Dramatic fall from favour for ex-Town star Pitman as Pompey prepare for play-offs

Brett Pitman scores for Town against Reading in the Championship Picture: STEVE WALLER (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

Pitman, who started the season as Pompey skipper for a third-straight year, hasn’t featured for Kenny Jackett’s promotion challengers since December, in a dramatic fall from favour.

Now, as Portsmouth prepare for their League One play-off semi-final first leg clash with Oxford on Friday, July 3, Pitman’s training on his own.

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It’s not the first time he’s been exiled either - he was forced to train with former club Bournemouth’s U21’s in January.

Despite the fact that the soon to be out of contract striker - who’s scored 41 goals in 99 games for Pompey – isn’t part of his squad, Jackett insists that the door is still open for Pitman, 32.

He told The News: “I will use Brett if I need to, but at the moment I have quite a few forwards.

“If I think it’s right, I will call on him. He wasn’t involved against Reading (a recent friendly) and hasn’t trained with us.

“The door is open. In terms of where it is for Brett, if he is actually involved he will be okay with that.

“He is training on his own at the moment. We can monitor his fitness and he is keeping fit.

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“We have forwards, the likes of Reeco (Hackett-Fairchild) has a chance and an opportunity as well. We are quite well off for forwards at the moment.

“It’s not necessarily about Brett being out of contract soon. It’s just my choice on the group and the squad, as it is at the moment.’

Pitman left Portman Road in the summer of 2017 after two seasons, having scored 15 goals in 70 games for Town.