allan Johnston is anticipating further call-ups.

Ryan Williamson is likely to be picked for European Championship under-21 qualifiers with Latvia and Ukraine - with Lewis Martin also a possibility - while Callum Morris is on standby for Northern Ireland's World Cup play-off with Switzerland.

Johnston told the club website: "Hopefully the other boys get picked as well, Ryan Williamson for Scotland Under 21s and Callum Morris for Northern Ireland. But that would probably mean that our match against Morton would have to be called off. It is a massive game and we could not afford to be losing three or four of our best players away on international duty.

"It is great for the club to have players in contention. We have to make sure that we do what is right for us. We need to make sure that we get results. We want to have our strongest squad available."

Last month, the Pars were missing five players - Morris, Williamson, Smith, Morrison and Fraser Aird - due to international call-ups for the Irn-Bru Cup tie at Falkirk.

Although they had the option of calling the game off, Athletic took the decision to play but were knocked out of the competition thanks to a 2-0 defeat.

A date for the rescheduled match has yet to be confirmed.