No emotional Portsmouth reunion for Wales international Joe Morrell after Reading set-back

There will be no emotional Pompey reunion with Joe Morrell at the Madejski Stadium.

The former Blues favourite had been trialling at Reading in his search for regular football following an agonising 18 months on the sidelines.

Now fully fit after recovering from an issue with his left knee, the popular midfielder even scored for the Royals in a 2-1 victory over Swindon in a behind-closed-doors friendly last week.

That was among two appearances for the 28-year-old during the League One club’s friendly schedule.

However, ahead of Pompey’s visit on Saturday, Reading boss Noel Hunt has revealed the Wales international is no longer trialling with his side and had left.

And it denies Morrell the opportunity to face the club he served so impressively, having captained them on occasions and also been part of the League One title-winning squad.

‘Not quite what we are looking for’

Speaking to the Reading Chronicle, Hunt said: ’Joe didn’t come to Ireland with us. We had the opportunity to watch Joe; he was a great character and a great guy but probably not quite what we are looking for in that area at this moment in time.

‘We have more priorities to fill than that role.’

Morrell was initially expected to be sidelined for five months after a piece of cartilage broke off inside his knee during Pompey’s League One encounter at Oxford United in January 2024.

At that point, he had been a regular in Mousinho’s table-topping side, making 31 appearances, of which 26 were league starts, while captaining the Blues whenever Marlon Pack was absent.

However, almost 18 months on, he has still to play competitively once more, having twice undergone surgery to repair the knee amid a long rehabilitation period.

Pompey had decided against taking up the 12-month option on the Welshman’s contract in the summer of 2024 and, subsequently, no agreement could be reached on a new deal.

Yet the Blues continued to oversee Morrell’s recovery at their Copnor Road training base, with their medical team handling his rehabilitation and successfully getting him back playing again.

Signed from Luton in August 2021

He had been recruited from Luton by Danny Cowley in August 2021 for an undisclosed fee and went on to total 105 appearances and one goal.

Morrell was also largely a first-choice central midfield presence under Cowley’s replacement Mousinho, netting his only Blues goal in the 2-0 success over Exeter in the head coach’s first match in charge in January 2023.

Now the former Bristol City man is seeking a new club having finished his trial at Reading, yet proven his fitness following a miserable last 18 months.

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