Jackett keen to boost his Pompey numbers

The Pompey boss feels new faces are desperately needed this month after falling to a 2-1 loss at Bristol Rovers.

The Blues currently have just 16 first-team players available, after being hit by a number of injury blows.

And that’s after recalling youngster Theo Widdrington from his Hawks loan stay.

Widdrington joined academy youngsters Matt Casey and Dan Smith on the bench at the Memorial Stadium yesterday.

Pompey currently have four specialist defenders available – highlighting where they need to focus on strengthening.

Danny Rose is out for the season with a broken leg, while Jackett has highlighted a need for additional attacking pace.

The manager said: ‘You can see what we’ve got and that means there’s going to be opportunities for young players.

‘Nobody plans for the players who are out. We’ve got a good squad, but we can’t help the injuries.

‘It’s something we work at in trying not to pick up injuries and trying to be robust.

‘It’s not an excuse, but you can see that we’re a little bit stretched at the moment.

‘That’s the way it is. You have to get over that and you also have to adapt to that.

‘Yes, they (the club’s owners) will obviously help us definitely.

‘We have to look at every window available to us.

‘That first means, internally, to get the best out of the players we have.

‘Then, secondly, we need to add people where we can.

‘We’ve probably got four defenders which is not a lot. We’re quite evenly distributed as a whole, though.

‘I do think at some point we need some pace around Oli Hawkins. We do need that to complement him.

‘We’re maybe a little bit top-heavy in terms of wide areas in the squad.

‘But some of those players are out injured at the moment.

‘We’ll assess it and see, and hopefully at the right time we’ll add to what we’ve got.’