John Mousinho details international break plans as Portsmouth line up game
The FIFA international match calendar includes an unprecedented change this year, with a significant knock-on affecting Pompey.
John Mousinho has outlined Pompey’s international break plans as they enter uncharted territory.
And the Blues boss has spoken of the balancing act the Fratton football operation faces to ensure his players come back at full throttle, after a three-week pause to their season.
Pompey boss: ‘A balance between having break and keeping them fit’
Mousinho has confirmed the period is set to include his side playing a behind-closed-doors friendly, as they gear up for their return in the south-coast derby at Southampton on October 11.
For the first time this season, the current break will be over a longer period with the September and October breaks merged and countries playing four times.
This situation presents considerations for Pompey as they weigh how to manage this spell without losing match fitness.
Mousinho explained his men will come off the gas this week, before sessions at their Hilsea training are ramped up once again.
The plan is for the weekend of October 3 and 4 to include a friendly against an as yet unnamed opponent, before they go into the third week which culminates with a trip to St Mary’s Stadium on the Sunday.
Mousinho said: ‘There’s a little bit of a balance between having a break and keeping them fit.
‘We’ll keep training through the break, that’s the most important thing. We'll do a lot of work which involves bigger pitches and even 11-a-sides to make sure we’re as close to full match fitness as possible.
‘We will come off it in the first week, but there’s only so many days you can have off before you need to get back training. So we’ll bear that in mind.
‘There’s also a couple of potential options for friendlies. We’ll possibly look at that for the second weekend.’
The latest international break will officially run over a 16-day period from September 21 until October 6. The next breaks run from November 9-17 and March 22-30 next year.
With Pompey’s trip to Wolves moved from September 9 until October until October 20, it means the Southampton game commences a frantic run of five games in the space of 13 days after the international break.
After the Southampton game, Pompey entertain Sheffield United on Wednesday, October 14 (7.45pm). They then go to Norwich on Saturday, October 17 (3pm) and Wolves on Tuesday, October 20 (7.45pm).
The final match of the sequence is Millwall arriving at Fratton Park on Saturday, October 24 (12.30pm).