'We have a contingency plan': Andy Cullen on where next for Portsmouth after surprise exit of West Brom keeper

And they are prepared to consider an emergency loan as a back-up plan.

The West Brom goalkeeper was recalled on Wednesday – a decision initiated by his parent club rather than the player.

That leaves Pompey with just highly-rated pair Josh Oluwayemi and 17-year-old Toby Steward on their books ahead of Saturday’s encounter with the Trotters.

However, the Blues are intent on signing a more senior keeper to serve as number one for the remainder of the season.

Andy Cullen told The News: ‘We are already in that process and have identified where we want to go next, that is all part of the contingency plan.

‘Josh’s recall was really quick, he was as surprised as anyone. He had kept saying how much he was enjoying his time with us.

‘We are hugely disappointed, but that’s the prerogative of the parent club. The trouble with goalkeeping loans is they can be recalled at any time inside or outside the transfer window.

‘So you are always vulnerable, but, while we were in a position where that was always a possibility, we have been through a number of contingency options.

‘Now we now start to look at those and exercise those.

‘It’s West Brom’s prerogative to call Josh back. I don't know what plans they’ve got for him, it’s none of my business, but I think he would have been disappointed, he was enjoying being with us.’

The 21-year-old Oluwayemi has started five Papa Johns Trophy matches this season, having previously represented Spurs under-21s twice in the same competition.

However, he has never started a league match, with only a substitute appearance for non-league Maidenhead to his name.

Nonetheless, he has impressed in his Pompey outings, saving three penalties in a shoot-out against AFC Wimbledon in the Papa Johns Trophy in November.

Meanwhile, Steward has made 26 appearances for Bognor this season, impressing in the Isthmian Premier Division until his New Year’s Eve recall.

Pompey have great hopes for the teenager, who signed professional forms last February while still in the Academy and has interested Premier League and Championship clubs.

Cullen added: ‘You can exercise the emergency goalkeeper rule which is for seven days.

‘A professional goalkeeper is defined as someone who has made five or more first-team starts in senior competitions, which excludes the EFL Trophy.

‘If you don’t have any of those, we can take a keeper on a seven-day loan – and Josh (Oluwayemi) doesn’t qualify as a professional goalkeeper yet.

‘If we got really, really stuck, for example, we could do that, but the objective is to bring somebody in.’