LATEST: Goal machine hits significant landmark as Portsmouth boss sends big message over heart surgery recovery

The Pompey boss believes the Magic Man has hit a major rehabilitation landmark in quick time, as he embarks on his journey back to first-team football at Fratton Park.

Bishop is now outside running at the club’s Hilsea training base following successful surgery last month, after pre-season cardiac screening discovered a ‘potential risk’ to the 27-year-old.

Pompey are loathe to put a timeframe on their key goalscoring talisman being fit enough to return to first-team action, though Bishop will not feature until the new year after not being named in the 25-man squad submitted to the EFL.

There are few examples of top-level sportsmen returning to action from such a serious issue, with Mousinho explaining there is no clear timetable for doing so.

But the Pompey boss is clear there will be nothing stopping Bishop pushing on at the encouraging recovery pace he’s set.

Mousinho said: ‘Colby’s doing really well, he’s really pushing.

‘He’s been out on the grass, not doing anything other than running - but he’s really pushing the boundaries of everything and he’s desperate to come back.

‘He’s just running at the moment. He’s not training but he is running around the pitches and building his general levels of fitness.

‘Whenever you have an injury, one of the biggest and most important landmarks is getting back out on the grass.

‘Colby, with the nature of that injury, has been able to do that quite early on.

‘He’s still got a long way to go with the size of the operation and how big open-heart surgery is.

‘So we have to be cautious with him, but also not hold him back unnecessarily.

‘There’s no blueprint really. Normally when you look at an injury there’s a blueprint for how you go about doing it.

‘But a blueprint for returning to professional sport from open-heart surgery just doesn’t exist. It’s happened a couple of times, but you just have to take each case as it comes.’

Despite being out of action, Bishop’s presence is being felt around the Pompey squad both in training and on a matchday.

There was also the sight of the £500,000 signing taking part in pundit duties for Sky Sports in Sunday’s televised defeat to West Brom.

Mousinho added: ‘Colby’s a big influence on the group and one of the leaders in the dressing room.

‘So to be back so soon after the surgery is great, just to have him in the dressing room, in and around and the lads to see him on the training ground is a real boost.’