Gosport Borough facing central midfielder shortage for Southern Premier League trip to Beaconsfield

Danny Hollands and Harvey Rew are both suspended after being sent off in last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Hendon.

Hollands is serving a one-game suspension after picking up two yellow cards, while Rew has been handed a three-game ban for a straight red.

In addition, Andreas Robinson remains injured - and with his foot currently in a protective boot won’t be back any time soon.

Boro boss Shaun Gale was hoping to today agree an extension to Pompey youngster Harry Jewitt-White’s loan spell.

But if he fails in that, he will only have on-loan youngster Reece Wylie as a specialist central midfield option at Beaconsfield.

‘For Harvey to get three games is scandalous,’ said Gale. ‘I’ve looked at the challenge on video, and you try to look at it without rose-tinted glasses as you can be biased towards your own players at times. But it was a yellow at best, never a red in any game I’ve ever seen.

‘Harvey will be a massive loss because we’re light on bodies as it is.’

Former Pompey Academy player Izzy Kabba could be asked to play central midfield at Beaconsfield if needs be, while centre half Ryan Woodford is another option.

Jewitt-White’s loan spell expired last Monday, and he was an unused sub for Pompey in the following evening’s EFL Trophy tie against AFC Wimbledon.

‘That’s something I’m looking to resurrect if we can,’ said Gale of Jewitt-White’s loan extension. ‘I had a positive conversation with Danny earlier in the week and I’ll be speaking to him again.

‘We need bodies and we need good players, and Harry is a good player.’

Boro have slipped into the Premier South’s bottom eight after a miserable run of just four points from a possible 27.

Beaconsfield are just a point behind, with a game in hand, with Boro facing home matches against Bracknell and Chesham on successive Saturdays after visiting the Buckinghamshire club where they crashed 7-2 last season.

Bracknell have only lost twice in 12 league fixtures so far, while Chesham are currently in the play-off places.

‘We just have to be organised,’ Gale continued. ‘Dig in, work harder, do more. It’s a case of going back to basics.

‘We’ve played a few different systems, I don’t think the goals we’ve conceded have been down to our shape.

‘We may have been too attacking at times at home, and sometimes your shape is dictated by the players we have available.

‘I don’t think the shape is the problem, we need to cut out individual errors.’

Gale was hoping Matt Briggs will train tonight, and if so he could be in contention for a place on the bench at Beaconsfield.

*Former Gosport striker Matt Paterson is set to make his debut for Bognor Regis Town at Margate in this Saturday's Isthmian Premier Division clash.

Paterson was released by Boro a fortnight ago but was cup tied so couldn't figure in Bognor’s superb 2-1 FA Trophy win at Gosport’s divisional rivals Western-super-Mare.

Another former Boro attacker, Nick Dembele, has left Bognor after scoring four times in nine starts.

Dembele, who played for Gosport last season, has joined Isthmian Premier table-toppers Potters Bar Town.