Portsmouth consider centre-half role for Lee Brown - yet defender hunt continues

Joe Gallen has admitted the Blues have discussed switching the 29-year-old following his return to fitness.

Pompey’s transfer window priority has been to recruit a left-sided central defender to challenge Sean Raggett.

The January window closes on Friday at 11pm, with the search continuing in the meantime.

However, Brown has emerged as an option to provide positional cover if necessary.

And with the Blues overstocked for left-backs at present, their assistant manager believes the former Bristol Rovers man could feature elsewhere in the side.

Gallen said: ‘Probably Lee can play there. I would say so.

‘I don't think he has played there before, but distribution-wise he could, certainly that wouldn’t be an issue at all.

‘Just the physical side to it would be the key, but he has so much experience and enough power to use in a clever way to get away with it.

‘We have spoken about it. In the last few weeks we have spoken about it.

‘He could play a couple of games there, but if a 6ft 4in striker went and played on him, I think things could get difficult.

‘That would be a tall order for Lee, but I think he could go there within a game and play some matches there.’

Brown has made 68 appearances since joining in the summer of 2018, entirely at left-back.

He returned to the bench for Tuesday night’s 2-0 success at Lincoln, replacing Brandon Haunstrup.

That marked the end of an 11-match absence having undergone an Achilles operation in early December during an injury-hampered campaign.

The arrival of the impressive Steve Seddon on loan from Birmingham has barred Brown from an instant first-team recall.

Such have been Seddon’s outstanding displays, including his attacking talents and dead-ball ability, he appears set for the remainder of the season.

That leaves Brown and Haunstrup fighting it out to serve as the 22-year-old’s understudy.

Yet the possibility of using Pompey’s vice-captain elsewhere in the side is a consideration, particularly with the squad short of another centre-half.

Numbers have recently been bolstered by Jack Whatmough’s return from injury, yet the Blues are keen to offload Paul Downing, while Anton Walkes has already departed for Atlanta United.

Meanwhile, occasional defender Tom Naylor is seen as a more influential figure in the centre of midfield.

Gallen added: ‘We have spoken about it. I don’t know about Lee playing there this season, but it has been spoken about.

‘It’s not like it’s not part of a plan – but I think there's a few moves prior to that.’