Conor Shaughnessy ‘may not start again for Portsmouth’ after Mousinho update
Conor Shaughnessy has been injured at Portsmouth, and his potential return will give John Mousinho a headache at Fratton Park.
Pompey drew 2-2 against Derby County on Saturday (12 April), with one player in particular having a game to remember.
Rob Atkinson was pivotal for Mousinho’s team as he scored a stoppage-time equaliser for the Hampshire outfit to complete a brace against the Rams.
The Bristol City loanee returned to the starting lineup after his fitness issues, making an instant impact and arguably cementing his place in the team.
Portsmouth to rely on Atkinson for Championship survival
Atkinson formed a solid partnership with Regan Poole against Derby, and the only blemish in the 26-year-old centre-back’s performance was his own goal.
Mousinho’s team are aiming for Championship survival in the current campaign and will need their best players to step up in the final few weeks.
| Championship table (2024/25) | Matches played | Points |
| 19. Portsmouth | 42 | 46 |
| 20. Hull | 42 | 45 |
| 21. Derby | 42 | 43 |
| 22. Cardiff | 42 | 42 |
| 23. Luton | 42 | 40 |
| 24. Plymouth | 42 | 40 |
As things stand, Pompey are 19th in the league table, four points above 22nd-place Cardiff City, with four games left to play.
Fratton Park will hold it’s breath in the final stretch of the season as they hope to retain their place in the second division and make further progress next season.
Shaughnessy injury return gives Mousinho tough decision
Pompey are in a fierce Championship relegation battle as several teams towards the bottom of the table sit close to each other.
With the unpredictability of the second division, the Hampshire outfit’s supporters will be nervous despite their advantage over Cardiff.
Every point matters in the coming weeks, and Mousinho’s team selection against Norwich City will be fascinating as he won’t want to make too many changes.
The English manager gave a positive update regarding Shaughnessy’s injury but admitted that he may not be ready to start at Carrow Road.
Speaking via The News (14 April), Mousinho said: “Shaughnessy’s good. He trained on Saturday morning and we’re looking to reintegrate him into the group for this weekend, if he gets through everything he needs to get though.
“We still need to tick off a couple of bits with him, but hopefully, we’ll look at him for Friday. I don’t think he’ll be ready to start for Norwich.”
While the 28-year-old Irishman may return to full fitness before the end of the season, it’d be surprising to see him start over Poole or Atkinson.
The English manager could potentially opt for stability for the final four games, meaning Shaughnessy will not start for the Hampshire outfit again this season.
Pompey’s centre-back pairing against Derby was solid, and Mousinho should continue to rely on them until the end of the campaign.
Unless Atkinson or Poole get injured, it’d be sensible to keep them in the starting lineup.