More bad news for Portsmouth as Nicolas Schmid injury update emerges
Portsmouth put in their worst defensive performance of the season in their first match without Nicolas Schmid starting.
The Blues lost 2-0 to Sheffield Wednesday at Fratton Park on Saturday thanks to a Barry Bannan free-kick and a breakaway goal from George Brown.
Reserve goalkeeper Ben Killip has been blamed for Bannan's goal, as the Wednesday captain whipped the ball around Pompey's wall toward his near post.
Killip was left helpless for Wednesday’s second though. As Brown was bearing down on goal, covering defender Conor Shaughnessy pulled up with a hamstring injury, leaving the striker with all the time in the world to pick his spot.
Shaughnessy couldn't continue the match and will likely miss the next few weeks of action. And to make things worse, Pompey have received more bad news surrounding Schmid's injury.
Nicolas Schmid may take longer than normal to recover from his injury
This article includes exclusive comment from sports injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar.
Nicolas Schmid fractured his hand in the South Coast Derby against Southampton after a nasty collision with Conor Ogilvie.
The clash was caused by Southampton midfielder Tom Fellows, who John Mousinho believes should have been punished by the referee.
Ben Killip is now the first-choice keeper, but Portsmouth fans believe the team is far weaker defensively without Schmid.
So, they're likely to be disheartened to hear the verdict on the Austrian's condition delivered by sports injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar.
Speaking exclusively to Pompey News, Dr Brar predicted that it may take Schmid longer than normal to recover from this injury.
He explained: "Fractures in the upper body, barring unforeseen circumstances, typically take around 4-6 weeks to heal and return from.
"It may be a little bit longer for Schmid as his upper extremities, particularly the hand, are far more involved than outfield players."
Will Ben Killip continue in goal for Portsmouth?
John Mousinho has backed Killip to be a worthy replacement for Schmid while he's out injured.
The former Barnsley stopper kept a clean sheet after replacing Schmid against Southampton and made some good saves to prevent Sheffield Wednesday scoring more at Fratton Park.
However, the Pompey boss did opt to sign Josef Bursik from Club Brugge on transfer deadline day, which might not have happened if he was 100% comfortable with Killip.
- Bursik is younger than Killip
- He has played at a higher level
- He has plenty of experience in English football.
So, it will be interesting to see which of these two keepers is given the nod when Portsmouth face Ipswich on Saturday.
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