QPR boost teased as Portsmouth sweat over 'aggressive' West Ham loanee who ran riot at Loftus Road

Portsmouth are unlikely to risk rushing midfielder Freddie Potts back into the side for the visit of QPR this weekend, in a blow for the hosts ahead of the Championship meeting.

The 21-year-old, who is on loan at Fratton Park from Premier League outfit West Ham, was decisive in the reverse fixture between the R's and Portsmouth last October - noted as ‘efficient and aggressive’ by LondonWorld. Potts scored his first goal for the south coast club to level the scores at 1-1 after 18 minutes, spurring Pompey on to claim a 2-1 victory in a first league win of the campaign.

Potts has missed the last two matches through a calf injury but had been earmarked to return against QPR on Saturday. However, Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has hinted at another match watching from the stands.

Portsmouth hesitant on West Ham loan star’s fitness

He told The News: "Freddie is okay, he’s slightly slower on the progress than we would have hoped, but we’re still looking at whether he is available for this weekend or not. Hopefully we can get him out on the grass Friday and see how he is.

"Take the loans out of it, we wouldn’t want that clouding any decision making, but it’s good if you don’t have to rush a player back and can give them an extra couple of days, particularly with a muscular injury. It also helps if you are coming off the back of a couple of wins, when we’re probably settled in terms of positions anyway.

"Our squad is stronger now, which does come into it, definitely. But as soon as Freddie is fit, we are not going to hold him back.

"We want Fred back as soon as possible, definitely, he’s been brilliant this season and played pretty much every game he’s been available for, apart from the ones we’ve rested him. He’s been a pivotal part of what we are trying to achieve. We now have that squad depth. Maybe where we were 6-8 weeks ago, it might have been different, but we're in a different position now."

Potts tipped for Premier League return next year

Portsmouth have fielded former QPR stars Isaac Hayden and Andre Dozzell in Potts' absence, picking up wins against Cardiff City and Oxford United to rise to 18th in the Championship table. Potts has made 26 league appearances this year and has been tipped to take on the Premier League next season by Mousinho.

Praising the player following his dominant showing at Loftus Road this season, the Portsmouth manager said: “The goals are something we didn’t bring Freddie in to provide us with. He’s got that if we absolutely need him to. But for a 21-year-old, he’s very, very composed, very calm. Competing in the Championship for the first time.

“Competing as well as he is, he looks every inch the Championship player and his goal for us this season should obviously be to focus on what he can do for us at Portsmouth but also to return to West Ham next year as a Premier League player.”

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