'A different one' - Callum Lang warning sounded as Fratton favourite closes in on potential Portsmouth return against Millwall
Saturday’s game against Millwall could see Callum Lang pull on a Pompey shirt for the first time in more than three months
Pompey fans have been told not to expect too much too soon from Callum Lang upon his Blues return.
The Fratton favourite is closing in on his comeback, with Saturday’s home game against Millwall long earmarked as his likely reintroduction to first-team matters.
If that prediction proves correct, it will end more than three months on the sidelines for the Liverpudlian, who suffered a hamstring injury in Pompey’s Fratton Park defeat at the hands of Norwich on August 16.
That has kept the forward out for 13 games and left supporters counting down the days until his return. But as we wait to see whether John Mousinho will be tempted to through the former Wigan man straight back into the deep end to aid Pompey’s current battle against the drop, our chief sports writer Neil Allen has sounded a word of warning.
He believes the excitement surrounding the 27-year-old’s potential return is understandable, given the passion and commitment Lang shows each time he puts on the Pompey shirt. However, he believes the Blues need to be careful with him after two serious hamstring injuries since February. He also believes the versatile forward may need extra time to get back up to speed after a lengthy spell out of the team.
Callum and Pompey - ‘you’ve got to be careful’
Lang is one of five players who could conceivably make his comeback against Millwall, with Nicolas Schmid, Adrian Segecic, Harvey Blair and Franco Umeh also closing in on returns.
But speaking on our latest episode of Pompey Talk, Allen said; ‘Lang's a different one isn't it really, because twice this calendar year he's had a hamstring injury, so you've got to be more careful with him.
‘For me, Lang, when he's come back from injury in the past, he needs quite a few games to get up to speed again and get the best out of him.
‘Someone like (Josh) Murphy has basically just slotted straight in; Colby Bishop last season, after his heart operation, once he was back training he just slotted straight into the first team.
‘Some players need time to build up naturally. That's no criticism of them, it's just how it works, it's life, isn't it. So you'd imagine they have to be very careful with Lang, but also they need him, they need Lang on the right wing, they need Lang as a number 10 as well.
‘But you've only got one of him and you've got to be careful.’