Mousinho explains Poole and Pack decision for Portsmouth loss v Luton
Portsmouth were left frustrated at the weekend by a 1-0 defeat to Luton Town to move the Hatters off the foot of the Championship table.
Pompey’s three-game winning run came to an end (1 March) on a day Luton earned their first victory since before Christmas, leaving a depleted side to lick their wounds.
John Mousinho was again forced into changing his line-up due to injuries, with a patched-up defence taking to the field at Kenilworth Road.
Portsmouth selection call v Luton explained
Mousinho revealed after the game that both Hayden Matthews and Rob Atkinson are sidelined for Portsmouth for varying periods.
Atkinson will miss between six and eight weeks following the injury sustained against QPR at Fratton Park (22 February), while Matthews requires ankle surgery and will miss the rest of the season.
It is yet another crushing blow for Portsmouth whose injury record has not let up during their first campaign back in the Championship, and Mousinho opted to start a central defensive pairing of Regan Poole and Marlon Pack.
Poole was the first name on the teamsheet given his recent return to fitness and absences of teammates, while by-trade midfielder Pack has often been selected for Portsmouth ahead of Ryley Towler, the only other available central defender.
The head coach told BBC Radio Solent (1 March): “Yeah, I think so [it was an easy decision].
“We looked at the previous games Regan and Marlon had played together: against Preston, Swansea, Bristol City and Norwich.
“They actually formed a pretty good partnership, so that was the reason behind it.”
Leeds United test next at Fratton Park
It gets no easier for Portsmouth after their disappointment at Luton, with leaders Leeds United visiting Fratton Park next Sunday (9 March).
Leeds were pegged back at Elland Road on Saturday against West Bromwich Albion, who took a 1-1 draw back to the West Midlands to end the table-toppers’ run of five straight Championship wins.
While Atkinson and Matthews will be missing, the return of Poole is vital and Kusini Yengi also played around half an hour at Kenilworth Road at the weekend in an attacking boost, his first appearance in Pompey blue since November.
| POS | Championship away table 2024-25 | PLD | PTS |
| 18 | Stoke | 17 | 13 |
| 19 | Cardiff | 17 | 12 |
| 20 | PORTSMOUTH | 18 | 10 |
| 21 | Oxford | 17 | 9 |
| 22 | Derby | 18 | 8 |
| 23 | Luton | 17 | 5 |
| 24 | Plymouth | 17 | 5 |
There is no skirting around the fact that Portsmouth have nosedived away from home this season, with just two wins on the road while performances at Fratton Park have consistently been at a high standard.
Luckily for Mousinho and the Blues, who in fact earned a memorable 3-3 draw in the opening weekend reverse fixture with Leeds at Elland Road (10 August), the next two are on home turf with Plymouth Argyle visiting Fratton three days after the weekend showdown.