Forget Christian Burgess, there could be another fairy-tale ending to this epic Portsmouth season

The Irishman’s final afternoon in a Pompey shirt had seen him crowned The News/Sports Mail’s Player of the Season – and claim the League Two title.

The perfect send off ahead of his pre-planned switch to Sheffield United in that summer of 2017.

Similarly, it would be wonderfully fitting for the ever-popular Christian Burgess to mark his farewell by steering the club back into the Championship with his final Blues breath.

Certainly there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

Footballing fairy tales don’t often occur, yet perhaps there is another glorious plot line developing elsewhere at Fratton Park.

In Bryn Morris, Pompey possess a player who has not featured in competitive action for almost 14 months.

But maybe, just maybe, he could inspire a decisive presence in the forthcoming play-off campaign.

Morris has emerged through football’s lockdown as a newly recognised 24-year-old and, crucially, a potential first-team pick for Kenny Jackett.

Now spared injury, the enforced delay has allowed the former England youth skipper to drive ahead with fitness work in attempts to catch up with Blues colleagues.

Jackett has long spoken of his admiration for Morris’ natural energy levels, often regarding him among the fittest in his squad.

Subsequently, the midfielder started both friendlies against Reading and Brentford during the build-up to this Friday’s play-off semi-final opener against Oxford.

In terms of sitting central midfielders at his disposal, Jackett has Tom Naylor, Ben Close, Cameron McGeehan – and now Morris.

As skipper and a trusted force, Naylor represents an automatic choice. Of the rest, Morris is a dark horse and undoubtedly unfancied by the vast majority of the Fratton faithful.

Still, he’s back in the manager’s eyeline, offering an intriguing option to a match-day squad which has been boosted to 20 personnel in the current climate.

Morris’ Fratton Park impact has been devastated by injury since his January 2019 arrival. There were just eight appearances and one goal before the most recent setback, yet still glimpses.

With Jackett operating with a fully-fit 24-man squad at present, third-choice keeper Duncan Turnbull and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild can expect to miss out on Friday.

In addition, expect a defender to also make way as numbers are trimmed, with a sizeable amount of three left-backs and two right-backs available.

Up front, John Marquis, Ellis Harrison and Oli Hawkins are the only conventional centre-forwards on the Blues’ books, particularly with Brett Pitman’s exile continuing. There will be no more pruning in that department.

Finally, there’s packed midfield options, with Morris among them. Something needs to give.

He could well miss out altogether, having entered so late into the season – but you never know. The alternative may be play-off involvement from the bench at least.

What a comeback that would be. A true fairy-tale ending for the luckless former Middlesbrough man.

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