Kenny Jackett: Sean Raggett needs Portsmouth games - and plenty are lined up

Sean Raggett is backed to bounce back from a forgettable full Pompey debut.
Sean Raggett endured an unhappy full debut against Coventry. Picture: Robin JonesSean Raggett endured an unhappy full debut against Coventry. Picture: Robin Jones
Sean Raggett endured an unhappy full debut against Coventry. Picture: Robin Jones

And Kenny Jackett is lining up the fixtures to allow the central defender to regain crucial match fitness.

A maiden Blues start against Coventry represented the loanee’s seventh match of 2019, following wretched injury misfortune.

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Raggett's pre-season with new club Pompey was also hampered, sidelined by stitches required in his right elbow.

It remains to be seen whether he retains his place for tonight’s Carabao Cup trip to QPR (7.45pm).

But, in the pursuit of games, there’s also Crawley in the Leasing.com Trophy (September 3) and the Premier League Cup at Doncaster (September 10).

Opportunity awaits for the Norwich defender craving match minutes.

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Jackett said: ‘I think Sean needs games. He has gone quite a long time without playing, yet there are a high number of games coming up in different competitions, so that is a good thing.

‘He’s a very positive character and a resilient one. To some degree for all of those boys, as it is for me as manager, it’s disappointing to go from 3-1 to 3-3 under the circumstances we did, but we also have to know what we need to do better,

‘Sean’s not had a lot of football and, to a degree, had a disrupted pre-season, and sometimes they are not reasons or excuses.

‘Sean has been fine in training, none of those lads will crumble with a bit of criticism or a poor game or the circumstances of turning three points into one.

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‘In terms of assuredness and assuredness on the ball, they are big things (for Raggett), particularly when you play against a side with just one up front.’

Jackett has indicated he is willing to persevere with those players who featured in the dismal Coventry defensive display.

And some will get another opportunity to shine in tonight’s second-round tie at Loftus Road.

Pompey’s boss added: ‘I think persevering is important, even at the back there are different combinations of players.

‘We must persevere, give them the right information, the right amount of encouragement, and then wait for them to work it out, settle down and, if we can, do our best.’

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