Portsmouth suffer fresh Connor Ogilvie set-back as defensive concerns mount
The long-serving Ogilvie signed a new two-year deal with the Blues in June
Pompey have received a set-back over Connor Ogilvie’s bid to return from injury.
And John Mousinho admits the Blues are now unsure when the long-serving left-back will be available as they seek not to ‘rush him’.
Ogilvie underwent knee surgery at the start of July to rectify an ongoing issue which failed to resolve itself with rest over the summer.
Although he was expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 season, there had been hopes the 30-year-old would be back by late August, albeit having missed almost all their pre-season programme.
However, according to Mousinho, Ogilvie has yet to return to training, while is still experiencing ‘a bit of pain’ in his knee.
And, at present, the Blues’ head coach cannot even plot a comeback date for the ex-Gillingham defender.
‘We’re not rushing him and aren’t pinpointing any return match for Connor’
Mousinho told The News: ‘Connor's not back training yet, he has experienced a bit of pain in his knee so we are putting the brakes on that one at the moment.
‘We’re not rushing him and aren’t pinpointing any return match for Connor at the moment.
‘He trained for the first few days in pre-season, but that was it, so it’s going to be a bit of a comeback for him when he does return.
‘When Connor is fully fit, we’ll have him, Swanny and Terry Devlin as our full-backs. Last year we went with five - Farrell, Connor, Swanny, Terry and Willo - so 4-5 is a good number in terms of those full-backs.
‘The fact Swanny can play both sides - and has played both sides - helps us in that regard.’
Zak Swanson started last two Portsmouth games
Zak Swanson has lined-up at left-back in the opening two fixtures of the season, a position he impressed in last season.
However, the ex-Arsenal man himself has only recently returned following knee surgery in March and has yet to complete a full 90 minutes upon his return.
In Ogilvie’s ongoing absence, Pompey remain short in that area, especially with Jordan Williams last month loaned to Blackpool for the season and deciding against offering triallist Arvin Appiah a permanent deal.
In addition, Jacob Farrell remains sidelined following a recurrence of his groin issue during pre-season, although Mousinho has previously admitted they are seeking to offload the Australian.
Pompey finished Saturday's 3-1 defeat to QPR with a back three, which consisted of the right-footed Benjy Arthur serving as the left-sided centre-half.
Considering the lengthening wait for Ogilvie’s return, the Blues remain in the market to add another left-back to their squad.
Mousinho revealed at the weekend he wants three more signings before the transfer window shuts on September 1 at 11pm - which includes a left-back and central midfielder.
The only other alternatives at his disposal within the squad is first-year professional Nathaniel Chioma and central midfielder Odin Bailey, who briefly played at left-back against SV Darmstadt.