View: John Mousinho should stand by Portsmouth ace Kusini Yengi after what he did for Australia
John Mousinho would have been delighted to see Portsmouth striker Kusini Yengi get back among the goals for Australia.
Pompey’s spirits will be high when they return to Championship action against Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday (23 November).
It has been a tough season for Mousinho’s side. However, they were handed several much-needed boosts ahead of the November international break as they claimed just their second win of the season, beating Preston North End 3-1 in the Championship at Fratton Park (9 November).
As well as claiming a valuable three points, Portsmouth were also boosted by Colby Bishop’s surprise return to the squad, with the striker grabbing a goal off the bench.
Therefore, the mood among the Portsmouth players will likely be positive ahead of their trip to Blackburn, where they will be looking to build some momentum with what would be a real statement victory.
And while Mousinho might be tempted to reintroduce Bishop into the starting lineup, Yengi has proven to his manager that he should stand by him for the clash at Ewood Park.
Mousinho won’t want to rush Bishop back, and it doesn’t appear as though he necessarily needs to now after what Yengi did for Australia.
John Mousinho must start Portsmouth striker Kusini Yengi against Blackburn
It has been seven months since Yengi last scored for Portsmouth, with the striker clearly struggling in the Championship, despite what he might feel about the competition.
However, having not scored a goal since June when he netted for Australia, Yengi was back among the goals, once again for the Socceroos, this time grabbing a brace in a 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw with Bahrain at the Bahrain National Stadium on Tuesday (19 November).
Yengi scored in the opening and closing moments of the contest, with his second of the night salvaging a point for Australia.
He could have had a few more too, with the striker hitting the woodwork as he missed two big chances among his four shots overall (Sofascore).
Yengi also completed 89 per cent of his passes. However, there is still plenty for the 25-year-old to work on, as he was unsuccessful with both of his attempted dribbles while also giving possession away eight times.
In addition, while he did make one tackle, he only managed to win 50 per cent of his aerial duels (one out of two) and 40 per cent of his ground duels (two out of five).
However, what Mousinho would have been most interested in is the two goals that Yengi scored.
And now that the striker is back among the goals, Mousinho should give him the chance to build on that against Blackburn, as Bishop continues to get himself back up to speed.
In other Portsmouth news, Ian Darke has told the club to get a rush on with an improvement that could bank them millions.
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