Portsmouth boss confirms Conor Shaughnessy plan for crucial Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town clashes
The latest on Conor Shaughnessy and the outlook for the key Pompey defender with six Championship games to go.
John Mousinho has outlined how he plans to use Conor Shaughnessy for the next stage of Pompey’s survival fight.
The Blues boss has indicated he will not start the key defender in the back-to-back clashes with promotion contenders Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town.
Mousinho: Shaughnessy minutes to mirror Easter period
That means the head coach will again look to his squad to fill his stretched back line, as they go to the Riverside on Saturday before returning to Fratton Park next Tuesday.
Shaughnessy made his second start against Oxford United on Monday since returning from a quad issue, completing his first 90 minutes in the process in the 1-1 draw.
That followed on from being left on the bench at Norwich City on Good Friday, as the 29-year-old has his minutes managed following two seasons on injury woe.
Shaughnessy got a late runout at Carrow Road, but told The News he’s keen to build his playing time at a critical moment in the season.
Mousinho is keen to avoid a repeat of the League One title winner breaking down again, however, with the Pompey boss stating the next two games will follow a similar pattern to the Easter period for Shaughnessy.
With Connor Ogilvie currently set to start a three-match ban for his disputed red card picked up against the U’s and Zak Swanson sidelined with a knee issue, Mousinho is once again facing a defensive reshuffle at Boro.
That could mean more playing time for Madiodio Dia who started against the Canaries, with Ibane Bowat and Hayden Matthews other central defensive options.
When asked about his plans for Shaughnessy in the next two games, Mousinho said: ‘It will be what we saw last weekend, where we decided to change the centre-half partnership on Friday to have Shaughs ready for Oxford.
‘We do feel we have players who can come in and affect things.
‘We brought in Madiodio who I thought was good last Friday and grew into the game in the second half.
‘He was up against some extreme talent there, so we’ve got some good options and if we go with those options, we can manage.’
Shaughnessy told The News today there is some frustration on his part over having limited minutes, though he feels such caution is understandable given his past issues.
The former Leeds United and Reading was hoping getting back-to-back 90 minutes can be on his agenda moving forward this term.
He said: ‘We had a discussion last Thursday before the Norwich game about whether I needed to be rested. From the medical point of view, they were just cautious of me playing two 90 minutes in such a short space of time.
Shaughnessy wants back-to-back starts in next couple of weeks
‘That was frustrating for me, I want to play every game, but also it was a sensible decision given how the last season or two have gone for me with injuries.
‘It’s the manager’s decision, I’m happy to go with whatever decision he makes. It’s also a good thing, I’m being managed well.
‘That will change, I’ll get back to normal now in the next couple of weeks and hopefully play 90 minutes back to back. That’s where I am at, really.
‘I should be okay now, that’s the plan. There are a couple of Saturday-Tuesdays coming up, so we’ll see.
‘That will be a decision the gaffer and physios will have to make. But, from my point of view, I feel good and I would like to play as much as possible.’