Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett has given the reasons behind his decision to axe Ben Close from the club's play-off run.
After missing out on the automatic promotion places in the League One table, Pompey lost on penalties to Oxford United in the play-off semi-finals, their second successive failure at that stage following a similar disappointment in 2019.
Close, who appeared 29 times in League One for Portsmouth, was dropped for the play-offs, with Jackett opting to select Bryn Morris and Cameron McGeehan in the central midfield places, and the latter missed the fateful spot-kick which ended their promotion hopes.
The young Portsmouth-born midfielder is an academy graduate at Fratton Park and has gone on to make a total of 162 first team appearances for the club.
Speaking on Close's omission from the starting XI in the games against Oxford, boss Jackett told The News: ‘We had one central-midfield player on the bench in Tom Naylor for the play-offs, then I selected other players in other positions.
It seems a strange decision from Jackett not to include Close for the play-offs, especially given his history with the club and consistent selection during the regular League One season.
The midfielder will be hoping to play a bigger part next year and help the club achieve automatic promotion.
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