Portsmouth round-up: Mousinho transfer blow, major Milosevic update
Portsmouth are back in action this weekend as they host Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park.
John Mousinho’s side are just four points above the drop zone and need to start picking up points sooner rather than later to avoid a relegation battle in the final stages of the Championship.
While Championship football was on a pause during the international break, there have been plenty of updates off the field for Portsmouth.
Here, Pompey News rounds up the latest Portsmouth news on 25 March.
Freddie Potts update
Potts was signed on a season-long loan deal from West Ham United and has proven to be an excellent loan acquisition for John Mousinho’s side as the midfielder has one goal and four assists from the defensive midfield position.
Given his involvement in the team, it is understandable that Mousinho would want to keep Potts longer at the club. However, Pompey have been delivered a blow as Potts has signed a new deal with West Ham United.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 29 | 1 | 4 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
West Ham United legend Mark Noble played a vital role in helping the Hammers tie Potts down to a new deal.
Potts’ new deal suggests that the London club views the 21-year-old as an important part of the future and this could mean that Mousinho will have to kill his hopes of keeping Potts longer at Fratton Park.
Alexander Milosevic debut
Centre-back Alexander Milosevic was signed as a free agent on a short-term deal until the end of the season earlier in March.
The 33-year-old was brought in to provide squad depth in defence as Pompey have faced severe injury issues.
Because of a lack of squad depth in the centre-back position, Mousinho had to play left-back Connor Ogilvie out of position against Preston North End.
Despite having Milosevic in their ranks, Mousinho could not use him as the Swede was not match fit. The Portsmouth manager was questioned regarding Milosevic’s debut, and he pointed out that the 33-year-old could make his debut against Blackburn.
With Pompey set to face Blackburn this weekend, Milosevic has had plenty of time to attain match fitness, and he could make his debut for the South Coast club.
John Mousinho to step back on the pitch again
Mousinho was an established EFL player before he began his managerial career at Fratton Park. He hung up his boots two years ago and, since then, has helped Pompey achieve promotion to the Championship.
Mousinho is now set to return to the pitch as a player in May for a charity match. Legendary Portsmouth keeper Alan Knight is battling cancer, and the charity match is a fundraiser for him.
Mousinho will be playing alongside other Pompey legends as big names like Yakubu are also set to feature in the fundraiser match.
The 38-year-old played as a midfielder before metamorphosing into a defender. It remains to be seen if he will reprise in the role of a midfielder or slot in the backline.