Cook: Blueshave budgetto carry onrecruiting

The versatile player continues to be assessed by Pompey’s medical department after damaging his hamstring at Crawley.

Even before that setback during Tuesday night’s goalless draw, Cook possessed the funds to strengthen his playing squad.

Now he will step up his search for a right-back with three matches in eight days approaching.

And having already recruited 14 players since becoming manager, the finances are there to increase the number of new arrivals.

Cook said: ‘We have the ability to strengthen, which is great credit to the club.

‘I have said since I came here that one of the most impressive things as a club is how strong we are.

‘People like Mark Catlin and Tony Brown (finance director) must take the credit for that because they have been put in place by the board and given this club the ability to be able to strengthen again on the back of the crowds, season-ticket sales and everything that goes on.

‘From the chairman down, I feel everyone is playing a part and that makes me very happy.

‘To strengthen the team is important, you must bring players in to make you better, we will just keep looking.

‘If you look at our players in the squad, the right-back position has been made a big thing of since Ben Davies has come in.

‘No-one down here really knew Ben before he came in and he seems to be quite a popular player now.

‘We are still looking for a right-back. We are always looking, we are trying to strengthen the squad in the correct way.’

Davies has been an ever-present in the Blues’ opening four matches.