Andy Moon names three players Portsmouth are likely to omit from Championship squad
BBC Radio Solent’s Andy Moon has issued his prediction on who will have to be axed from the 25-man Portsmouth squad for the Championship.
Speaking in his BBC Sport analysis column [5 September], Moon says Tom Lowery, Ben Stevenson and Colby Bishop are likely to be those sacrificed, meaning they will not be registered to play in the league until at least January.
The cut-off for clubs in the division to submit their league rosters is approaching and Pompey are overbooked following a failure to shift enough fringe players before last week’s transfer deadline.
Last season’s top scorer Bishop is undergoing a carefully structured rehabilitation plan after major heart surgery, so is ruled out for the foreseeable future.
Midfielders Lowery and Stevenson both featured in the Carabao Cup defeat to Millwall – Stevenson also came on late against Luton Town – but have been on the periphery since arriving at Pompey.
Portsmouth have an oversized squad
That Portsmouth fans and Mousinho alike have bemoaned the lack of options in certain positions for the Blues early on in the season shows how extensive the injury issues really have been.
Pompey went into the Championship campaign with seven first-team players out – several of them new signings still yet to debut in blue – and to their credit still managed to carve out an away draw at promotion favourites Leeds United.
When everyone is fit, however, established senior pros will be missing out on matchday squads, a situation the head coach staunchly wants to avoid.
The club did attempt to secure a few outgoing loans from Fratton Park late in the window, but Anthony Scully was the only player to temporarily leave on deadline day to Colchester United, whilst Gavin Whyte left by mutual consent having struggled to settle.
It will be harsh on some players, but the only alternatives are a mutual contract termination; a potentially futile loan to non-league; or with no Under-21 side available for minutes, get heads down and train hard before reassessing in the winter.
In other Portsmouth news, Kusini Yengi endured a torrid day with Australia against Bahrain.
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