Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, Southampton captain Adam Lallana and Tottenham midfielder Jake Livermore have been added to the England squad for the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Tuesday after Theo Walcott was forced to withdraw due to illness.
The call-up is 24-year-old Lallana's first for the senior England squad, while 17-year-old Sterling has made just five Premier League appearances for Liverpool.
"It was a good opportunity to invite some young players to come in and be part of the atmosphere," said Hodgson.
"We still have enough good players to be able to deal with the game, but it's always good when you have the chance to invite these players to come in and see how things are."
He added: "With Raheem I met him at Liverpool and he played a bit in Monchengladbach. In the last two years he’s come on leaps and bounds.
"He’s been very good so this was an opportunity to bring him into the group. I will make it clear that it’s not necessarily to play him now but there might be a time in the future that he will play as a sub or even break in to the team."
The Anfield winger has been one of the standout Liverpool performers this season but his club manager Brendan Rodgers last week warned the FA not to rush the youngster following an impressive debut for England under-19s.
"I think, with young players, you have to be careful," he said. "They can be elevated above their station too quickly. It is all about individual needs.
"It might look great on the back pages that he is involved in the under-21s but the reality is that this is a kid who has made great strides over the last few weeks.
"He was absolutely fantastic through pre-season. You have seen his quality, courage and attitude in games – it has been fantastic. But, for the moment, let’s just stay calm."
Hope his feet stay on the ground, but i'm made up for the lad!