Pompey’s small squad were hurt by a further blow ahead of their pre-season test with Peterborough.
A smattering of Covid-19 cases in the squad saw Danny Cowley’s options limited for a contest against Championship opposition.
But it did not seem to affect them too much, as more than 4,000 supporters turned out at Fratton Park to watch a 2-0 victory.
Ryan Tunnicliffe and Ronan Curtis were both on target in a dominant display for the home side that pleased Cowley.
The Blues boss said: “It was a good performance at the end of a tough week for us after picking up some Covid cases.
“That’s really frustrating because we’ve been working hard to keep our bubble as secure as we possibly can.
"It’s been a challenging week, so to finish with a display as good as we saw against Peterborough was a real positive."
“But that’s the way of the world – and I know a lot of clubs are experiencing similar difficulties at the moment.
“When you’ve got a small squad like we have, though, you can’t really afford to lose anybody and we don’t currently have any of the academy players available.
“It’s been a challenging week, so to finish with a display as good as we saw against Peterborough was a real positive.”
Cowley was quick to play down any fears over the absence of loanees Gavin Bazunu and Gassan Ahadme.
He said: “Gassan had a little but of tightness in the hip area, but trained in the morning and we’ve just wrapped him up in cotton wool.
“That creates an opportunity for someone else and I thought Reeco Hackett-Fairchild did great for us, with a lot of energy and intensity.
“Gavin played against Chelsea on the Tuesday and we’re just being very careful and patient with him.”