credit: Imago

Martin Allen

Wed 19 March 2025 19:24, UK

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho will be thankful for the timing of the international break.

Pompey fell to back-to-back defeats in the games building up to the two-week break with the most recent coming against Preston.

There were few positives to take from Deepdale besides Colby Bishop’s late equaliser which was ultimately cancelled out four minutes later by Stefan Thordarson.

This defeat left Mousinho’s side sitting just four points clear of the relegation zone, meaning the international break could represent a chance to turn the tide at Fratton Park.

Mousinho to promote rest during international break

The south coast outfit played four games in the first two weeks of March but are now set for a well-deserved rest.

With just Kusini Yengi, Isaac Hayden, Terry Devlin and Mark O’Mahony going out for international duty, there is a large number of players remaining in PO4.

This could see Mousinho look to work with his side to recover from recent defeats and perform more like they did against Leeds United.

Former Portsmouth midfielder Martin Allen believes rest and recovery will be paramount during this break rather than making “panic” changes.

Speaking exclusively to Pompey News, Allen said: “He won’t change much, he’ll carry on and continue because if you change too much it looks like a panic.

“He’s done great to get them this far but needs a bit more to get them over the line. They’ll go away and have a break, recharge their batteries and come back fresh and ready to go.

“You can’t pull rabbits out of a hat every week, sometimes you need to go with what you’ve already got. A lot of it now will be a mental battle rather than fitness.

“Mousinho may have some one-to-one chats in private rather than playing friendlies or anything like that.“

Mousinho hoping for positive Portsmouth return

There is reason to argue that friendlies and a training camp could have helped during the break to maintain and build fitness.

If the Pompey boss isn’t going to have a busy international break with the players who have remained, he needs to hope for a positive return next time out.

His players are set for a busy end to the season with a clash against Blackburn Rovers coming up, with survival being the only true goal.

If this isn’t achieved and the Fratton Park club end up in League One, this international week could prove to be a huge regret for the 38-year-old head coach.