He was sidelined for almost a month with a thigh injury picked up at Blackpool.
So Marcus Harness was delighted to return to action in Saturday’s victory over Bolton at Fratton Park.
The winger came off the bench at the beginning of the second half and immediately looked lively, sending one shot inches past the post.
Now Harness is looking to win back his place in the starting line-up and help the Blues build some momentum.
He said: “It’s always frustrating when you’re not able to play, so of course it was nice to be out there again.
“I got a good 45 minutes to ease me back into things after being out for a little bit longer than we wanted.
“But I didn’t miss too many games and it certainly wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I’m just happy to be back.
"It’s always frustrating when you’re not able to play, so of course it was nice to be out there again."
“Hopefully I can now stay fit, look to push on with my performances and really help the team to climb the table.
“I joined a new club and had a good start, which took the pressure off. I’ve enjoyed my time here and am excited about what we can do.”
Brett Pitman – who had earlier missed a penalty – headed home James Bolton’s cross to see off Wanderers and record just a second league win of the season.
Harness said: “It was a relief, but I think it’s been coming. There have been games we should have got more from, even when we haven’t played as well as we would like.
“Everyone was a bit frustrated, but at times like that you have to stick together and keep trying to do the right things.
“We had the penalty and a few other chances, while Bolton didn’t really have any shots in the second half.
“It was obviously nice to pick up all three points and hopefully it’s a result that we can build on next weekend.”