Encouraging news at last for luckless Portsmouth title winner and ex-Wrexham target after wretched 2024
Light at the end of the tunnel and a farewell to a wretched 2024 is finally within sight for one luckless Pompey title-winner.
Joe Morrell is without a club and hasn’t played since the end of January having damaged his knee at Oxford United.
However, John Mousinho believes the Wales international could be ‘reintegrated’ into Blues training in December as he finally nears a welcome return.
Morrell was initially expected to be sidelined for five months after a piece of cartilage broke off inside his knee during the first half of the League One encounter at the Kassam Stadium, requiring surgery.
Sadly there has been the agony of set-backs along the way, prolonging his absence to 10 months and still counting.
The 27-year-old was also released in the summer upon the expiry of his Fratton Park contract, although the Blues have maintained a duty of care and nursed him through injury.
Although Mousinho is optimistic about the final stage of the former Pompey favourite’s rehabilitation is close.
The Blues’ head coach told The News: ‘Joe is still around, he’s been back out on the grass for the past couple of weeks building up his fitness.
‘I would say he’s still a few weeks away until he is reintegrated into training. He’s okay, but it has been a tough one.
‘It’s probably going to be close to a year for Joe altogether. He picked up the injury at the end of January at Oxford and initially we expected him to be out for the season, yet back early in pre-season.
‘Unfortunately that hasn’t happened, he’s had a couple of injury set-backs and it has been a long road to recovery for Joe.’
Meanwhile, Ibane Bowat is continuing his recovery after being ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
The former Fulham man damaged his patellar tendon while shooting in a small-sided training ground match in September, subsequently requiring an operation.
Mousinho added: ‘Ibane is continuing with his rehab, all fine on that front.
‘He’s in every day, as you would expect, he’s in good spirits, unfortunately it’s just one of those long-term injuries.
‘He’s out for the season and we’ve taken him off the squad list.’