Kenny Jackett reveals no Portsmouth fringe player has demanded January move

The likes of Paul Downing and Andy Cannon have been firmly on the periphery of things in recent months.

Despite signing a three-year deal when joining on a free transfer from Blackburn in the summer, Downing hasn’t featured in League One for more than three months.

Cannon, meanwhile, has played the fewest minutes of Jackett’s outfielders this season and not featured in the third tier for two months.

Both were unused substitutes in last Saturday’s miserable 4-1 loss to Accrington.

And with Pompey keen to strengthen their promotion push when the transfer window opens again next month, it means there will also be some outgoings.

But Jackett said no-one was pushing for a move elsewhere.

Asked if anyone had knocked on his door for showdown talks, the manager said: ‘We haven’t had anything necessarily concrete, no.

‘At the moment, all we have talked about is working hard, getting your head down and being ready when you get a chance and opportunity.

‘I suppose, quite naturally, when people aren’t playing on a regular basis when a window comes around they’re maybe looking (for a move).

‘We aren’t looking to sell players – other clubs buy them. If nobody comes for a player then you keep your head down and keep working here.

‘You don’t want to keep people who don’t see there future here, whether it’s because of football or living in the area.

‘But then you have to have a balance between that and looking after the club.

‘It’s not cast in stone but we’re not going to up the numbers and let no-one go out. Whether they completely tally, that will be our aim but it doesn’t always work like that.

‘Similarly, we don’t want to be upping the numbers for the sake of it either.’

Jackett pinpointed that while some players haven't had a lot of game-time, the vast majority have been in and around his match-day squad.

He added: ‘We haven’t really had many who've been out of the 18 – probably only Luke McGee for any length of time.

‘Matt Casey, Leon Maloney and a goalkeeper are it. Out of the senior group, everybody has been almost at least sub or close to it.

‘We haven’t had a problem with too many fit players sat in the stands. They've been in and around the 18 and one place from going on.’