Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley has admitted they are still unsure about Zak Swanson's injury issue, even if the defender is making progress.

The 22-year-old joined the League One outfit in the summer on a permanent deal from Arsenal and he has generally done well, with Pompey only losing one game the right-back has played in the league so far.

However, Swanson picked up a stomach problem against MK Dons in the FA Cup and has missed the two games since, including the EFL Trophy victory over Stevenage on Tuesday night.

And, reporter Andrew Moon revealed that Cowley gave an update on the player when speaking after the win.

"Danny Cowley says they still haven’t quite got to the bottom of Zak Swanson’s injury but says it in improving."

It seems unlikely that the youngster will be available for the weekend game against MK Dons, although Cowley will hope to have him back quickly considering the busy festive period is nearly upon us.

The right-back position has been a problem for Pompey this season, as Kieron Freeman and Joe Rafferty have also had fitness issues.

The verdict

This is an interesting update as the fact the club haven't got to the bottom of the problem doesn't sound good, yet Swanson making progress is obviously a positive.

So, it seems as though Pompey fans will have to wait a few days for a more informative update which Cowley will surely provide ahead of the weekend game.

Of course, given the right-back situation, all connected to the club will hope that Swanson is available for selection as soon as possible.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.