Why Portsmouth fan favourite won't make Fratton Park return with Bristol City

Pompey welcome Bristol City to Fratton Park in the EFL Championship this weekend and the visitors have a few familiar faces in their ranks, but one won’t be playing.

Kal Naismith, a key member of Pompey's 2016/17 League Two winning team plays for the Robins these days. During his time on the South Coast under Paul Cook he was a left winger, but these days the utility man plays as a centre back.

Naismith has been limited to seven games this term, and his last appearance came at the start of November in what was just one of his two starts in the league. The 32-year-old is in to his third campaign at Ashton Gate, but unfortunately won't line up against his former club at the weekend.

He's out with an injury which has had him sidelined for the last four games. Naismith could still make a return to see a couple of old faces, but he won’t be afforded the opportunity to grace the pitch.

Providing an update on Naismith and several other players, assistant manager Chris Hogg in Bristol City’s pre-match press conference said: “We've got boys returning now on the grass with the medical and sports science departments who are getting closer.

“George Tanner, Kal Naismith's been outside as well. They have been out on the grass and are progressing pretty nicely so fingers crossed that in the coming weeks, we can see them returning.

"[The weekend] will probably be too soon for the boys I've mentioned there but they are getting back close which will be good for us in the coming weeks."

Naismith spent three seasons as a player at Pompey, playing under Paul Cook and Kenny Jackett. In the campaign in which they lifted the League Two title, he registered 13 goals in 37 games and also chipped in with 10 assists. He built up a good relationship with Cook, and he left Pompey in 2018 to reunite with him at Wigan Athletic.

The former Rangers man has since played against Pompey as an opposition player, but wasn't afforded the opportunity to play in front of the Fratton faithful when he won there with Wigan in September 2020. Nevertheless, home supporters will always be grateful for the role he played in their resurgence.

Naismith doesn’t forget Pompey either, and they hold a dear place in his heart. In an interview with The News in July 2023, Naismith said Pompey is one club that he intends to return to, either as a player, manager or coach, branding them ‘special’.

His current club teammate Cam Pring should be in contention to play however. It was a loan spell at Pompey which finally gave the defender his breakthrough at City. He played nine games for Pompey during the 2020/21 season, and returned to the West Country to become their regular choice at left-back.