Why Portsmouth forward and Blackburn-linked Marcus Harness has been left ruing the Blues' 17-day break more than most

After serving a three-match ban ahead of the Blues’ goalless draw with Wycombe, the forward has been plunged back into an enforced break due to internationals and Rotherham’s forthcoming EFL Trophy final appearance.

This means the ex-Burton man will have to wait until April 5’s trip to Bolton to recapture his prolific early-season form, after a noticeable dip in performances since the turn of the year.

The 26-year-old – who will have played just once in the four-and-a-half weeks between his Accrington red card and the trip to the Trotters – scored 10 goals in the opening 23 matches of this campaign, prompting yet more links to Championship Blackburn.

But since he notched against Morecambe in December, Harness has scored only once, while his individual performances has also suffered.

Perhaps the frustrations of such a run got the better of him as he saw red against Accrington last month – a dismissal that saw him miss crucial fixtures against Crewe, Ipswich, and Plymouth.

Nevertheless, the Blues asset can’t wait to get back out there playing again to make up for lost time.

Harness told The News: ‘Yeah (the break comes at a bad time). I think we’d prefer to play the games, really, because the schedule is going to be insane when we get back.

‘All we can do is try and get the most out of it. There are some tired bodies in the dressing room.

‘I’ve had a break, obviously, but there are some lads who have played every game and I think it could be a good thing for some of us.

‘We can come back re-energised and give the end of the season a good crack.’

Pompey’s Chairboys stalemate has left them eight-points behind the top-six, with fixtures running out.

Due to their absence from action going into April, they will face an intense schedule of eight matches in 25 days, while travelling to top-half sides Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday, and hosting current top-two Wigan and Rotherham.

Although the prospect looks daunting, Harness believes beating the sides around them could see the Blues sneak into the play-offs.

He added: ‘We’ve just got to take each game at a time.

‘We’ve got some of the big boys to play still, so if we can get some good results in those games, I guess anything’s possible.

‘I don’t know what the chances are, numerically, but we’ll be trying to finish strong and give ourselves every chance.’

Message From the Editor

You can support our local team of expert Pompey writers by subscribing here for all the latest news from Fratton Park for less than 25p per week.