Portsmouth boss' reluctant January transfer window admission after latest frustrating injury set-back

The influential defender has suffered yet another injury set-back, this time involving his other calf, while straight-line running on grass.

The former Leeds man now faces at least another six weeks out of competitive action - having already been sidelined since the goalless draw against Luton on August 17.

And John Mousinho admits the Blues will now ‘definitely consider’ recruiting a defensive replacement when the transfer window reopens.

He told The News: ‘I think we’ll have to consider bringing someone in in January with the fact we are still not 100 per cent sure on a return date.

‘If and when Conor is back then it’s going to be a long time out of the game. If you look at the recent injuries we’ve had with Tom McIntyre and Regan Poole, having to bring them back in and play them week in, week out has probably been slightly detrimental to them physically.

‘We don’t want to have to do that to Conor, it will definitely be a consideration in January.

‘He has now been out since the second week of the season, that Luton game is when he picked up the injury in the first place. Then he came back for the Sheffield United game after one week’s training.

‘So, by the time he is now meant to come back, he will have had one week's training in five or six months.

‘It’s a really weird one with Conor. We haven’t looked at it thinking he’s out for six months or he’s going to come back in December and we’ll treat it as that.

‘We are always talking about coming back and back and back - and he hasn’t managed to do it.

‘When he does come back, it will have been 5-6 months, so you have to treat that with plenty of caution.’

Shaughnessy initially felt his calf while training ahead of the August trip to Middlesbrough, following two Championship starts.

He made his comeback against Sheffield United at the end of September, yet, having been named on the bench, aggravated the issue while warming up ahead of kick-off, so Ryley Towler took his substitute spot.

That was diagnosed in October as tendon damage in his calf - and now he has suffered a tear in his other calf.

Mousinho added: ‘Conor did it straight line running outside, he wasn’t back in training at all. We got the news at the back end of last week.

‘I thought he was probably going to be back this weekend, if not for the Swansea game, so to pick up the other injury has been really frustrating.

‘Conor’s dealing with the situation as well as he could, but he’s upset, he wants to be back, he wants to play.

‘He’s had limited minutes this season compared to playing close to every minute of every game last year, barring the first match at home to Bristol Rovers.’