Jackett wary of covid factor
Pompey boss concerned virus could hit his squad plans
KENNY JACKETT revealed the coronavirus pandemic is impacting how he shapes his Pompey squad.
With the UK bracing itself for a second wave of Covid-19, the Blues boss is concerned how he could again lose players to the virus.
And that is factoring into how many men he could let leave Fratton Park before the transfer deadline on October 16.
The likes of Paul Downing and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild have been linked with leaving the club in the coming weeks, while Gareth Evans was dropped from the squad at Rochdale along with James Bolton.
But Jackett has seen how the likes of League One rivals Peterborough and Chalton have been affected by losing players, with some of their first-team squad testing positive for Covid-19 with the season under way.
And he is wary when it comes to letting people depart, of being covered if Pompey were to add to the seven positive cases which have already hit them.
Jackett said: ‘Getting the right amount of numbers is quite difficult at the moment.
‘You have to make sure the club is covered through a testing time.
‘It’s interesting Peterborough have lost players through Covid.
‘Suddenly someone has been in contact with someone and you can suddenly lose four players.
‘So does the depth in our squad actually help us?
‘That’s where we are and that comes into our squad planning.
‘It’s obviously very hard to estimate that exactly, but I’m very happy with the numbers anyway.
‘I don’t think we need anymore numbers and we have some good young players as well.
‘I’m not looking to dramatically increase that.
‘If you’re looking at what happens in the next month, maybe one or two in, maybe one or two out and maybe nothing at all. That’s where it is.
‘There will be minimal movement.’
Pompey are allowed 22 players over the age of 21, under the new salary and wage cap restrictions voted in by League One and League Two sides.
They currently have a first-team squad of 23, but that number includes keepers Duncan Turnbull and Taylor Seymour who aren’t expected to be registered.
Jackett is comfortable with running with a total squad number of that size, although there’s still time for players to go in and out to change the balance in different areas of the pitch.
He added: ‘If you’re looking at actual numbers for us, if we register two of three keepers for instance, there’s Duncan and young Taylor Seymour so we have some flexibility on the goalkeeping situation.
‘Then you’re down to the outfield players and a maximum of 22.
‘I do think that’s more than enough anyway.‘We’re not quite at that number at the minute, and there’s enough players in the squad.’