Portsmouth forced to sweat on injury picked up by Fratton favourite Callum Lang during defeat to Norwich City
Callum Lang could face another period on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury during Pompey’s defeat to Norwich on Saturday
Pompey will wait until Monday before properly assessing the injury that forced Callum Lang off during the Blues’ Championship defeat to Norwich City.
The forward was withdrawn from the action on 57 minutes, moments after clutching his left hamstring following a challenge close to the Norwich penalty area.
Lang attempted to play on, with the Blues losing 2-0 at the time, but signalled to the bench can he was unable to continue.
The popular Fratton Park player suffered a similar injury last season against Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium, with the Liverpudlian subsequently forced to sit out 10 of Pompey’s final 13 games of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Blues have confirmed that it was a hamstring issue that caused him to come off in the 2-1 defeat to the Canaries on Saturday. Now they’re planning to wait until after the weekend to properly gauge the severity of the problem.
Pompey travel to West Brom next Saturday, before they welcome Preston North End to Fratton Park on August 30.
What John Mousinho has said about Callum Lang injury
Providing the latest on Lang’s situation, head coach John Mousinho said: ‘He’s felt his hamstring so we’ll see how that settles down on Monday.
‘It’s a massive blow - but you saw today that injuries are a big part of the game. I think Norwich had three of them and they made the sub at half-time, so it’s a part of the game you have to deal with, everyone has to deal with it.
‘I thought he (Lang) was excellent (today), he had that impact in the game, won that free-kick but unfortunately came off injured.’
Callum Lang - a key player for Pompey
Lang has established himself as key member of the Pompey first team following his move to Fratton Park for an undisclosed fee from Wigan in January 2024.
The 26-year-old contributed four goals over the second half of that season to help the Blues secure the League One title. He then was Pompey’s stand-out player in the Championship last year until he pulled his hamstring in the 2-0 win at the U’s in February.
Lang had scored 10 goals by then - goals that proved vital to the Blues retaining their Championship status for another year.
The player, who has a year remainin on his contract, was the subjected of a reported £2m bid from second-tier rivals Preston North End in the summer. However, Pompey have always maintained the forward is not for sale.
Lang now joins Marlon Pack and Harvey Blair on the sidelines - two players who are yet to play for the Blues this season.
Josh Murphy returned to the starting XI against Norwich after missing the opening game of the season with a hamstring issue.