Danny Cowley expresses fitness concerns over Portsmouth duo ahead of Sheffield Wednesday trip as trio sit out Gillingham friendly

The Pompey boss revealed that Sean Raggett continues to be hampered by a back injury, after he sat out Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Gillingham.

Although, he reiterated the point that if the season started today, the centre-back would play.

The news surrounding both Joe Morrell and Jayden Reid’s fitness is a concern, however.

Like Raggett, they, too, sat out the trip to Priestfield.

That’s two games in a row that Morrell has been absent for, after he took no part in last week’s behind-closed-doors friendly at Bristol City because of a groin injury.

Meanwhile, Reid – who picked up a cruciate knee ligament injury last summer – missed out because of a hamstring injury he suffered in a collision at the Robins High Performance Centre.

A concerned Cowley confirmed the Blues were awaiting results back from specialists and scans respectively as apprehension grows about their availability ahead of the trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, July 30.

When asked about their absences at Gillingham, Cowley said: ‘Sean’s just got a stiff back and some inflammation on his SI joint, the Sacroiliac Joint.

‘Again, he’d play if it was a league game.

‘He’s one of the fittest in the group, played 50-plus games last year so it makes sense not to risk him.

‘Joe Morrell has got a grumbling groin which has been going on since the Welsh camp (in June).

‘We hoped it would go away but it hasn’t, so we’re just monitoring that one.

‘He went to see a specialist yesterday and we’re just waiting for the report.

‘Jayden Reid, after that awful collision against Bristol City when he sort of landed on his head, he’s hyper-extended his hamstring on the side where he’s had the graft.

‘When you have a cruciate knee operation, the repair involves a graft where you take muscle from the hamstring.

‘So, yeah, that’s a little bit of a concern.

‘He’s worked so hard, the kid.

‘We’re hopeful it’s not bad news but, like I said, he’s had a scan and we’re awaiting the results’.

Young left-back Liam Vincent also sat out the trip to Kent but that’s because the Blues are keen to manage his work load.

Meanwhile, Denver Hume continues to make progress in his rehab from a back complaint that saw him miss the run-in to last season.