‎Three big names absent as Portsmouth reveal official squad list

The EFL have officially ratified Portsmouth’s squad list for the remainder of the Championship campaign – and there are some notable omissions.

The standout talking point is the absence of three players who were included in the Blues’ squad during the first half of the season. Swansea City loanee Florian Bianchini, summer signing Josh Knight and winger Harvey Blair have all been left out of the updated list submitted following the close of the transfer window.

They are joined on the sidelines by injured midfielder Mark Kosznovszky, goalkeeper Jordan Archer and left-back Jacob Farrell, who completed a move to A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers last week.

Pompey have named a 23-man senior squad, leaving room to register two additional players later in the season if required. Earlier in the campaign, one slot had been deliberately kept free in case a suitable free agent became available.

In addition to the senior group, John Mousinho can also call upon 10 contracted under-21 players, none of whom count towards the 25-man limit.

Knight’s exclusion is injury-related. The centre-back, who joined from Hannover 96 last summer in a deal reported to be worth £1 million, has not played since late November due to a stress fracture in his back. The 28-year-old still faces a lengthy rehabilitation period, with even an optimistic return timeline pushing into April once match fitness is factored in.

Bianchini also misses out after an underwhelming loan spell at Fratton Park. The French forward has not featured since November and has been managing a knee issue. Clubs are not required to register loan players in their EFL squad lists.

Blair’s absence may raise more eyebrows. The £300,000 arrival from Liverpool has been working his way back from a hip-flexor problem and had been expected to return to contention for this weekend’s clash with Sheffield United. Injuries have hampered his progress since arriving on the south coast, though he has shown glimpses of his quality — most notably in the FA Cup tie against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Pompey’s confirmed 23-man squad list are: Ebou Adams, Aji Alese, Millenic Alli, Keshi Anderson, Colby Bishop, Ibane Bowat, Jacob Brown, Josef Bursik, Gustavo Caballero, Conor Chaplin, Terry Devlin, Andre Dozzell, Ben Killip, Luke Le Roux, Josh Murphy, Connor Ogilvie, Marlon Pack, Regan Poole, Nicolas Schmid, Conor Shaughnessy, Zak Swanson, John Swift and Jordan Williams.

The club’s contracted under-21 players are: Harry Clout, Madiodio Dia, Makenzie Kirk, Hayden Matthews, Adrian Segecic, Tayo Singerr, Toby Steward, Reuben Swann, Franco Umeh and Thomas Waddingham.