The injuries have racked up for Blackpool’s next League One opponents and the Tangerines could have an opportunity to strike on Saturday.
Blackpool face unbeaten Portsmouth in what is their biggest challenge to date so far in the League One season.
Pompey are top of the table with 10 wins and six draws, with their only defeats this season coming in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. Should the Tangerines want to send a message, and make a statement that they’re in the promotion race then a win at Fratton Park would sure go a long way towards doing that.
It’s not all gone plain sailing for John Mousinho and his side however, and on Saturday they could be without up to seven players. The South Coast outfit are navigating through several injuries, and two of them will play no further past in the 2023/24 campaign. Wales international Regan Poole tore his ACL in the defeat to Chesterfield in the FA Cup, and now there is one less defender available to Mousinho with Poole expected to be out until October 2024.
To make matters worse, following the defeat to Chesterfield, it was revealed that on-loan Chelsea midfielder Tino Anjorin would be missing for at least two months. He tore his hamstring on November 5, and it was believed he’d be out for between to six to eight weeks but now it’s at least eight weeks, having been worse than initially feared.
Left-back Connor Ogilvie has had a stop-start few months having contended with an injury, and now he’s out for at least a month. He has an ankle ligament injury similar to Pack, and his return date is around Christmas.
Midfielder Tom Lowery meanwhile has been unavailable for selection since sustaining a knee injury on the opening day of the season. He has returned to ‘modified’ training, and could make a push to be involved against Blackpool, however he would likely be limited to a substitute role.
Winger Anthony Scully is a confirmed absentee for the hosts meanwhile having been out since the end of August with a knee injury. He is expected back in the New Year and as a result of his and Anjorin’s absence, Portsmouth signed free agent Josh Martin to compliment the squad.
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