Stats experts predict where Portsmouth, Sunderland, Coventry and Peterborough will finish if League One fixtures are fulfilled

With the League One season edging towards curtailment, it’s looking likely that Pompey’s remaining nine fixtures won’t be played out.

Although seeing out the rest of third-tier matches is the EFL’s preference, it stated the 2019-20 will be brought to a premature end should should 51 per cent of clubs agree.

The table will be decided by an unweighted points-per-game method, which will see the Blues will finish fifth and enter a traditional four-team play-off in their bid to be promoted to the Championship.

But what if Kenny Jackett’s men are able to play out the remainder of the season? Where would they finish?

The Blues currently sit fourth in the table but are just two points outside the automatic promotion places.

Given how tight the promotion race has been this term, they’d have every chance of finishing inside the top two – especially as Jackett’s men would still have to travel to second-placed Rotherham.

If remaining games do get an unlikely green light to go ahead then Pompey have been predicted to finish third once all 44 games are played out.

According to research conducted by the University of Reading for BBC Sport, the Blues will narrowly miss out on automatic promotion.

Using methods to forecast inflation and gross domestic product by Professor James Reade and Dr Carl Singleton, Coventry and Rotherham have been forecast to retain their current places.

Jackett’s men would face sixth-placed Fleetwood in the play-off semi-finals and meet either Oxford or Peterborough in the final at a neutral venue.

The predicted top-10:

Coventry Rotherham Pompey Oxford Peterborough Fleetwood Sunderland Wycombe Doncaster Gillingham