Pompey Sign Ten Players

Last updated : 16 August 2012 By Jim Bonner

Ten players have signed for Portsmouth on a one-month contract ahead of Saturday's opening league encounter against Bournemouth.

Goalkeeper Simon Eastwood has signed after originally joining the club on a non-contract basis.

Full backs Jon Harley and Mustapha Dumbuya have also signed although no centre backs have currently joined the club. Ex-Crystal Palace winger Keiran Djilali and ex-Pompey youth winger Jack Compton have also joined.

Strikers Izale McLeod and Luke Rodgers have joined the cause as expected whilst Brian Howard is Pompey's new captain after he signed a one-month contract.

Local lad Liam Walker joins the club from Gibraltar and there is a new name in the frame as ex-Sheffield United midfielder Lee Williamson is the last of the ten players to sign for Pompey.

As well as these new recruits, goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen expects to complete a loan move from Reading in time to start the match against Bournemouth.

26-year-old midfielder Tom Soares, formerly of Crystal Palace and Stoke City, has also trained with Pompey today and so a deal could well be done for him, too.

Therefore, if all goes to plan and the required players get their international clearance and the Football League ratifies every deal then our team to play the Cherries on Saturday should look something like this:

GK: Mikkel ANDERSEN

RB: Mustapha DUMBUYA

CB: Adam WEBSTER

CB: Sam MAGRI

LB: Jon HARLEY

RM: Kieran DJILALI

CM: Brian HOWARD

CM: Liam WALKER

LM: Jack COMPTON

CF: Izale McLEOD

CF: Luke RODGERS

As you can see, the centre of Pompey's defence looks weak there and so Michael Appleton may decide to give Lee Williamson his Pompey debut at centre back, whilst BBC reports that Celtic defender Josh Thompson is also ready to join the club on loan.

Other loan deals expected to be completed in due course are for West Ham goalkeeper Peter Kurucz and Chelsea youngster Connor Clifford, who featured in Pompey's pre-season win over AFC Wimbledon.

Whatever happens, it will be interesting to see just how this rag-tag bunch of players will come together on Saturday afternoon.