Pilgrims’ boss Steven Schumacher has also given fitness updates on Niall Ennis and Danny Mayor

Steven Schumacher has said it is too early to tell how long defender Dan Scarr will be ruled out of action by the foot injury he suffered in the early stages of the 1-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

Fears that the 28-year-old might have broken his foot seem to have been allayed, but further medical assessment will take place next week.

It means that Argyle will be without Scarr and goalkeeper Mike Cooper for the League One clash against Portsmouth at Home Park on Saturday.

Cooper suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in the game at Wednesday and will be replaced by his back-up Callum Burton.

On Scarr, Schumacher said: “He needs to go and see another specialist next week. It’s a problem under his foot but it doesn’t seem to be a major one.

Former Pompey player James Bolton and Brendan Galloway, both recently recovered from long-term foot and hamstring injuries respectively, are also available to Schumacher.

Meanwhile, Schumacher was hopeful that midfielder Danny Mayor could be fit again after missing the match against Wednesday due to a problem he picked up in training last week.

“He just felt a little bit twinge in his hip flexor, I think, as we were finishing training on a shooting drill,” said the Argyle manager.

“He has had them issues before earlier on in his career and we just felt it wasn’t worth the risk of putting him in the squad or on the bench if he wasn’t 100 per cent. We thought we might as well as have 18 fit players than 17-and-a-half.”

Argyle striker Niall Ennis was another absentee against Wednesday because of an ongoing pelvic problem and Schumacher did not expect him to be ready for the visit of Portsmouth.

Schumacher said: “It just takes a little bit more time to build his strength back up. If we needed Niall Ennis right now he could probably play but the other three strikers are all 100 per cent fit so there is no point pushing him and making it worse, and risking any long-term damage.

“We will just wait until he’s 100 per cent. I think he’s back on the grass to train on Monday or Tuesday next week.”