Portsmouth boss' Clark Robertson injury admission after 'better' handling of ex-Rotherham and Aberdeen man

On Saturday, the centre-half bagged his second goal in four matches, while once again demonstrated his quality on the ball with excellent distribution.

Perhaps most crucial of all, the 3-1 triumph over Gillingham marked a fourth outing in 12 days for the Scot.

Earlier this season, Robertson missed 22 matches through a quad injury, raising concerns over a frustrating injury record which has dogged his career.

However, after starting three matches in a week last month, the Scot has now upped his workload further.

And Cowley is convinced that will lead to greater availability next term.

He told The News: ‘Clark is a top player, he was brilliant at the start of the season, got injured, and that really hurt us in September.

‘We had no Robertson or Paul Downing – and then Connor Ogilvie got injured in a Hampshire Senior Cup game.

‘But he has now played four matches in quick succession, which is a good step in the right direction.

‘We have been building towards that after his injury. We felt the previous club (Rotherham) made some mistakes rushing him back, then he ended up getting secondary injuries, so we’ve tried to be a bit better.

‘We don’t want to be changing the centre-half partnership if we can help it, especially a good one, so we’re hoping it will mean he will be okay next season.

‘Clark’s a really good player, we saw in possession his use of the ball, with wonderful diagonal passes which can break the lines and also can find Michael Jacobs on the half turn.

‘There is so much detail to his passing, he always passes with the right weight, the ball sees every blade of grass, there’s always a message on his pass.

‘Clark has a lovely ability to pass into space – and it speeds your play up.’

Robertson has made 25 appearances and scored twice during his maiden Fratton Park season.

The skipper signed from Rotherham on a free transfer in June, penning a two-year deal which expires in the summer of 2023.

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