Havant v Portsmouth kick-off delayed as free agent spotted with John Mousinho’s squad
Portsmouth will continue their pre-season campaign with a clash against local non-league outfit Havant and Waterlooville on Tuesday.
The Hawks ply their trade on the seventh rung of the English pyramid, and they are set to play host to John Mousinho’s side as their summer preparations continue.
Portsmouth notched an impressive 4-0 victory over Reading in their last outing, and they will be hoping to secure a similarly comfortable victory against Havant.
Nathan Ferguson gets another Portsmouth chance as kick-off delayed
Portsmouth have had free agent Nathan Ferguson in on trial for large parts of the summer, and they are still weighing up the possibility of offering the former West Brom man a deal.
The full-back earned himself a move to Crystal Palace a few years ago, but was largely robbed of the chance to impress in South London by a catastrophic injury record.
His tendency to pick up injuries will be a concern for Mousinho and Co., but it is understood that he is set to be involved again in the Havant clash, according to The News’ matchday blog (29 July).
The 24-year-old is expected to line up on the right side of the Fratton Park outfit’s defence, but he will have to wait a little longer before he gets his latest opportunity to impress, as kick-off in the game has been delayed by 15 minutes.
The clash will now kick off at 7:15pm, according to Jordan Cross via X (29 July).
Mousinho may take gamble on Ferguson
It has been speculated that Portsmouth could offer Ferguson a contract on a pay-as-you-play basis, and that may make it a worthwhile gamble for Mousinho to bring him in.
The defender is a quality player if he can keep fit, and would provide valuable versatility with his ability to cover both full-back positions.
His injury record will be a major concern, but offering an appearance-based deal would help to protect Pompey against the financial implications of paying a player who is unable to feature for them.
Trialists are a common sight across the Football League in pre-season, but those who make it this close to the competitive action usually end up being snapped up.
With that in mind, it would surely be a surprise if Pompey do not at least offer Ferguson a deal, given that he is still in and around the squad less than two weeks away from the big kick-off.
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