Blues boss Mick McCarthy hopes keeper Michael Crowe impresses Portsmouth enough to win a loan move and play regularly for the League Two club during 2016/17.
The 20-year-old, who recently signed a new one-year deal with an option for a further season, has been on trial at Fratton Park since early last week.
Crowe, one of two young keepers Pompey took on trial along Eric Grimes, who has now returned to his parent club Leeds United, impressed during the Hampshire club’s tour of Ireland.
Wales U21s call-up Crowe (pictured above left with Town U21s skipper Joe Robinson) kept a clean sheet when playing 45 minutes of a 3-3 friendly draw at Sligo Rovers last Wednesday and then played the first 69 minutes of Saturday’s 2-0 win against Bohemians, who had ex-Blue Shane Supple in goal.
The London-born, Norway-raised stopper featured for the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet during Portsmouth’s 5-0 win at Havant and Waterlooville on Wednesday.
"He played at Havant and Waterlooville, so that was another game for him, hopefully he’s done well,” McCarthy said.
"[A loan move] would be nice for him, if he’s going to play. I don’t want him to be going there as a second choice because he can stay here and play in the U21s and be back-up for us because if he goes out we’ll have to get another keeper as back-up.”
McCarthy says he’d like to get one or two other youngsters out on loan, but not until his squad for the season is settled.
"There are a few of them, but I need to really just make sure that we’ve got our squad of 22 that I know I’ve got that are rock solid and a few to supplement it.
"I think Dozzer and James Blanchfield did themselves no harm [at Barnet], they were good.”