Former Arsenal defender among Portsmouth first-team squad members to report back for pre-season training after injury nightmare

The former Arsenal youngster featured 26 times for the Blues last term – his maiden season at senior level, following his move from the Gunners’ youth ranks for an undisclosed fee last summer.

Yet the defender’s debut campaign was unfortunately cut short by a groin strain he picked up in January, which meant the right-back missed Pompey’s final 20 games of the season.

It also restricted him to just three appearances under head coach John Mousinho, following his appointment the same month.

That gave the previously-injured Joe Rafferty the opportunity to cushion the blow of losing Swanson – an opportunity he impressively grasped with both hands.

Now both are back on the training pitch together, with the former Gunner taking part in pre-season’s opening day as the first-team squad made their return to the club’s Hilsea training based refreshed and ready to go for the season ahead.

It will be interesting to see how that battle for the Blues’ right full-back role takes shape over the weeks and months that follow.

However, it will be a similar scenario right across the group, with Mousinho and sporting director Rich Hughes refreshing their options with six new arrivals to date.

All six – Will Norris, Conor Shaughnessy, Christian Saydee, Terry Devlin, Anthony Scully and Ben Stevenson – also checked in as the Blues got down to business ahead of another arduous season.

Also spotted amongst the group, via the club’s tweets, were last season’s top scorer Colby Bishop, Marlon Pack, Sean Raggett, Ryley Towler, Connor Ogilvie, Tom Lowery, Josh Oluwayemi, Denver Hume, Toby Steward, Harry Jewitt-White, Haji Mnoga and Liam Vincent.

In fact, the only ones not seen were Joe Morrell and Paddy Lane – but they might have been excused given their recent international commitments with Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.

Pompey have a week of training at home before jetting off to Spain for a warm-weather training camp on Sunday. When on the continent, they will face Gibraltar outfit Europa FC in a warm-up game on Thursday, July 6, at the Estadio Jose Burgos De Quintana in Malaga.

The first of their five home-soil friendlies will be against Bognor at Nyewood Lane on Tuesday, July 11, before the Blues kick off the 2023-24 season with a home game against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, August 5.