Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley provides update on forgotten man Jayden Reid as ex-Birmingham winger continues injury rehab

The 20-year-old joined the Blues’ youth contingent last summer, tasked with breaking into the first team, after his release from Birmingham.

But the forward has been sidelined for the season’s entirety so far, after suffering a ruptured knee ligament in a pre-season friendly against Luton.

Now six months into a long rehabilitation process, Cowley revealed Reid is finally participating in aspects of training.

However, the Fratton chief also explained the youngster still has a long way to go before making his comeback.

Cowley told The News: ‘Jayden is making really good progress. He was involved in the finishing drills on Thursday, so we’re doing some work with him.

‘He’s just post six-months now (since his injury), but with cruciate knee ligament injuries, he’s actually at a stage where he’s really built strength and stability in the knee joint.

‘But because of the nature of the surgery he’s had, it takes about 12 months for the body to ultimately accept the graft to act as a ligament.’

During his fledgling career to date, Reid has made 17 senior appearances across spells at Birmingham, Barrow and Walsall.

Cowley revealed how the winger is itching to return to the game and make an impact for Pompey.

But the Blues boss admitted the challenge he has is to choose the perfect time to re-introduce him to the pitch.

‘He’s going to be at a place where he’s chomping at the bit and feels ready to return and play,’ added Cowley.

‘We’ve just got to be very disciplined and try to make a calculated decision on risk and reward.

‘We’ve always had a rule – never before nine months with cruciates. The risk is just too big for the player before nine months.

‘Even though they’ll feel ready before that time, there’s actually a period of time, with all the research on cruciate knee injuries, that suggests that the longer you leave it, the chances of a re-rupture diminishes.’

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