Portsmouth boss answers questions over free agent transfer move amid defensive injury crisis

But Blues boss John Mousinho warned there are major drawbacks over making a move for an out-of-contract player at this stage of the season.

And the time it will likely take any new faces to get up to the levels of fitness and match sharpness required to operate at Championship level, could well put the brakes on pursuing any possible options.

The possibility of bringing in an unattached player is a talking point in the wake of Pompey being hit by a defensive injury crisis.

Hayden Matthews is now out for the season and will undergo ankle surgery with Rob Atkinson sidelined for up to eight weeks, both suffering the injuries against QPR last week.

With Conor Shaughnessy out for up to two months, with a hamstring issue picked up against Cardiff last month and Ibane Bowat out for the season, it leaves Regan Poole and Ryley Towler as the only fit specialist central defenders in Mousinho’s squad.

Pompey turned to the free agent market last year in similar circumstances, with Lee Evans arriving after Joe Morrell was hit with a knee setback. Mousinho confirmed the recruitment department will be across options this time around, too.

When asked if he’d consider moving for a free agent, the Pompey boss said: ‘We’d always look.

‘But it’s one of those where it’s very difficult at this stage of the season when the free agents pop up, and there’s a month or two left of the season.

‘It’s going to take them three or four weeks to get up to scratch, usually off the back of injury or getting released, so it’s a very, very difficult market to get right.’

Mousinho paired Poole with Marlon Pack at Luton, with the experienced defender starting his first game in approaching three months, after his own fitness issues. They comprised 10 months out with a serious knee injury and then a hamstring issue at the end of last year, related to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery he underwent.

After his first start back, Poole could now conceivably face three games in seven days starting against leaders Leeds next weekend - a schedule he has to be ready for according to his manager.

Mousinho added: ‘He’ll just have to do it. If he’s selected for three games in seven days he’ll have no choice and have to get on with it - and we need to make sure we’re at it.’

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