View: John Mousinho must recall Portsmouth forward Paddy Lane v Cardiff City
John Mousinho must recall Paddy Lane as Portsmouth travel to Wales to take on Cardiff City in the Championship on Tuesday (22 October).
Pompey finally got their first win of the season last time out, beating QPR 2-1 in the Championship at Loftus Road on Saturday (19 October).
As a result, confidence will be high among the Portsmouth players as they make a midweek trip to the Cardiff City Stadium.
However, Mousinho will likely need to make changes, meaning a few of those who started against the Hoops could find themselves on the bench.
Portsmouth face a quick turnaround after their clash with Cardiff, as they prepare to welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Fratton Park on Friday (25 October).
Therefore, Mousinho must manage his squad to avoid any further injury issues. As a result, while he might not want to make any changes to a winning team, the Portsmouth boss doesn’t have much choice.
Luckily for him, he has one player in his squad who could make an impact should he be recalled to the starting lineup. That player is 23-year-old Lane.
John Mousinho to recall Paddy Lane for Portsmouth v Cardiff City?
Lane was a key player at Fratton Park last season, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in League One as Pompey stormed to the title.
He started seven of the club’s first eight Championship matches this season. However, he has found the transition slightly difficult, yet to register a goal while providing just one assist.
As a result, he was dropped to the bench for Portsmouth’s last two matches, although he did still come on in both games. However, amid such a hectic schedule, Mousinho cannot afford to bench Lane again.
The forward will be rested and raring to go after limited minutes in recent weeks, and his display as a second-half substitute against QPR demonstrated that his recent time on the bench might have benefited him.
As per Sofascore, Lane was introduced in the 61st minute, replacing Christian Saydee, and succeeded with 100 per cent of his dribble attempts after coming on.
In addition, he completed 75 per cent of his passes, with one of those key. He also chipped in defensively as Mousinho’s side held on for the three points, winning the one ground duel that he contested.
Considering he only managed five touches as QPR dominated possession, it is quite an impressive impact and demonstrates great efficiency when he was in possession.
Therefore, after relying on him so heavily in the early weeks of the season, and having dropped him to the bench for the past two matches, it feels like a no-brainer for Mousinho to bring Lane back in to help Pompey manage their busy workload.
John Mousinho to replace Josh Murhpy with Paddy Lane for Portsmouth v Cardiff City
One player who could make way for Lane is forward Josh Murphy.
The 29-year-old has started Portsmouth’s last six matches in the Championship. Therefore, this could be the perfect time for a rest, especially as he didn’t look his best against QPR.
Murphy managed one key pass, the same as Lane despite playing almost an hour more, while just 25 per cent of his crosses were accurate.
In addition, he only completed 57 per cent of his passes and won just one of his five ground duels, while failing with his one attempted dribble.
Rotation is important in the Championship, and Mousinho has the perfect opportunity to demonstrate he is up to the task of managing his squad tonight.
In other Portsmouth news, the club are in line for a “revenue uplift” after a recent Fratton Park decision.
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