'Not selected': Damning Middlesbrough indictment as forgotten man's Portsmouth career suffers new blow

Despite the Northern Ireland international having recovered from the illness which sidelined him for Luton, there was no instant return to the squad on Saturday.

Instead, 17-year-old Harry Clout retained his place on the bench at the Riverside Stadium - and a fit and available Whyte stayed at home.

‘Gavin was not selected,’ was John Mousinho’s uncharacteristically brief take on the winger’s absence when questioned in the post-match press conference.

They were four words, perfunctory and to the point, nonetheless speaking volumes about the frustrating ongoing Whyte situation.

Middlesbrough provided a damning indictment on how far the 28-year-old continues to drift from the first-team frame as he struggles to impress the Fratton faithful.

Whyte was an unused substitute on the opening day of Championship season at Leeds, while started against Millwall in the Carabao Cup, then he missed out through illness against Luton.

Now a second-year scholar has been chosen on the bench ahead of him for Pompey’s fourth game.

Whyte desperately needed to hit the ground running in pre-season following a mediocre first Fratton Park campaign in which failed to match his marquee signing billing.

Instead he missed June’s first day back, was unable to join in with full training during the entirety of their Croatia camp, and totalled 82 minutes in friendlies.

Critically, Josh Murphy, Sammy Silvera, Matt Ritchie and Harvey Blair have been recruited this summer and will provide healthy left-wing alternatives.

Now throw in teenage Clout, who has enjoyed eye-catching moments in pre-season friendlies, and the former Oxford man finds himself significantly down the first-team pecking order.

Pompey have sizeable injury problems at present - Murphy was absent at Middlesbrough, while Silvera was ineligible against his parent club - and still there was no room in the 20-man squad for Whyte.

He was handed an opportunity against Millwall, of course, named in the starting XI for the Carabao Cup encounter at Fratton Park and among six changes.

The attacker featured for 64 minutes, collected a booking, and once again failed to impress as the Blues slipped to a 1-0 defeat.

The brutal truth is the highlight reel of his Pompey career so far consists of Leyton Orient away, pivotal assists against Bolton and Peterborough, and a goal in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy debacle against AFC Wimbledon.

Whyte also started April’s Barnsley fixture which yielded promotion and the League One title on a truly memorable Fratton Park evening.

Although he had already left the pitch in the 61st minute with the Blues trailing 2-1, before Mousinho’s men staged their late fightback to triumph 3-2.

Illness would subsequently rule Whyte out of the final two matches of the campaign, in addition to the Southsea Common celebrations, as he slipped away for the summer unnoticed.

With a contract until the summer of 2026, time is ticking to prove his Pompey worth. Then again, the patience of many supporters has long since run out.