Out of the picture - but what Portsmouth do with on-loan Ipswich striker Joe Pigott is focus of attention

Seemingly out of the picture when it comes to the Blues’ first-team plans, current circumstances would dictate that he’d probably not be the focus of attention, rather a mere bystander fortunate to be included at best.

Yet, his lack of consistent game time at Fratton Park does consequently draw attention to his continued Blues presence.

On paper, 20 games so far this season does look a decent return, especially when you consider Pompey are 26 matches into their 2022-23 campaign.

But upon closer inspection, all is not what it seems.

Only three of those have come as league starts, the last of which came against Forest Green Rovers on October 22.

Of the 1,620 minutes Danny Cowley’s side have played in League One this season, Pigott has featured for just 357 of them – that represents just 22 per cent.

Twenty-nine minutes of third-tier football have arrived since that 57-minute outing at the New Lawn six-and-a-half weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the former Wimbledon man wasn’t deemed the answer as the Blues searched for a way back into Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Wycombe.

Three goals all season could suggest the 29-year-old perhaps wasn’t the solution – even as the Adams Park visitors toiled in front of goal, not for the first time in recent weeks.

However, there’s always the possibility that the front man is not 100-per-cent fit at present, which could be true given the Blues’ luck with injuries this season.

But if that’s not the case, it begs the question: can Pompey really afford to keep a player not threatening to break into a starting line-up that has scored just four goals in their past seven League One matches?

From what we hear, Pigott is a real character in the Blues dressing room and a popular figure.

There’s also a real desire among the Fratton faithful for him to succeed during his season-long loan from Portman Road, with his arrival during the summer deemed a decent bit of early business as Cowley’s search for strikers stepped up a gear.

Yet his lack of game time away from Papa John’s Trophy runouts suggests the head coach faith in him has waned, which is a real shame.

Of course, Colby Bishop’s 13-goal haul and Dane Scarlett’s presence up front will influence the pecking order. But when goals are in short supply, surely the back-up option deserves more of a chance to prove his worth.

With the January transfer window just around the corner and Cowley having a track record of cutting short loans – Miguel Azeez and Gassan Ahadme know that all too well – another tough call lies in wait.

There’ll be mixed emotions all round if that is the case. But unless Pigott can change the manager’s opinion, surely there’s no other option.

With Blues’ play-off hopes taking a backward step recently, they can’t afford to waste money on a loanee who is struggling to make the impact so many hoped he would.

The sharp focus now turns to what the Blues do next.