Portsmouth boss’ delight after ‘really good, positive news’ over availability of key Blues performer…
John Mousinho has hailed the ‘positive news’ on Marlon Pack’s availability.
Pompey’s skipper damaged ankle ligaments last month following a challenge which earned Wigan’s Charlie Wyke a red card.
At that point he had been a League One ever-present for the unbeaten leaders, with Joe Morrell subsequently taking over the captain’s armband.
However, Pack is expected to return to training on grass next week, representing the next stage of his comeback.
And Mousinho insists the midfielder’s on track to return to Blues action around the middle of November.
The Blues’ head coach told The News: ‘It’s really good, positive news on Marlon.
‘He is progressing really well and hopefully is going to be out on the grass next week, then we’re probably looking at three weeks after that.
‘We have got to be careful with ligament injuries, as with any other injuries, but have to make sure that we build him up properly.
‘Marlon is always raring to go, he’s a really, really fit lad anyway, so we have to make sure we manage him carefully, while we have plenty of games left in the season.
‘First of all when he is back out on the grass it won’t be with us, he has got to build up into full training – and then we’re probably looking at a week to 10 days before he’s back into full training .
‘It was a significant injury and it’s easy to forget that it happened at Wigan, which has flown by, so he’s had a bit of time to recover and recoup.’
Realistically, Pack won’t return until after the EFL Trophy trip to Leyton Orient on November 7.
That is followed by the visit of Charlton (November 11), although Pompey may opt to hold him back until after the international break on November 18, when they again expect to be affected.
The Blues are scheduled to travel to Oxford United in league action on that day.
Mousinho added: ‘Having that bit of time off from the schedule has helped Marlon in terms of that postponed game, which hopefully he’s going to get back at some point during the season.
‘He will miss the forthcoming three league games and then, after that, we’ll see what it looks like with the FA Cup game (Chesterfield) and EFL Trophy (Leyton Orient). But we’ll be looking beyond that.’
The senior trio of Portsmouth players have received an unfortunate setback when it comes to their involvement in the upcoming match against Carlisle United, according to John Mousinho.
The Pompey manager believes that those who won’t be included in the lineup for the game have every right to feel unfairly treated.
Mousinho’s team is making a return to Fratton Park to face the newly-promoted League One side, and they are benefiting from the return of several players after experiencing significant squad strain in their previous match against Port Vale. With Regan Poole and Alex Robertson coming back from suspension and Connor Ogilvie recovering from an injury, Mousinho now faces some tough decisions. He acknowledges that given the impressive early-season performances of the entire squad, anyone who is left out has a legitimate reason to be disappointed.
Mousinho stated, “In recent weeks, we’ve consistently filled our bench, and rarely had to exclude players. Some individuals who haven’t had a single minute of league play have stepped up and performed admirably. This is how we’ve aimed to construct our squad.”
“When you build a squad capable of withstanding the ups and downs of a football season, it means there will be times on weekends and Tuesdays when we have to leave some players out. Right now, nobody deserves to be excluded from the squad, and I can’t envision anyone not making the squad this weekend deserving it. We haven’t made a final decision yet, but whoever it ends up being, it will be a very tough call.”
Mousinho intends to have a one-on-one conversation with those who are left out of the 18-man squad before the Saturday game, as his team strives to maintain their 24-game unbeaten record at Fratton Park.
He explained, “Sometimes, when players are omitted from the squad, we have a chat with them. My door is always open for them to discuss it. We have an initial conversation, but we try not to keep repeating the news that they’re not in the squad every weekend because that can be disheartening for them.”
“However, they are welcome to approach me to understand what they need to do or alter to earn a spot in the squad. The players are receptive to this and handle it well, and I genuinely appreciate their attitude. For those who miss out this weekend, it will be a particularly tough situation, so I will definitely talk to them.”
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