Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley reveals reaction to team selections - with Ronan Curtis and Ipswich loanee Joe Pigott on wrong end of latest big calls

Following the Blues’ 2-0 win at Cheltenham on Saturday, the Fratton Park head coach admitted team selections were getting harder due to the quality he now has within his ranks.

That was evident as he made the decision to go with Spurs loanee Dane Scarlett over fellow striker Joe Pigott at Whaddon Road – a call which undoubtedly paid off.

Meanwhile, the League One trip to Gloucestershire also saw Ronan Curtis – a mainstay of Pompey teams over the past four seasons – named on the bench again following a similar move in the third-tier game against Lincoln the week before.

It means the Irishman – who has been linked with a move away all summer – has started just once in the league so far this season going into tonight’s game against Cambridge United at Fratton Park.

Cowley said clear lines of communication give all players an understanding of team selections, while everyone remains valued – irrespective of how they are used on match-days.

But he stressed the team always comes first, hence his reluctance to shy away from the important decisions.

When asked how Curtis and Pigott responded to being left out of the starting XI at Cheltenham, the Pompey manager said:

'I think all the players we have in the group want to play - and I'd be really worried if they didn't.

'They all respect that the team comes first, though, and they all know that whether they start the game or finish the game, that they're really valued by the whole group. And this is really important.

'For us there's always clear lines of communication - and it's the same for Ronan, for instance.

'The second half on Tuesday night (against Cardiff in the Carabao Cup), Ronan was excellent, we saw the very best of Ronan.

'But only 11 can play and we try to pick the right team with the right blend.

'You know, Tuesday (tonight) is another day and we will look at the group and try to pick the right team for that game.’

Despite being named on the bench at Whaddon Road, Curtis – who has a goal and an assist to his name this term – has featured in all four of Pompey’s games this season, accumulating 229 minutes of football.

Pigott, meanwhile, has 235 minutes under his belt, with the game at Cheltenham his first on the bench.

Like Curtis, the on-loan Ipswich man has a goal and assist on his record to date, after an encouraging start to life at Fratton Park.

Cowley’s selections are set to get harder, too, with Joe Morrell back in full training after a hernia operation, and Clark Robertson and Denver Hume also on the road to recovery after injury problems.