Striker Kusini Yengi's nightmare season continues following Pompey exit on free transfer last summer
Former Pompey striker Kusini Yengi is struggling to catch a break following his Fratton Park departure last summer
The former Pompey striker, who has scored just one club goal since the Blues’ penultimate game of their 2023-24 League One title-wining season, has suffered an injury blow just weeks after completing his latest transfer.
The 27-year-old, who is on loan at Cerezo Osaka from Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen, has picked up a thigh injury in training, which could also impact his hopes of a Socceroos recall ahead of this summer’s World Cup Finals.
Australia national team boss Tony Popovic had travelled to Japan in recent weeks to check out the form of Socceroos currently plying their trade in the J-League - including Yengi.
Any positives he would have taken from his trip will have been dented, though, with the frontman now set for a period on the sidelines after just four substitutes appearances for his new side.
The setback adds to the woes Yengi has suffered since helping Pompey win promotion back to the Championship nearly two years ago.
In that period, the former Western Sydney Wanderers player has made just 24 club appearances and scored one goal - for Aberdeen against Morton in the Scottish League Cup back last August.
What’s happened to Kusini Yengi since leaving Pompey
Yengi played a key role in Pompey’s recent League One title-winning season, contributing nine league goals in 26 appearances during a memorable maiden campaign in English football.
A combination of injuries and poor form saw him feature just 14 times for John Mousinho’s side without registering a goal.
A move to Aberdeen followed, with the 11-times-capped Socceroos international signing a three-year deal upon his switch to Pittodrie.
But life north of the border soon turned sour. Indeed, Yengi found himself out of favour under boss Jimmy Thelin within weeks of the 2025-26 season starting and was limited to just 10 appearances, including four Scottish Premiership outings, before being handed an opportunity to resurrect his career by fellow Aussie Arthur Papas in Japan last month.
Osaka have the option to make Yengi’s loan stay, which is scheduled to end in June, a permanent one. But time is starting to run out already for the former Pompey striker to make an impression given his latest injury setback.
Yengi injuries
Injuries hugely impacted Yengi’s final season at Fratton Park, with the frontman returning three times to Pompey injured after being away on international duty.
On one occasion he sat out 19 games after damaging cruciate knee ligaments during Australia’s World Cup qualifer against Bahrain - a game that saw Yengi score both of his side’s goals in a 2-2 draw.
With six goals in 11 international appearances for his country, it’s understandable why Popovic felt the need to check in on the player following his move to Osaka.
However, the Socceroos boss knows a recall ahead of the World Cup could be diffiult.
He said: ‘I think he (Yengi) will be out for two to three months with a quad injury.
‘It was a player we're looking at now to see, how he's traveling because he's doing quite well in Japan from all reports. So we just have to monitor the players and keep trying to find solutions. ‘
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