However, John Mousinho has pledged to find the highly-regarded keeper a new loan destination following an emergency return from Tonbridge Angels.
With Nicolas Schmid sustaining a concussion at Cardiff and Will Norris nursing a knee issue, the knock-on effect was Steward being recalled to serve as back up to Jordan Archer.
It represented a blow to the 19-year-old, who had made 15 appearances for National South Tonbridge, keeping seven clean sheets, as he flourishes in loan football.
What’s more, following substitute duty against Sheffield Wednesday last month, he now finds himself without first-team football with Schmid, Norris and Archer all available once more.
Mousinho told The News: ‘We have really high hopes for Toby. In an ideal world he would still have been out on loan and playing games, but unfortunately we had to call him back and we will assess that in January.
‘He can actually go back on loan now, but it’s getting the right club for him, we don’t want to force anything and clubs may already be set with goalkeepers.
‘We’ll see where we are over the next few weeks. If something pops up then that’s great. If not, there’s a lot of benefit in him training here every day and being around the squad.
‘We felt for him, I told him I’m sorry we’ve had to do this, but, to fair to Toby, the opportunity for him to be close to the first-team was really enticing, that’s what he wants to do ultimately.
‘He wants to be a Pompey number, that’s the reason we’ve kept him around for as long as he has. It feels like he’s been here for a while because he was in the building as an Academy player, but played up with the first-team when I arrived. He has since got a new contract.
‘It’s just about picking the right club. If someone came in from the level above Tonbridge (National League South) and we didn’t think it was the right club, the right opportunity and he wouldn’t be developed as well as we needed him to be, then we’d probably turn that one day.
‘We can be patient and pick the right club for Toby, but we also have to get the right opportunity in terms of we have to make sure he’s going in as a number one and not just stop-gap for 2-3 games for an injured goalkeeper.
‘Those considerations must be taken into account.’
Steward was last season named as supporters’ player of the season at Gosport, with Tonbridge representing the next step up.
Now he must wait for the opportunity to temporarily leave Fratton Park once again.
Mousinho added: ‘For Toby, sitting on the bench for Pompey in the Championship against Sheffield Wednesday is not where we wants to be in his career, but it’s a big step in the right direction.
‘The fact is we want him back here and trust him to be able to do that.’
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