Luckless: Another agonising set-back for one of Portsmouth's own after seven months injured

Brandon Haunstrup was last week back training at Cambridge United after a calf issue had kept him out since February.

The luckless 26-year-old had previously been ruled out for six months with a knee problem.

Indeed, the left-back has played just eight times in the last 20 months, stretching back to his time at Kilmarnock.

However, just as the former Crookhorn School pupil was hoping for a deserved change of fortune, he has now collected a hamstring problem in training.

That is expected to keep Haunstrup out of action for an additional three weeks, although Cambridge staff believe it is unconnected with his calf issue.

Regardless, it’s yet another blow to a player who opted to turn down a new Pompey deal in July 2020 in order to seek regular first-team football.

He subsequently suffered relegation and then promotion with Scottish side Kilmarnock, before returning to League One after two seasons.

And with Cambridge he has started just one league game since July 2022, with their fans still waiting to see the best of the ex-Blues Academy graduate.

Assistant head coach Kevin Betsy told the Cambridge Independent: ‘It’s really sad for Brandon. He’s worked extremely hard every day when he’s been on his recovery away from the main group.

‘But when gets himself back into the moments when he can return the grass – he’s been training for about a week and a half and he’s been doing very well – it’s just unfortunate.

‘When you’re out injured quite a lot you can pick up other injuries and they’re not related to the one you were out with.

‘It’s disappointing for him. Our thoughts are with him and hopefully he’ll be back fit very, very soon.’

Haunstrup, who hails from Waterlooville, made his Pompey debut as an 18-year-old against Derby in the Carling Cup in August 2015.

Representing Paul Cook’s second Blues match in charge, they defeated Championship side Derby 2-1 through goals from Adam McGurk and substitute Conor Chaplin.

However, over the next five seasons, the Blues fan was challenged with competing with Enda Stevens, Dion Donohue and Lee Brown for the left-back spot.

As a consequence, he found himself as purely a back-up player, at one stage even handed four straight starts at right-back by Kenny Jackett,

That period in 2019-20, also saw him net his sole Pompey goal in 57 appearances, arriving in a win at Harrogate Town in the FA Cup in November 2019.

At the end of that season, he moved to Kilmarnock on a two-year deal, only to suffer Scottish Premiership relegation in his first campaign.

However, he helped Killie to an instant return by winning the Scottish Championship in 2021-22 under Derek McInnes, although not featuring in the final three months.

Now he’s at Cambridge, yet hasn’t featured since February in a 2-0 loss at Exeter, when he came off the bench.