John Mousinho is facing a midfield conundrum as he looks to keep Portsmouth firmly on track for automatic promotion.
Tom Lowery, Joe Morrell, Ben Stevenson, Alex Roberton, and Terry Devlin are all out, leaving the Blues extremely thin on the ground.
January recruit Owen Moxon has performed well, particularly during the 0-0 draw against Charlton last weekend.
Myles Peart-Harris was given an opportunity in a deeper-lying role in the 2-1 win over Oxford. The 21-year-old displayed some bright moments going forward but was caught out defensively alongside Marlon Pack.
Mousinho has also added Lee Evans to his ranks, although the midfielder isn’t expected to feature until the clash against Peterborough United on 16 March.
Zak Swanson is a midfield option for Portsmouth
Another midfield option is former Arsenal right-back Zak Swanson, and the Pompey boss is now considering deploying him alongside Pack.
“There have been a couple of games this year where Zak has started as a right-back and moved into the middle of the park when we were in possession, so I think he is more than capable of doing that,” he told the Portsmouth News.
“He’s really, really comfortable on the ball, and it would be something we’d probably look to explore over the next couple of weeks, just seeing in training if that looks like something which works – and I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t.
“That’s the way we would operate. We would never chuck him into the deep end, everything we do in training is to try to mirror what we’re doing in games. We would work on that and see if it’s an option.”
On the 23-year-old’s ability, the Pompey boss believes he’s among the best in the squad.
“Technically, he is right up there and can certainly handle the ball in the middle of the park,” he added.
“If we just give him a bit of tactical detail around what it takes to play as a six rather than a full-back, then I think he can definitely do it.
“His first touch is tight, he can see a good pass, I can see him turning on both feet, which is a really good attribute as well. The most important thing is the ability to go in and get the ball, wanting the ball off the centre-backs and full-backs. That’s what we want from our sixes to control games.”
Who will start against Blackpool?
The Blues travel to Blackpool this weekend in what is the start of the testing run for Mousinho’s men. The Seasiders are among the best home sides in League One and have an excellent recent record against Pompey.
Utilising Peart-Harris in a deeper role would seem risky, considering the defensive lapses on Saturday. Potentially bringing Moxon back into the starting XI is the smartest move, and then adapting to how the game plays out.
Evans’ unavailability is frustrating. This feels like a fixture where an experienced head could make the difference.