Portsmouth fans receive bittersweet injury update ahead of Watford game
Portsmouth host Watford on Wednesday in a game that could reveal a lot about the trajectory of their season.
The Blues dropped closer to the relegation zone after losing 2-1 to Ipswich on Saturday. They have a tricky run of fixtures in October, especially if you consider their expanding injury list.
This fixture could be the easiest that Pompey face for a while, on paper at least. Watford have been struggling too, and have been tipped to finish in the bottom three by the Championship supercomputer.
In a way, that puts more pressure on John Mousinho’s side to pick up a result before they prepare to take on the likes of Middlesbrough, Leicester and Coventry later in the month.
Watford striker Kwadwo Baah is a huge doubt to face Portsmouth
Portsmouth haven’t had the best luck with injuries this season, and it has recently emerged that Conor Shaughnessy will need surgery on the hamstring he injured against Sheffield Wednesday.
However, they’ll be hoping that Josh Murphy will be fit and raring to go against Watford after missing the last two games with an ankle problem.
Plus, they might be boosted by news that Watford striker Kwadwo Baah is set to miss the trip to Fratton Park with a shoulder injury. He was spotted leaving Vicarage Road in a sling after picking up a knock in the win over Hull City at the weekend.
Some Portsmouth fans might see this as bittersweet news.
That’s partly because Baah hasn’t been much of a goal threat since joining Watford at the start of last season. He scored four league goals last season and once this campaign.
But, also, some fans have been waiting to give Baah a warm welcome to Fratton Park ever since he insulted them with a Fortnite dance at Vicarage Road in January 2024.
Instead of choosing to celebrate victory with his teammates at full-time in that match, Baah chose to run over and dance in front of the Pompey fans to celebrate their defeat. In doing so, he incited a post-match melee between both sets of players and received a red card from the referee.
How is Portsmouth’s record against Watford?
Portsmouth have won the last five matches at home against Watford. The last time they lost to the Hornets at Fratton Park was a 1-0 defeat in April 2002, one of Harry Redknapp’s very first games in charge of the club.
Since then, Portsmouth have beaten them 2-1 in the Premier League (November 2006) and four times in the Championship.
- Portsmouth 3 Watford 0 (2002-03)
- Portsmouth 3 Watford 2 (2010-11)
- Portsmouth 2 Watford 0 (2011-12)
- Portsmouth 1 Watford 0 (2024-25)
Watford last travelled to Fratton Park in April 2025, when Colby Bishop scored in a 1-0 victory that ensured Portsmouth were safe from relegation.
A Pompey win on Wednesday would go a long way to convincing fans that they won’t be in for another nail-biting relegation battle this season.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Portsmouth news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @pompeynews247