'We have to play this way' - Portsmouth sporting director explains injury issues as 13 players potentially out for Hull game
Pompey had 12 players unavailable for their midweek trip to Wrexham on Tuesday because of injury
Rich Hughes has admitted the demands being placed on the Pompey players has contributed to their injury list this season.
The Blues sporting director also gave his backing to the Fratton Park club’s medical team by insisting he’s happy with the work they continue to do to support John Mousinho’s first-team ranks.
Hughes’ thoughts on Pompey’s injury issues have come to light via the publication of minutes taken from the latest Tony Goodall Fans’ Conference, which was held earlier this month.
They also come at a time when the Blues went into Tuesday night’s game at Wrexham without 12 players. And with doubts about John Swift’s availability for today’s game against Hull City following his early withdrawal at the Racecourse Ground, that number could rise further to 13.
It’s a significant figure that would impact any team’s progress over the course of a season - and it’s certainly been felt by Pompey who sit 19th in the Championship table and five points above the drop zone ahead of their home game against the Tigers.
It’s also left some to inevitably question Pompey’s methods, the efforts they undertake to mitigate the risk of injury, and their rehab procedures.
However, Hughes admitted, to remain competitive in a division with huge budgetary disparities, Mousinho’s players need to be physical and full-blooded
That’s then led to more contact injuries for he medical team, who the sporting director has complete faith in, to deal with this term.
Hughes: ‘We can’t be passive’
At the February fans’ conference, Hughes was asked why injuries keep happening and was he satisfied with the club’s medical team.
In response, he said: ‘Injuries are a natural part of football. For us to compete against teams with more substantial budgets, we do have to be physical.
‘We can’t be passive, we can’t lay off people, we have to play this way - even if we get more injuries as a result.
‘That’s something we’re all aligned to. When we’ve been good, we’ve been front-footed and powerful. Sometimes it’s hard to get players up to that level mid-season.
‘We get benchmarking data on injuries throughout the season, so we can see where we sit against other teams. We’re really high against other clubs for ‘severe contact injuries’. We’re part of a larger trend – the number of injuries is increasing every year across football.’
With regards to the PO4 medical team, Hughes added: ‘Yes, we’re happy with what they’re doing. We’ve put an increased demand on them this year.
‘We’re asking players to be full-blooded going into contact. In the past, we’ve had lots of muscle injuries, now we’re getting more contact injuries.
‘The demand is in training as well as matches – we can’t ask players to be passive through the week then ask them to be aggressive on a Saturday, we have to train how we want to play.
‘I can’t level any problems at (the medical team’s) work – they’re the last out of the training ground each day and are so thorough and so professional.’
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