Portsmouth suffer double injury blow after Hayden Matthews update
Hayden Matthews is set to be sidelined for a considerable period in a double-injury blow at Portsmouth.
The centre-back started for Pompey at Fratton Park against QPR and played the full 90 minutes as the hosts won 2-1 on 22 February.
Matthews picked up a knock against Marti Cifuentes’ team, and the extent of his concerning fitness issue has been revealed.
Rob Atkinson was forced off in the first half against the Hoops, and John Mousinho was without the defender as the Hampshire outfit lost 1-0 to Luton Town on Saturday (1 March).
Matthews and Atkinson Portsmouth injury timeline revealed
Matthews will miss the rest of the season after picking up an injury at Pompey, according to Andrew Moon.
The BBC South TV and Radio reporter revealed on X (1 March) that the Australian defender will miss the rest of the season for the Hampshire outfit.
Matthews requires ankle surgery but should come back to action for the start of the upcoming campaign.
Atkinson, on the other hand, has suffered a calf injury and will miss six to eight weeks for Portsmouth.
#Pompey injury update
— Andrew Moon (@mrandrewmoon) March 1, 2025
Rob Atkinson will miss 6-8 weeks with a calf injury
Hayden Matthews out for the season and will need ankle surgery but should be fit for the start of next season
Mousinho suffers Matthews and Atkinson injury blow
Mousinho got Atkinson on loan from Bristol City in the winter transfer window to aid Pompey’s hopes of survival.
Matthews was another Fratton Park addition before the 3 February deadline, with the 20-year-old signing a permanent deal from Sydney FC.
The Hampshire outfit were struggling near the bottom of the table for a considerable period before turning things around.
Mousinho is aiming for Championship survival after making several additions to the team in the winter window.
| Competition (2024/25) | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Championship | 35 | 10 | 9 | 16 |
Pompey have registered one draw and three wins in their last six fixtures in the league, but the loss to relegation-threatened Luton will hurt a bit more.
The Hampshire outfit had the opportunity to open up a bigger gap with the relegation zone and cement their place in the second flight of English football for next season.
Matthews and Atkinson’s injuries are significant blows for Mousinho, and it will be interesting to see how he contends with their absence.
The English manager has done a fantastic job of taking Pompey out of the drop zone, but fitness issues may have a bearing on where they finish in the table come the end of the season.