Pompey boss weighs up promoting from within to replace Sutherland

The teenage midfielder yesterday returned to QPR ahead of tomorrow’s scheduled end to his month-long loan.

He made just one substitute appearance during his time with the Blues and his departure has reduced the squad to 19 players.

It means there is now a space available – a fact Whittingham has reminded his youngsters about.

Of the first-year professionals, Dan Thompson is at Bognor, Alex Grant is at the Hawks, while George Colson and Elliot Wheeler are at Bashley.

Whittingham, though, is also considering looking at the youth set-up to fill it rather than bring in any other loan arrival.

And that could bring the likes of Bradley Tarbuck, Jack Maloney and Jack Whatmough into the frame.

The caretaker boss said: ‘Frankie has now gone back. We have got youngsters here we need to play and need to see if they are good enough. We will sit and think about how to do that.

‘I talked to one or two of the younger, younger lads yesterday and said “there are opportunities for you guys, you have got to step up to the plate and prove you are worth putting in the first-team squad”.

‘The challenge is definitely there for them.

‘So who knows, if they do well and impress Paul Hardyman then they have got every chance of getting into our squad.’

Sutherland’s sole appearance was as a substitute against Hartlepool last month.

He featured for just 27 minutes – but didn’t make the last two squads.

One of those was down to being on Republic of Ireland under-21 duty last week, missing the trip to Scunthorpe.

Yet he didn’t make the 18 for the trip to Bournemouth on Saturday and has now returned to QPR ahead of tonight’s trip to Hartlepool.

Having already recruited three new players last week, Whittingham must now decide whether to promote from within.

He added: ‘Frankie is a talented kid.

‘Probably, we haven’t had the chance to put him in and given him the chance to show us how good he is because we are in the situation we are.

‘He’s a really nice kid and a decent footballer and I think he’ll do well in the game.

‘It’s just the way things are here the chances didn’t come for him.’