Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett has revealed that Brett Pitman will miss out on his side's trip to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday due to injury.

The striker limped off the pitch during last weekend's goalless draw with Gillingham, and it does not appear as though he will recover in time for Pompey's clash with the Dons on the weekend.

Portsmouth have made an underwhelming start to the season having won just three of their opening 10 league matches, but Pitman has been a regular feature in the side with his eight appearances in attack.

The 31-year-old has netted twice for the south-coast club this term and he has started each of Portsmouth's last three matches which have included victories over Bolton and Doncaster, as well as a draw against Gillingham.

Jackett has now provided an update on the injury Pitman suffered during the Gillingham match, while he also commented on the current availability throughout the squad.

"Brett will probably miss out with a groin strain on Saturday, although it’s not particularly serious. Barring a miraculous recovery from him in the next 48 hours, then he will likely not be involved at Wimbledon," he told the Portsmouth website.

“We’ve got Craig MacGillivray and Ross McCrorie back from international duty, which does make our squad stronger. But other than that, we’ll be selecting from the same group that played against Gillingham last Saturday.

“Oli Hawkins is the next one to come back, but he’s still out for a number of weeks yet with a foot injury.”

Hawkins has seen his season severely hampered by injury so far, as he has only made one appearance for Pompey this term after featuring a total of 48 times over the course of last season.

[freshpress-poll ]

The Verdict

This injury will come as a blow for Jackett as it limits his selection options ahead of the Wimbledon match, but this now offers the chance to test a new striker partnership for Pompey.

John Marquis was left on the bench during the Gillingham match last time out, but Pitman's injury now gives the chance for the former Doncaster man to start alongside Ellis Harrison in attack.

Pitman struggled to impact the game during his 54 minutes against the Gills on the weekend, so it is possible that Jackett was considering withdrawing him from the starting line-up for the Wimbledon clash anyhow.