Brett Pitman again absent as strong Portsmouth reserve team face Exeter
Brett Pitman’s Pompey absence continues after not selected for the reserve trip to Exeter.
And Gareth Evans is also a notable omission from a strong side on duty for tomorrow’s Premier League Cup trip to St James Park (7pm).
Lee Brown, Reeco Hackett-Fairchild, Paul Downing, Oli Hawkins, Adam May, Ross McCrorie and Jack Whatmough will be handed match action for the Blues.
For Brown, it represents his first appearance since undergoing Achilles surgery in December, while McCrorie is to make his comeback after sidelined with a hamstring injury for the same duration.
Meanwhile, May features having returned from an unsuccessful loan spell at Swindon, and January recruit Hackett-Fairchild has another opportunity to impress.
However, there is no room for Pitman, who spent part of last week training from home rather than in attendance at the Blues’ Copnor Road base.
The former skipper has failed to make Kenny Jackett’s last seven first-team squads, as he spell out of favour continues.