Possible surprise Millwall reunion - why Portsmouth are hopeful of rapid Shaun Williams return to solve midfield crisis

The Blues will today discover the full extent of the back issue which forced the midfielder out of Saturday’s encounter with Fleetwood.

The summer capture had been named in Danny Cowley’s starting XI at the Highbury Stadium, yet was forced to pull out during the warm-up.

He was subsequently replaced in midfield by Connor Ogilvie as Pompey claimed a 1-0 win through Lee Brown’s goal.

Tomorrow night the Blues face Millwall in the Carabao Cup (7.45pm).

And Cowley hasn’t given up hope of Williams facing the club where he spent seven-and-a-half seasons, amassing almost 300 appearances before his Fratton Park arrival.

Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘I don’t know, we will have a look at it. Sometimes these things go very quickly.

‘What happens is the stress response when you put your back out is for all the muscles to go into this horrible spasm.

‘It can feel a lot worse in 24-48 hours when the inflammation drops and then it starts to ease quite considerably.

‘Shaun has trained every session in pre-season, it’s incredible for a 34-year-old.

‘There are those we call compromised athletes, you are always trying to get their load right during the training week because they are different to some of the other athletes.

‘He has just wanted to do everything, he loves football, he’s been great.

‘Shaun picked up his little boy on Thursday evening, he had got into his bed that night. So went to put him into his own bed and felt his back then.

‘It’s very low level – then you had the journey (Fleetwood) and it stiffened.’

If Williams is again ruled out, that leaves Ryan Tunnicliffe as Pompey’s only senior central midfielder.

Promising Harry Jewitt-White was on the bench at Fleetwood, yet is aged just 17.

Pompey, of course, also hope to soon add Louis Thompson and Joe Morrell to their midfield ranks – although Ogilvie remains another consideration.

Cowley added: ‘We’d primed Connor, he did great on his debut playing out of position. I don’t think he has ever played in the centre of midfield in his senior career.

‘To be able to do that on your debut like he did was great,’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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