Portsmouth encouraged by Gavin Bazunu progress after unfortunate set-back for Manchester City keeper

Nonetheless, Gavin Bazunu’s injury progress is encouraging as the Blue continue to wait for his first-team introduction.

The Manchester City capture felt his quad while warming up to face QPR last week.

As a result, he was pulled out of that opening friendly and also missed last weekend’s 5-2 victory over the Hawks.

However, Bazunu has been able to take part in some aspects of action at this week’s training camp in Burton on Trent.

Although the former Rochdale man is not yet ready for kicking footballs.

Danny Cowley told The News: ’Gavin’s doing handling, he can’t do any kicking at the moment, but hopefully by the middle-to-the-end of the week he gets there.

‘He just felt it in the warm-up to the QPR game, so we couldn’t take any risk.

‘You’ve got to wrap them up in cotton wool at this stage, especially when they are new in the building and you’re just getting to know their bodies.

‘He’s disrupted some fibres in his quad, it’s very low level. It doesn’t even classify as a grade one (tear), we are just being cautious with him.

‘Gavin’s doing all the handling, so we’re still getting a lot of the goalkeeping work into him.’

Meanwhile, Sean Raggett is nearing his training return.

The central defender injured his right ankle during the first few days of pre-season.

Despite appearing at half-time in last week’s opening friendly at QPR, the issue has continued to trouble him.

He missed Saturday’s Hawks fixture, while has still to train with his team-mates at St George’s Park.

Nonetheless, Raggett has continued to work under the watchful eye of Cowley’s medical team.

Pompey’s head coach added: ‘We have brought injured players with us because it’s really important at this stage that we are all together as a squad.

‘We also have two new triallists – one goalkeeper and one outfield player.

‘It’s quite a fluid situation, but hopefully we can be good for them and give them a good way into their season.

‘If some impress – and a few have done – then there is the potential for us to take them.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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