View: Portsmouth fans to be delighted as injury update emerges on 96% Regan Poole
Portsmouth supporters will be desperate to see Regan Poole back on the pitch at Fratton Park.
It has been a difficult start to life back in the Championship for Pompey.
John Mousinho’s side have just three points after four games and currently sit 18th in the table. Their fixture list thus far has been a reminder of just how much tougher life in the Championship is than in EFL League One.
Portsmouth have so far drawn matches against Leeds United, Luton Town and Middlesbrough, while they were beaten 3-1 by Sunderland at Fratton Park on Saturday (31 August).
And it doesn’t look as if it will get any easier for Mousinho and his players with the visit of second-placed West Brom (15 September) and a trip to Burnley (21 September) to come after the international break.
Those matches are followed by the visit of another side relegated from the Premier League last season, Sheffield United (28 September).
As a result, a recent update on long-term absentee Poole will have come as music to supporters’ ears at Fratton Park.
As reported by The News (3 September), Mousinho is keen to ease Poole back into action with a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break, with the defender expected to be back in first-team contention in October.
Poole has been out of action for the better part of a year, after suffering a cruciate ligament tear last November.
Following his move from Lincoln City to Portsmouth in the summer of 2023, the central defender was an instant hit at Fratton Park, starting 14 of the club’s first 15 League One matches in their title-winning campaign.
Portsmouth defender Regan Poole close to returning from injury at Fratton Park
Pompey conceded just 10 times in those 14 matches he played, winning nine and drawing the other five. That means Poole is yet to taste league defeat in a Portsmouth shirt, and supporters will be keen to add that level of quality to their first team in the Championship.
Poole showed a high level both defensively and in possession last season. As per FotMob, Poole ranked among the 94th percentile of his positional peers in League One for the percentage of tackles he won per 90 minutes (85.7 per cent).
The 26-year-old was comfortable with the ball at his feet, ranking in the 88th percentile of League One centre-backs for the number of touches he had per 90 minutes (82.36) as Pompey dominated possession and matches.
His passing was top-level too, with the defender sitting among the top six per cent of his peers for the number of successful passes he made per 90 minutes (59.29) and the 96th percentile for his passing accuracy per 90 minutes (85.2 per cent).
The ex-Manchester United man and Wales international has a level of experience which could prove useful to Mousinho, who is no doubt in need of reinforcements.
Therefore, the quicker Portsmouth can get Poole back out on the pitch, the better.
In other Portsmouth news, the club’s Under-18s have suffered yet another defeat as their defensive frailties are rued.
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