View: John Mousinho should axe Samuel Silvera for Portsmouth v West Brom
John Mousinho should drop Samuel Silvera for Portsmouth against West Brom after the forward’s exploits with Australia.
Pompey face yet another tough task following the international break.
Having already played the likes of Leeds United, Luton Town, and Sunderland, Mousinho’s side will now welcome West Brom to Fratton Park on Sunday (15 September).
The Baggies are currently flying high, sitting second in the Championship after an unbeaten start to the season.
Therefore, it promises to be a difficult afternoon for Portsmouth, with Mousinho having some tough decisions to make over his starting lineup.
Those decisions will have been further complicated by Silvera’s time away with Australia, with Mousinho now needing to decide whether or not the 23-year-old will be ready to play on Sunday.
Following his arrival at Fratton Park from Middlesbrough on a season-long loan during the summer, Silvera has so far started three of Portsmouth’s four Championship matches.
He has become a key player at Fratton Park during the current campaign. Therefore, in ordinary circumstances, Mousinho would be keen to start him against the Baggies.
However, that might not be such a wise decision this week.
Silvera was handed his seventh international cap as he started and played the full 90 minutes for Australia in their 0-0 draw with Indonesia on Tuesday (10 September).
And the forward showed some moments of promise during the 2025 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash, despite the disappointing result for his nation.
Portsmouth star Samuel Silvera features for Australia against Indonesia
As per Sofascore, Silvera completed 87 per cent of his passes, with one of those passes key.
In addition, he completed three accurate crosses into the box and made three successful dribbles, although he did attempt both seven dribbles and crosses.
He also won seven ground duels and drew four fouls for his side, while making one interception.
There were some low moments too, with the winger giving the ball away 18 times while also being dribbled past once. Overall, it wasn’t necessarily a performance to write home about.
However, what Mousinho will be more concerned about is the length of time it will take Silvera to get home.
With the match having only taken place on Tuesday, and the 23-year-old now facing a lengthy flight back to the UK, he might not be at 100 per cent come Sunday.
Therefore, Mousinho might be wise to use this opportunity to give another squad player some minutes and see what they are capable of adding to the team.
Abdoulaye Kamara showed some promise when he replaced Silvera in the 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at Fratton Park (31 August), completing 100 per cent of his passes.
Therefore, perhaps Mousinho might consider using the defensive midfielder instead of Silvera.
The Baggies are likely to dominate possession at Fratton Park. As a result, sacrificing an attacker for some more defensive solidity in midfield could prove beneficial.
In other Portsmouth news, Richard Hughes has evaluated the club’s transfer model.
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