Resting players not an option for Portsmouth manager Kenny Jacket despite promotion push

Kenny Jackett, the Portsmouth manager, led his team into the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since the club’s run to the final in 2010 with an invigorating 4-2 win over Barnsley.

Then he issued a reminder that, at League One level, resting players for Cup ties was not an affordable option. He spoke as a manager with a promotion campaign to plan and the prospect of a Wembley appearance in the EFL Trophy one win away.

“We are still fighting in three competitions,” Jackett said. “The league is, no doubt about it, the most important, but the club can be helped by a cup run in many ways. It might be different in the Premier League and the Championship but for League One and League Two, cup runs are vital. They are big and they are important and whether it sustains a club or you can buy a player, it does help. The FA Cup is still exciting for supporters as well.”

Knockout competitions have already brought the club an estimated £500,000 this season and the right draw could swell the bank balance even further. But Jackett does not plan to demand some of the funds for new signings when he meets chairman Michael Eisner this week, believing he has ready-made reinforcements in the treatment room. The risk of more players getting injured, he is prepared to live with.

“There is a balance and you can play too many games and you can get jaded or you get injuries, but you can’t not try to win on those particular days,” he said. “As past FA Cup winners, it would be great to go as far as we can and get some big games. When it has come around, we have had the right attitude and the right approach.”