Danny Cowley has confirmed that Anthony Scully is set to return to Portsmouth to try and fix a long-standing injury.
The winger moved to Fratton Park from Wigan Athletic on a free transfer and this season was loaned out to Colchester United on deadline day for the season as a replacement for the outgoing Brad Ihionvien. However, it has been less than ideal for both parties, with the 25-year-old only making six appearances and one start in League Two all season.
“We’ve Done All We Can”
Scully’s problems stem from an ankle injury he sustained during training at Pompey in March, which has caused issues with metalwork within his foot from a previous operation. Cowley told the Daily Gazette that the former Lincoln City man may require a further operation to sort the issue.
“We signed Anthony right at the end of deadline day. Unfortunately, the Bradley (Ihionvien) deal happened so late that most of our options had gone by that point.
“When you do it that late, as we did with Anthony, you can’t do it with a medical and all these types of things, you don’t have the time.
“He’s had an ankle injury which has been quite long-standing really. There’s some metal work in that ankle injury from a previous operation which has been really irritating him. It’s really stiffened up his ankle and he’s been putting some force through the knee and the hip, which is why we’ve been injecting him.
“We’ve done all we can and the kid has done all he can but, ultimately, it looks like he’s going to need that (metal work) taken out. But it’s up to Portsmouth really, because they’re obviously Anthony’s parent club and because it’s an existing injury, it’s whether they decide to do that.
“It looks like he’ll go back to Portsmouth and do his rehab there.”
Writer’s View
Anthony Scully has been extremely unlucky over the past year or so and this will be another blow for him. Colchester United offered him a great chance to get playing regularly again under the Cowley Brothers, who he worked with at Lincoln and initially at Portsmouth. Thankfully this should be the prompt to get his injury issues sorted once and for all and he can get back onto the pitch as soon as possible.
