Sheffield Wednesday vs Portsmouth: Pompey boss admits they're 'short of players' days before Owls clash

The Owls will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in League One when they make the long trip to Pompey early next week, and while Darren Moore ponders his own selection it appears that Cowley has had injury problems of his own.

Speaking ahead of their game against Harrogate, the Portsmouth boss said that they may have a few players back this weekend – including their key defender, John Marquis, who has missed their last four League One matches.

Before they go into battle in the FA Cup, Cowley said, "It's the greatest cup competition in the world and we have a home draw in the second round, so we're looking forward to it.

"You can name nine substitutes, but we're scratching around a bit at the moment and are short of players, so we're not really in a position to rotate.

"Our focus in recent weeks, though, has very much been on trying to find solutions rather than excuses and that will continue.

"John Marquis has trained and if there are no issues on Friday, then he'll be available for selection again.

"That's very pleasing, as is the fact the Lee Brown has been out there with us all week. They're real positives for us."

Wednesday face Pompey at 7.45pm on Tuesday night as both sides look to force their way back into the division’s Play-Off spots.

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