Update: Portsmouth defender hands Danny Cowley another huge injury blow as second operation is lined up - while winger's absence is also explained

The defender requires a second operation – just weeks after surgery on a stomach muscle injury that has kept him out of the Blues line-up since the 2-1 win against Peterborough on September 3.

Only this time it’s expected the right-back will require a procedure on a groin injury picked up in training this week.

The summer signing from Preston – who has featured eight times for Pompey this season and is yet to taste defeat – will see a specialist this week before going under the knife.

But manager Danny Cowley, who is having no luck with injuries at present, is not sure how many more games he will miss.

In total, the 29-year-old has been forced to sit out eight League One matches for the Blues – an absence that has seen Pompey pick up just two wins in that time.

Speaking to BBC Solent after the 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury, the Pompet manager said: ‘We got some really bad news on Joe Rafferty, he needs another operation.

‘So that’s going to be a real tough one for all of us to take, particularly Joe, and that’s just the way (it’s been goiing).

‘I don’t know yet (how long he’ll be out for). He’ll get to the specialist and we’ll get that opinion.’

Rafferty was among six first-team regulars missing for the stalemate with Steve Cotterill’s Shrews, with Marlon Pack, Tom Lowery, Louis Thompson, Michael Jacobs and Reeco Hackett also unavailable.

Sean Raggett was also withdrawn in the second half because of a recurrence of the back injury he sustained against Oxford.

And to make matters worse, some Blues players are suffering from a sickness bug.

Cowley added:’ Reeco – he trained yesterday, felt good, and then has woken up with a sickness bug this morning.

‘Even Clark (Robertson) had a sickness bug this morning and somehow managed to play.

‘He’s been throwing up in the changing room so credit to him, but Reeco was more poorly and wasn’t able to so we had to change the team this morning.

‘But this is just the challenges we’re facing at the minute.’