Portsmouth defender attracting League One interest as Blues seek regular football
The Australian international has featured just 20 times in 19 months at Fratton Park
Hayden Matthews is attracting League One interest as Pompey explore finding him regular first-team football.
The Australian has slipped further out of the reckoning for the centre-half positions following the arrival of Benjy Arthur on a season-long loan from Brentford.
Throw in Madiodio Dia, who is well-regarded by John Mousinho, and fellow defenders Matthews and Josh Knight are now regarded as fifth and sixth choice in a congested position in the squad.
In the former Sydney FC man’s case, injury has cruelly impacted his Fratton Park progress, particularly after bursting into the team so impressively following his January 2025 arrival from the A-League.
And after 20 appearances in 19 months on the south coast, Mousinho is open to letting the 22-year-old leave on loan ahead of deadline day.
‘It has been a really tough one for Hayden’
Pompey’s boss told The News: ‘Hayden is one that has been a bit unlucky, a real victim of injuries, first and foremost.
‘It has been a really tough one for Hayden and maybe, in the meantime, Shocks and Regan have performed really well and we’ve had Jojo and now we have Benjy.
‘It’s a tough one for him, we will monitor that one over the next few days and see where it leaves him towards the back end of the window.
‘We would consider a loan, minimum League One. He just needs a run of games, he’s a very good prospect, and unfortunately he’s had those injury set-backs.
‘There’s been a little bit of interest, but, at the minute, we’ve not been in a position to do that. He was on the bench at West Ham. I know he was left out of the squad against QPR, but we haven't felt we’ve been in a position to let him go yet.’
Bright start after £1.25m move from Sydney FC
Matthews’ performances have yet to return to the impressive levels before sustaining ankle ligament damage against QPR in February 2025.
The set-back not only finished the Australian’s season, it also ended a superb six-game spell in Pompey’s side following his £1.25m arrival.
After making his comeback in 2025-26, he collected another ankle ligament issue, this time at Bristol City on New Year’s Day.
However, Matthews returned to start the Blues’ final two matches against Stoke and Birmingham - only to then injure himself on an Australian training camp ahead of the World Cup finals.
‘I would have said he’s not going to come out of the Championship starting XI’
Mousinho added: ‘Hayden picked up that really nasty ankle injury in the QPR game (February 2025).
‘If you had asked me at the time pre-injury - on the basis of Hayden’s performances going into the game and on that game - I would have said he’s not going to come out of the Championship starting XI should we keep him fit or manage to keep him at it for the next few months.
‘Then who knows what’s going to happen to his career in terms of that trajectory. He then came back into the side last season and had a decent-enough run of form around Christmas.
‘But unfortunately injured his ankle which kept him out for most of the season after that.’
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