With two weeks without a match, having most of the squad on the training ground is a big positive and should leave manager John Mousinho with significantly more options.
In fact the squad is a bit too big – three players will have to be excluded when the 25-man list is declared and they won’t be able to play until January.
You would take a guess on those being Ben Stevenson, Tom Lowery and potentially Colby Bishop, given his ongoing recovery from heart surgery.
It feels harsh on Stevenson who has been dependable and solid when called upon, and it is surprising there was not more interest in him from League One clubs.
The two departures on deadline day were very late. Portsmouth will have had to pay Gavin Whyte a decent portion of his remaining wages to leave – a high-profile signing that simply did not work out.
We saw nothing but glimpses of what he is capable of, and Whyte was candid about the challenges of living in Emsworth while his family were in Northern Ireland.
Anthony Scully struggled for fitness, and Pompey are paying a portion of his wages while he is on loan at Colchester – something they have previously been reluctant to do with players.
The challenge was always going to be adding top-end Championship quality to the squad, given the constraints.
Tino Anjorin might have been able to bring that quality, but he would have been a big gamble given his fitness record.
It is hard to know how to read Portsmouth’s start to the season. The draws at Leeds and Middlesbrough were excellent points, but Pompey probably should have lost both on the balance of play.
The next three fixtures are not much easier, but the starting XI is likely to look quite different.
Time will tell if Pompey have been able to unearth any gems in the transfer market this summer – this is an unforgiving league and they will need some players to step up.