It's not just Portsmouth: Injured ex-Blues and Middlesbrough man still to kick a ball for new club Bradford - and could be out until January

Callum Johnson was snapped up by Bradford on a free transfer from Mansfield in May - yet has still to kick a ball.

What’s more, boss Graham Alexander believes it could be ‘December or January’ before the right-back finally returns to action for the League Two club.

A calf issue has sidelined the 27-year-old since the start of pre-season, ruling him out of their entire summer friendly schedule and now the beginning of the campaign.

Johnson had been dogged by a hamstring injury during the second half of last term, restricting him to two appearances for Mansfield post-New Year.

Now a different issue is keeping the former Pompey £100,000 signing out of seventh-placed Bradford’s bid to finally escape League Two.

Alexander told the Bradford Telegraph and Argus: We were chasing a date with him originally, saying four weeks, seven weeks, eight weeks. But we’ve stopped it with this one.

‘Let’s just treat him day by day, week by week and not put down any target dates. Then there’s no trepidation or disappointment if he didn’t make it. Let’s give the player whatever time he needs to get back to full fitness.

‘He obviously has disappointing days because he’s really frustrated. He wanted to come in and put the past year and a half behind him.

‘We just have to get him back up to speed physically first, integrate him back into the training and try and get him on the pitch working with the boys as soon as possible.

‘We’re not going to rush it because he’s spent too much time on the sidelines in the last 18 months already.

‘We’ll do everything we can to help him get back to full fitness. But it’s obviously a disappointing episode for everybody because he’s the only guy who’s not played a part for us on the pitch this season.’

Pompey bought Johnson from Accrington in September 2020, with manager Kenny Jackett having lost faith with James Bolton at right-back.

The former Middlesbrough apprentice subsequently established himself as first-choice in the 2020-21 campaign, although missed the Papa John’s Trophy final defeat to Salford through injury.

Following Jackett’s dismissal and Danny Cowley’s appointment as interim head coach, Johnson started the final 11 matches as the Blues finished a disappointing eighth in League One.

However, when Cowley was appointed permanently in the summer of 2021, he decided Johnson was surplus to requirements and instead utilised Kieron Freeman and Mahlon Romeo at right-back.

Having been sent on loan to Fleetwood for the 2021-22 campaign, Johnson was released in the summer of 2022 at the end of his Pompey two-year deal.

He made 48 appearances for the Blues, scoring once, and later represented Ross County and Mansfield, while now awaits his Bradford debut.