Exclusive:Rich Hughes makes free transfer admission amid Portsmouth centre-half shortage
Madiodio Dia and Regan Poole are the only available central defenders on the Blues’ books at present
Rich Hughes has ruled out Pompey entering the free agent market.
The Blues’ centre-half options have recently been depleted by Benjy Arthur’s anticipated four-month absence with a fractured back, while Conor Shaughnessy collected a groin injury against Blackburn.
That leaves Madiodio Dia and Regan Poole as John Mousinho’s only available central defenders heading into the south-coast derby on October 11.
As it stands, Pompey have three positions vacant in their 22-man Football League squad, which was registered at the start of September.
However, those spots are earmarked for Josh Murphy, Connor Ogilvie and Keshi Anderson upon their long-awaited returns from injury.
And the Blues’ sporting director insists he is not currently looking to add any free agents to the squad, irrespective of a centre-halve shortage.
‘We set the squad up in a certain way’
Hughes told The News: ‘We aren’t specifically looking at free agents.
‘We set the squad up in a certain way and would much rather have Benjy available, but there is always a noteworthy distinction that we are rumbling into October so there won’t be too many premium free agents that are able to do it.
‘A lot of that might depend on Benjy’s injury and the ability to deregister from the squad and potentially add-in because we have earmarked what we see as being the 25 up until January.
‘But, as things stand, we are not actively looking to recruit a free agent at the moment.’
Shaughnessy injury boost
Encouragingly, the centre-half issue doesn’t appear as concerning as it did against Blackburn, following good news over Shaughnessy.
The defender was substituted in the 63rd minute of the 2-2 draw with Blackburn due to a groin problem, with Regan Poole coming off the bench to replace him.
According to Hughes, however, the injury isn’t as bad as first feared and the 30-year-old is expected back ‘in a not too long period of time’.
Although Shaughnessy is still expected to miss the south-coast derby, leaving Dia and Poole in the frame as the central-defensive partnership at St Mary’s.
The other centre-halves on Pompey’s books are Josh Knight and Hayden Matthews, who are on season-long loans at Reading and Bradford respectively.
That could potentially be addressed in January at the halfway point of the arrangement, with neither having yet featured in League One for their loan clubs.
Although the impending return of Connor Ogilvie following two knee operations would offer another option in the centre of defence, if required.
He started 11 matches in the position during the second half of last season, primarily partnering Poole, having answered a Blues SOS.