Gillingham v Portsmouth - early team news: John Marquis set to replace Ellis Harrison... hosts taking stock after sickness bug

Ellis Harrison will be Pompey’s only injury absentee for the trip to Gillingham (6.30pm kick-off).
John Marquis will likely replace the injured Ellis Harrison in Pompey's starting XI.John Marquis will likely replace the injured Ellis Harrison in Pompey's starting XI.
John Marquis will likely replace the injured Ellis Harrison in Pompey's starting XI.

The striker suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Doncaster Rovers and is now expected to be out of action for up to three weeks.

That’s likely to see John Marquis restored to the starting XI, with the former Gills loanee finding himself on the bench for the Blues’ past three league games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Any other change to Pompey’s line-up will be down to manager Kenny Jackett and how he wants to approach tonight’s game.

Saturday’s visit of Donny saw Ben Close replace Bryn Morris in midfield, while Andy Cannon was preferred to Michael Jacobs as the boss freshened up his attack.

Close is likely to keep his place, but Cannon might find himself back among the substitutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jacobs could start – as could Ryan Williams, with Ronan Curtis struggling for form.

Gillingham will conduct a stock check on their squad well before kick-off after a sickness bug struck their camp.

It ruled Jacob Mellis out of Saturday’s defeat at the hands of MK Dons, while others have also be affected since.

Numbers were reportedly light when the Priestfield side returned to training yesterday, with captain Kyle Dempsey also absent after he picked up a knock on his ankle/foot in the 2-0 defeat at the Dons.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Boss Steve Evans will leave a decision on the midfielder until as late as possible.

On a positive note for the hosts, Tom O’Connor – on loan from Southampton – is available having returned from international duty with the Republic of Ireland’s under-21s.

Meanwhile, Matty Willock will also be available for selection.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The News has launched a new subscription offer which gives you unlimited access to all of our Pompey coverage.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

You can subscribe here to get the latest updates from Fratton Park, transfer news and expert analysis from our team of Pompey writers.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism on your behalf for our city.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.