'We can’t afford for that to be the case' - Portsmouth sporting director reveals investigation into Blues' injury problems with Tom Lowery and Joe Rafferty still out

The club’s sporting director has revealed that a thorough investigation has been carried out to determine why the treatment table at the Blues’ training base has been overcrowded.

And he’s insisted action has been taken as a result that will hopefully reduce the risk of injuries mounting up again in the future.

The Blues’ season has been blighted with player unavailability, with Tom Lowery (hamstring) and Joe Rafferty (groin) two examples of first-teamers whose Pompey careers remain on hold, despite being sidelined since September.

Louis Thompson, Marlon Pack, Joe Morrell, Michael Jacobs, Jay Mingi, Clark Robertson and Jayden Reid are among others who have had to miss significant game time this term, with the latter still out with a second cruciate ligament problem within the space of a year.

Denver Hume, meanwhile, only became available for selection in the autumn after being absent with a back complaint since March.

Those type of numbers have, no doubt, impacted on Pompey’s season and did former head coach Danny Cowley no favours prior to his sacking earlier this month.

So it’s not surprising to hear that Hughes has been investigating and authorising changes so that a repeat can be avoided.

Speaking at the latest Tony Goodall Fans' Conference, the sporting director said: ‘I’ve done a big investigative piece of work on everything that’s been going on in the past six months, some of which predates my time at the club.

‘We’ve been through every factor which has impacted upon the number and type of injuries we’ve had and reflected on what we can do differently in future.

‘Tom Lowery’s (injury) is one of the most unusual hamstring injuries I’ve ever seen in football – it’s in a really unusual location.

‘We’ve got to get the right systems in place so that everything is reported and captured properly and we’ve invested in a new piece of medical equipment to assist in this area.

‘We’ve got players in the treatment room right now who would help us on the pitch. We can’t afford for that to be the case.

‘I’ve got experts in the field who I speak to regularly – we want to push the standards all the time.

‘We’re speaking to the players more about their individual needs.

‘To give you one example, Ryley Towler is really big on Pilates – we’re investing in him, so we want to give him what he needs and tailor his programme to him. I’m really passionate about it.’

At present, Robertson (quad), Mingi (knee) and Ronan Curtis (ankle) – plus Lowery, Rafferty and Reid – remain on the treatment table.

They will not travel to Peterborough on Saturday as John Mousinho looks to continue his impressive start as Blues boss.