'A real threat': Why Portsmouth's away-day specialist is finally going to be handed Fratton Park home comforts
The Paraguayan winger has featured six times for the Blues - of which five have come away from home
He has become an away-day specialist, although not by design according to John Mousinho.
Still, Gustavo Caballero is finally poised for a proper taste of the Fratton roar, with the winger in the frame for a full home debut on Tuesday night.
It has been a curious quirk of his time on the south coast that all four of the Paraguayan’s starts for the Blues have come on their travels.
What’s more, of his six appearances overall, just one has been at Fratton Park - a 32-minute cameo off the bench against Hull.
For Mousinho, Caballero’s lack of home game time is merely a coincidence rather than preferring his right-wing talents on the road.
And the 24-year-old is poised to line up for Pompey’s Fratton Park return on Tuesday evening against Swansea (7.45pm).
‘We need him to add a bit more quality in the final third’
Mousinho told The News: ‘I thought Gustavo was a real threat (at Blackburn), a constant threat running in behind in the first half.
‘We need him to add a bit more quality in the final third to some of his decision-making and crossing and, when he gets into those areas, I think he could do a bit more to take defenders on.
‘But, from the deeper areas when he gets going, I think he’s a real threat. He’s been really good in three of the four away games he started, particularly against Millwall.
‘Wrexham was a game too far for Gustavo, so we decided to bring him out against Hull to give him a rest more than anything.
‘Off the back of Charlton and Millwall in particular, I thought he’d be perfectly suited to a slightly bigger pitch away from home at Blackburn.
‘All we ever do is look at specific games and what we think the players we have in the building are going to do in terms of trying to win that game, that’s why we make changes.
‘It’s not about being dropped, it’s not about players coming out for poor performances. We just look at that game and think who is going to affect this 90 minutes the most.’
Recalled to Portsmouth’s side at Ewood Park
Caballero replaced Harvey Blair in Pompey’s side for Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Ewood Park, featuring for 81 minutes.
When substituted, in the ensuing reshuffle Milli Alli switched to the right wing, with Blair introduced onto the left flank - the side of the pitch where Hayden Carter’s 93rd-minute leveller originated from.
Now the Blues will entertain a Swansea side presently positioned 14th in the Championship after a 2-0 win over Stoke at the weekend.
Pompey’s head coach added: ‘We’ve been very good since the turn of the year - we just need to make sure that turns into more points.
‘If you’d have asked me on 80 minutes (at Blackburn) if I would take a point, I’d have probably said yes. The tone and nature of how I am after the game is dictated by the fact we went a goal ahead.
‘But it’s a step closer. We’ve got 40 points, that’s a decent-enough return, and we’ve got three games before the international break to try and get even more.’
Your Next Pompey Read: Portsmouth boss' challenge to 'frustrated' January signing after key Blackburn impact