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Former England national team defender and current club defensive stalwart Sol Campbell will not be able to help the team in the remaining two matches of the English Premier League due to injury.
The 32-year-old former longtime player for a London team has missed three out of the last five matches due to Achilles tendon problems, and tests have shown that he may need to undergo surgery in the summer.
But that's not all the problems for the team led by Harry Redknapp. Midfielders Matt Taylor, who has scored 8 goals in the Championship, Richard Hughes, and team captain defender Dejan Stefanovič are injured and may miss Saturday's match against Liverpool.
"Sol has a small tear in the tendon and it seems he will not be able to play this season," said Portsmouth's head coach H. Redknapp.
The loss of S. Campbell is a big problem for the team's strategist, who believes that his team will need to collect as many points as possible in the matches against Everton and in the last home game of the Premier League championship on May 13 against Arsenal, as it would be a chance to qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time.
"Sol has had an X-ray and now we will find out if he needs surgery or not," added the strategist. "We would like him to be healthy at the start of next season. Without him, we need to win against Liverpool and Man Utd. But losing him at this moment is very painful."
The 32-year-old D. Stefanovič feels pain in his thigh but hopes to help his team in the match against Everton and will form a central defender pairing with Linvoy Primus.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old M. Taylor, who played only 21 minutes in the 2-1 victory against Liverpool, has a swollen ankle, and 27-year-old R. Hughes did not train this week due to a knee injury.
