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Another devastating setback

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Would it be too dramatic to say Jack Whatmough’s latest injury is ‘another devastating setback?’ Personally I do not think it is… BUT the Pompey academy graduate WILL come back from this.

There’s been no shortage of desire, commitment and determination from Whatmough to battle back from his previous knee injuries but a third setback in around 30 months is certainly a blow for Jack, first and foremost, and obviously the club.

When a cruciate ligament injury was sustained in March 2015 it was a first test of his – I guess the Blues’ too – resolve but after a year or so on the sidelines Whatmough battled back.

2016-17 was a fresh start for Whatmough but he soon suffered another injury worry in August 2016. Thankfully this wasn’t as bad as feared, yet it still meant a spell on the sidelines and gave Christian Burgess and Matt Clarke the advantage in cementing their places in then-boss Paul Cook’s side.

Fresh from a new deal in the summer, Whatmough, 21, got his chance under Kenny Jackett and he had been an impressive performer this season, arguably the most impressive – certainly consistent.

However, following an injury in the Rotherham defeat, which saw him withdrawn at half time, he has since undergone knee surgery – as soon as it was revealed that option was needed we would have known a sustained spell on the sidelines was on the cards.

It’ll be five-six months but Whatmough’s been backed to come back from.

‘It’s not going to be a short period of time – the specialist has said five or six months, so that’s not good,’ Jackett this week told BBC Radio Solent. ‘He’s a young man and he’s determined and diligent enough to get over it.’

Yes, Whatmough can, in fact he will, come back from this but there’s no doubting the fact these knee injuries will take a toll and do become harder to come back from so he’ll not be able to keep – not that he would want it anyway – sustaining them.

When the defender is back a run of injury-free football would be needed – it goes without saying will be the aim.

Fortunately, from a footballing point of view, Pompey have the excellent Clarke fit and firing again so all being well he’ll form a formable partnership with Burgess again in the absence of Whatmough.

I think it pretty safe to say we’ll not see Whatmough in action again this season – almost certainly not in Jackett’s first team – but let’s hope he’ll be ready to take part in pre-season next summer and again show the boss what he can do and have better luck with injuries from that point on.

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