Portsmouth boss' prediction over Sunderland signing after Fratton injury hell

Danny Cowley believes Denver Hume is getting back to his best after his injury frustration.

And the Pompey boss can see the left-back now returning to the kind of level needed to reproduce his promising early Fratton form, after signing from Sunderland.

Cowley admitted he believes Hume brings an attacking verve he doesn’t possess among his other left-back options.

But the Blues head coach has felt it necessary to ease the 26-year-old back from back and calf problems, which have kept him out of league action since March.

Cowley told Hume has undergone his own pre-season in effect to build his return, but that work is now paying off for a man who arrived in a deal worth around £200,000 in January.

He said: ‘Denver needs to keep working towards his match fitness.

‘I thought Tuesday’s game was the most fluent he’s looked since his injury.

‘It’s really nice to see him taking the space, as he does so well, combining and linking and he has that lovely ability to cross on the run.

‘He’s definitely getting closer and closer now (to full fitness) and I can see him getting there.

‘It’s a process any player has to go through when they get injured. That’s the reality.

‘It takes time, and if it didn’t take time we wouldn’t do a pre-season - we’d just come back at the end of August and get our boots on.

‘Of course, you have to build towards it and he’s had a mini pre-season in effect.’

Cowley is certainly anticipating Hume offering him something different to his squad when he’s deemed ready for league contention, after two Papa John’s Trophy outings.

The plan now is for some more minutes in the Hampshire Senior Cup against Southampton next week.

He said: ‘Denver gives us athleticism, pace and a real overlapping quality.

‘Definitely (he gives Pompey something different to what they have in that area). Offensively the way he takes space is an asset.

‘I remember back to the Shrewsbury game we played away, I think he had over 20 crosses into the box that night.

‘It’s been stop-start and that’s been frustrating for all of us really.

‘So now we want to get him back up to top speed.

‘He’s one of those who relies on his top-end speed and athleticism, so it’s taken him a bit longer to get there.

‘He’s now up and running and is another one we’ll look to get minutes into against Southampton.’