Portsmouth boss delivers exciting attacking outlook as key figure closes in on injury return
Josh Murphy could return to Pompey duty against Burnley this Saturday.
John Mousinho is hopeful he will finally be in a position to regularly rotate his wide options, with his attacking ranks set to be bolstered against Burnley.
Josh Murphy has been sidelined since August after undergoing surgery on a problematic groin issue, which has limited him to just two outings this term.
Keshi Anderson featured twice from the bench after completing his return from a quad tear after the international, before then sustaining a serious hamstring injury against Sheffield United earlier this month.
Youngster Luke Brooke-Smith, meanwhile, remains a long-term absentee after suffering a fractured fibula, ligament damage and a dislocated ankle in a horrific training ground accident in September.
The head coach’s ranks could be strengthened further this Saturday, with the Blues expected to make a call on Murphy’s fitness as he closes in on his return.
That should ease the workload on Kavuma-McQueen, Shade and Kamara, who have been heavily utilised in recent weeks.
But Mousinho is confident the returns of key attacking figures will allow him to regularly have ‘pace, power and width’ at his disposal on the wing.
Pompey boss’ exciting attacking outlook
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, he said: ‘That’s the position we want to be in. I’ve spoken about how we want to operate with wingers, with full width, with pace and power along the sides.
‘That’s been difficult at times over the past couple of years because we’ve had those injuries.
‘Murph did it really consistently through the first season in the Championship. Last year, Murph spent a lot of time out and we had a concoction of various different wingers and a lot of time having our 10s in Segs (Adrian Segecic) or Chappers (Conor Chaplin) on the right.
‘We’re trying to build that position. We’ve not been able to do it this year because of the injuries we’ve had.
‘When I say we’ve not been able to do it, the rotation that we’d probably like to see being able to do 60/30 with certain wingers, give Abs (Abu Kamara) a rest here and there, which we haven’t been able to do.
‘Hopefully if we get a couple of the boys back we’ll be in a better spot.’