View: Mousinho must start 67% Portsmouth ace v Blackburn after injury update
John Mousinho must stick by Marlon Pack when Portsmouth take on Blackburn Rovers in the Championship on Saturday.
Pompey will be full of confidence after their 3-1 Championship win against Preston North End at Fratton Park on 9 November.
It was just the club’s second win all season and saw them move off the bottom of the Championship table.
That win was also marked by the surprise return of Colby Bishop, who grabbed himself a goal off the bench.
Therefore, with their talisman back in the side and after a big win, the feeling will be positive among the Portsmouth squad.
As a result, fans will be desperate for the club to continue building that momentum with another win. However, Mousinho’s side have a much bigger task on their hands this weekend than Preston at home, as they prepare to take on ninth-placed Blackburn on the road.
And while it looked at one point as though the club were going to be boosted by the return of centre-back Conor Shaughnessy against Rovers, that is no longer the case.
Mousinho confirmed on Wednesday (20 November, via Andy Moon) that the 28-year-old is set for at least another six weeks on the sidelines, in what is a devastating blow for the club.
Shaughnessy was brilliant last season as Portsmouth dealt with long-term injuries to Regan Poole and Tom McIntyre. As a result, fans were excited to see a Poole and Shaughnessy partnership this season.
However, while Poole has returned, this time it is Shaughnessy suffering from injury setbacks.
Therefore, it leaves the Portsmouth boss with a decision to make at centre-back against Blackburn, and beyond, and the 38-year-old would be wise to stick by Pack in that position.
John Mousinho must start Marlon Pack for Portsmouth against Blackburn Rovers
Mousinho has tried several options at centre-back this season. Ryley Towler and Jordan Williams haven’t been seen for a couple of months now, and for a while, Poole and McIntyre were the consistent starting two.
However, that changed against Preston when Pack was drafted in for McIntyre, and after the midfielder’s performance at centre-back, Mousinho would be wise to stand by the 33-year-old against Blackburn.
As per Sofascore, Pack made three clearances, two interceptions and one tackle. In addition, while he only won 50 per cent of his ground duels (two out of four) the Portsmouth captain was dominant in the air, winning five of his six aerial duels.
He wasn’t as good on the ball, completing just 67 per cent of his passes, while only two of his five long balls were accurate. However, it was clear that having the captain’s leadership on the pitch helped the team, as they picked up a rare win.
Therefore, Mousinho would be wise to keep Pack in the team, and it would be harsh to drop either Andre Dozzell or Freddie Potts at the moment, which means leaving the midfielder at centre-back.
If anything, based on the most recent performance, Poole would be the man to make way, after he won just one of his five aerial duels, was dribbled past once and was also booked.
Therefore, it is clear that Pack must start on Saturday.
In other Portsmouth news, Pack has shared a personal admission after what Bishop did for the club.
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