Appy: Last loan deals can wait

The Blues striker has been strongly linked with a loan switch to former Pompey manager Steve Cotterill’s Nottingham Forest.

But while boss Michael Appleton is not anticipating any late departures today, he knows that could yet change before Thursday’s deadline.

Appleton said: ‘I can never be too sure in football. But I would be very, very disappointed if anything happened before the game, let’s put it that way.

‘I would be surprised if that happened because myself and (administrator) Trevor Birch have got a fantastic relationship.’

Appleton also believes Pompey should now only be prepared to do business for significant loan fees, with just six weeks of the season remaining.

He is also holding fire on bringing in the two final loan players he can recruit until he knows which gaps in his squad he has to cover.

He explained: ‘I don’t want to bring anyone in because I don’t know if anyone will be leaving.

‘I have to keep in mind I can only bring two more loans in and they might need to cover different positions.

‘To let a player go now, it would have to be a very, very significant amount of money.

‘We are six weeks from the end of the season.

‘What I would be saying to Trevor – and hopefully he agrees – is “What serious offer could tempt us to lose a player between now and April 28?”.

‘We are only talking about a six-week period and the likelihood is that, if did have to lose a player at the end of the season, we would be in a better position to get the right price for a player.’