WORLD CUP HAS NO BIG IMPACT
Danny Cowley has dismissed fears that Joe Morrell’s World Cup finals absence will heavily impact Pompey commitments.
The midfielder will head to Qatar in November following Wales’ play-off qualification triumph over Ukraine.
Although Morrell wasn’t used from the bench for the 1-0 victory, a haul of 27 caps reflects a player regularly involved under boss Rob Page.
Wales’ World Cup finals campaign begins with three
Group B fixtures, which start on November 21 against USA and end on November 29 versus England.
The last 16 consists of the Group B runners-up facing Group A winners on December 3.
The following day, December 4, the Group B winners come up against Group A runners-up at the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor.
Overall, the World Cup ends on December 18.
Cowley, however, is relaxed over the length of Morrell’s potential absence with Wales.
He told The News: ‘Joe’s a top player, we are really lucky to have him. He can give you so much control and rhythm in games. He just takes the ball, it doesn’t matter where he is on the pitch, he’s always willing to take the ball.
‘When he’s got good movement ahead of him, he is always able to find a forward pass and progress and speed your play up.
‘In terms of our game idea and how we want to play, he makes angles and options, has that lovely tight turning circle and ball manipulation where he can get out of the tight areas.
‘If you look at it, during the World Cup they only actually miss two league games, especially as we are not going to play any midweek games in that period.
‘So we could possibly be without Joe for two league games and potentially two cup games.
‘There are actually fewer international breaks because of the World Cup, so while there is one in September, there isn’t any in October.’
Cowley considers Morrell a pivotal player, adding: ‘Trying to find the right partner for him is always the important thing, someone that can complement what he does. He loves to buzz around, so you need someone next to him who is quite disciplined.’