Pompey manager Paul Cook has given words of hope to the fringe players trying to get back in Pompey side.
The boss said Milan Lalkovic would get another chance to shine and suggested Kal Naismith was still very much on his radar too.
Both have had good spells in the side this season but currently find themselves a little way down the pecking order.
Cook told The News: ‘Speaking generally, sometimes you have to come out of the team to go back in. You build their confidence up again, then when they go back in they have another chance.
‘Believe it or not, you will only get so many chances at this club, that is the reality. ‘It is important once they come out, they are better when they go back in.
'At Cheltenham, Kal had two or three opportunities looking to score but lacked aggression with his finishing. He watched his clips on the Monday and we worked on the next time you get those opportunities you’ll be aggressive.
‘If he is not aggressive, he won’t go back in. I don’t care where his shot goes — although I think people believe I tell him not to shoot — but I actually want them to shoot aggressively and his finish at Luton was top-class.
‘We see it from Kal in training and when he comes on at Cheltenham around the box we need to see that left foot hitting missiles, not trying to do the things he does. ‘There has got to be every chance for players to get back into the team, you will get an opportunity.
'The day when you are at a club like ours and I don’t look to pick you, the likelihood is you will leave soon. ‘One day I’ll be the one who leaves, so I don’t have time to say: "Well, I can give him another chance”.’
‘The biggest thing you can have as a player is: "Please get me on the pitch”. The only time you can show everyone what you are about is on the pitch and I think Michael Smith won a lot of people over at Luton.'
Pompey have no game this weekend but go to Grimsby on December 10.
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