Gavin Whyte’s latest Pompey absence has been due to illness.
The winger, who has had a hard time at Fratton Park since joining on a free transfer from Cardiff in the summer of 2023, was not included in the Blues’ 20-man matchday squad for Saturday’s goalless draw against Luton Town.
His omission from the team sheet prior to kick-off inevitably prompted some Fratton supporters to speculate on his PO4 future on social media, with youngster Harry Clout placed on the bench for the Hatters visit.
Pompey manager John Mousinho, however, stated that the winger just missed the game due to illness, bringing the total number of first-team players unavailable to seven.When asked why the 28-year-old winger was not in his squad, the Blues’ head coach told BBC Radio Solent: ‘That was just illness for Gavin.’The Northern Ireland international signed a three-year contract at Fratton Park after joining 13 months ago and was regarded as Pompey’s headline signing.
However, the attacker played a little role in the Blues’ title victory last season, starting only 12 games and contributing three assists.
A start against Barnsley, which confirmed Pompey’s promotion back to the Championship, appeared to mark the beginning of a successful finish to the season. However, due to illness, the Northern Ireland international missed the club’s final two games against Wigan and Lincoln, as well as the celebration of their league win on Southsea Common.
‘Minor niggles’ stopped the winger from fully participating in the pre-season warm-weather training camp in Croatia. Meanwhile, Whyte was forced to miss friendly games against the Hawks and Bognor as he worked to get fully healthy for the season ahead.
It’s no surprise that the Ulsterman started the season on the bench at Leeds. However, he was given a start in midweek when Millwall visited to Fratton Park for the Carabao Cup. However, Whyte was substituted at the hour mark due to a poor performance, raising further concerns about his future with the club.
Undoubtedly, speculation will continue as Pompey enters the final two weeks of the transfer window. The Blues are looking to add to the nine players who have already signed at Fratton Park this summer.The signings of Sammy Silvera, Elias Sorensen, Josh Murphy, and Matt Ritchie will have pushed Whyte further down the pecking order, with fellow winger Anthony Scully also feeling the impact after being told he might leave PO4.
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