New signing Jayden Reid will miss Pompey's opening League One clash against Fleetwood Town this weekend due to his cruciate ligament injury - and is likely to miss at least a big chunk of the 2021/22 season as he begins his road to recovery.

How long the 20-year-old will remain out for will depend on how he responds to treatment, but this is a major blow for the winger, who had just arrived at Fratton Park last month after being released from Huddersfield Town earlier in the summer.

Reid only signed a one-year deal on the south coast, so he will want to return as quickly as possible.

In a much-needed boost for Portsmouth, Paul Downing has returned to training following a hamstring strain and could be available to return soon, although manager Danny Cowley didn't put a specific date on his potential return.

He may not be ready in time for the clash against Fleetwood tomorrow afternoon though, leaving Sean Raggett and Clark Robinson as the third-tier outfit's main choices to start at centre-half as things stand.

One defender who will definitely be absent is Liam Vincent, who is yet to make a competitive appearance for Cowley's men after putting pen to paper on a deal at Fratton Park this summer and then suffering a stress fracture in his shin shortly afterwards. Connor Ogilvie will be an alternative left-back option though, after joining on a two-year deal at the start of the week.

Two more players who are likely to be available for selection are Manchester City loanee Gavin Bazunu and Michael Jacobs, who returned to action at the end of last month after spending time out earlier on in pre-season.

The latter endured a particularly torrid time last term after only making 20 League One appearances and will be hoping to have a much more productive campaign in the next nine months.

In better news, Danny Cowley will have a flurry of new signings available at his disposal, including Ryan Tunnicliffe and Shaun Williams who will go a long way in strengthening their midfield.

Both have a wealth of previous experience in the Championship and that could come in handy as Portsmouth prepare for another push for promotion.

Keep an eye out for Norwich City loanee Gassan Ahadme as well, because he's been impressive during pre-season and scored a hat-trick against Havant and Waterlooville last month in a friendly.

He could be in line for his league debut alongside this week's latest arrival George Hirst, after officially joining from the Canaries on a season-long loan just over a fortnight ago following a successful trial.