BOSS SET TO MAKE LATE CALL ON JACOBS’ INJURY RETURN
KENNY JACKETT will wait until Thursday or Friday before deciding whether to throw Michael Jacobs into the action at Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Failing that, the Blues’ boss anticipates the winger to be available for selection for Fleetwood Town’s Fratton Park visit next Tuesday night.
Jacobs returned to full training yesterday after six weeks on the sidelines through a knee ligament injury sustained at Sunderland.
That incident in October deprived the Blues of the former Wigan Athletic man for 11 fixtures in all competitions.
However, Jackett is pencilling him in for a comeback against either Ipswich or Fleetwood.
He told The News: ‘Michael is good and back in training this week.
‘We will see how he is by the end of the week to decide whether it’s Fleetwood or Ipswich, I’m not sure yet.
‘I will certainly be looking at him Thursday or Friday to see whether I feel he is ready.
‘It was a knee ligament injury, but he's fine now and all over it, training fine yesterday, which was his first day back.
‘With a full week’s training, Michael won’t be far away.
‘I feel he can come back by then. It very much depends whether he feels it at all this week. If he does, we obviously won’t risk him.’
Jacobs has made seven appearances and scored once since arriving as a free agent in mid-September.
At the time, the 29-year-old had been training at Wigan, but not featured in pre-season friendlies.
It meant he needed to build up his match sharpness after arriving at Pompey, only to sustain the injury in the second half of the 3-1 win at Sunderland in October.
Jackett added: ‘If Michael is completely pain-free and in full training then that will be good
news. ‘He’s been out six weeks, but I think generally will be fit enough to step back in. ‘Whether it’s Ipswich or whether it’s Fleetwood, they are the targeted games right now for Michael Jacobs.’
Jacobs had been keeping Ronan Curtis out of the side prior to his injury, which saw him removed from the action at the Stadium of Light after 55 minutes.
However, since then Curtis has been in top form for the Blues, scoring five goals in nine games and registering three assists. Jacobs’ return will create further competition among Pompey’s attacking ranks, with Jordy Hiwula also capable of playing wide left.
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Michael Jacobs has made seven appearances for Pompey so far this season