Portsmouth loanee Josh Griffiths has revealed he hasn't spoken to his parent club West Bromwich Albion's new manager Carlos Corberan yet and is still unclear on his future, speaking to The News.

The 21-year-old joined Pompey on a season-long loan deal in the summer and looked set to spend the entire campaign at Fratton Park with former boss Steve Bruce placing his faith in David Button and Alex Palmer, opting against bringing in a replacement for Sam Johnstone.

Bruce has been sacked since his summer decision to send Griffiths to the south coast though - and successor Corberan may want to recall the latter at some point to give him a chance to shine in the first team.

 

 

However, he wouldn't be guaranteed a huge amount of game time and that's in contrast to his time under Danny Cowley thus far, being trusted to fill the shoes of Gavin Bazunu as one of the first names on the teamsheet for Pompey.

Criticised by some, he has been defended by others and is arguably still on course to become a crucial first-team asset for his parent club in the Midlands at some point in the future.

A full season on loan at Fratton Park could help his development - but he doesn't know whether he faces a mid-season recall from the Baggies.

He said: "It hasn't been discussed (on a January recall) and I can’t control what happens.

"I’m a Pompey player for this season and I’m fully focused on this season.

"I can’t comment on January yet, it is too early and I haven’t discussed it with them."

The Verdict:

For the sake of the player's development, he should be allowed to remain at Fratton Park for the remainder of 2022/23, as long as he retains his starting spot throughout the season.

With the likes of Button and Palmer in front of him in the pecking order, it would take an injury crisis in the goalkeeping department for him to play regularly and this is a key reason why he shouldn't be brought back.

Albion may benefit from having a fresh face like Griffiths back in the first-team squad as one of their most promising players - but they will only see a better version of him at The Hawthorns if he plays as much as possible before breaking into the first team.

And because of the long-term benefits of letting him stay on the south coast, it would be difficult to see Corberan bringing him back despite the fact he may be keen to take a closer look at him.

If the ex-Huddersfield boss wants a new replacement for Sam Johnstone, he needs to be looking for a more experienced head anyway.

And for Pompey, him potentially staying can only be a good thing to minimise instability in their goalkeeping department, something that could be crucial in the promotion race.