‘Needs to stay fit’: Portsmouth boss' brutal message over ex-Liverpool talent after spirited Wrexham display
Harvey Blair has been limited to just nine outings for Pompey in all competitions this season.
John Mousinho has sent Harvey Blair a clear fitness challenge ahead of a crucially-important second half of the season.
And the head coach was given his exciting verdict over the winger’s contributions against Wrexham on his return from the sidelines in midweek.
It’s been a hugely frustrating campaign on the south coast for the 22-year-old, who has been restricted to just nine outings in all competitions this term due to injury.
A hamstring issue sustained on the final day of the 2024-25 campaign forced Blair to miss the opening three months of this season before missing a further month of action just two games into his return.
Despite growing in confidence and form over the festive period, the ex-Liverpool talent suffered a hip-flexor issue in the first half of the Blues’ 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in January’s third-round FA Cup tie.
This kept the 2024 arrival out for seven matches - and was even left out of Pompey’s 25-man EFL squad - before returning to the matchday side against Millwall last Saturday - although he was an unused substitute at The Den.
Pompey boss’ brutal fitness message over Harvey Blair
And Mousinho has made it clear the £500,000 signing has put his injury woes behind him and remain fit for the remainder of the season.
Speaking in his pre-Hull City press conference to Express FM’s James Wilson, the Blues boss said: ‘Harvey needs to stay fit, he's never been fit.
‘He's had a huge amount of bad luck with injuries, when he's kept coming to the side, he's shown huge amounts of promise in possession, needs to convert that into more goals and more assists.
‘And needs to make sure that he nails his jobs off the ball as well.
‘He's definitely capable of doing all those sort of things, but the first thing he needs to do is stay fit, and then off the back of that, I think we can see more and more in an attacking sense from Harvey.’
John Mousinho’s praise over Harvey Blair’s Wrexham contributions
Blair replaced Caballero at the break against Wrexham in midweek, with the 22-year-old impressing in an improved second-half performance by the Blues.
And although Mousinho praised the forward’s display at the Racecourse Ground, the head coach was frustrated with Blair’s lack of protection by the officials.
‘I thought straight away it was a real threat on the right hand side.
‘Bear in mind as well, I watched the game back (because) it was more difficult to see from where we were on the near side. The level of protection you got, I thought, was absolutely awful from the officiating.
‘There was one point where he beat Thomason, Thomason drags him back and I don’t know whether the ref is playing advantage or whether we're not going to give it.
‘(Blair then) delivers the ball (and Callum) Doyle absolutely clatters him after the ball's gone which is still in play (and the ref goes) just play on and just leave him to it.
‘And that was consistent throughout the night, just wasn't on Harvey.
So I know I've gone off on a bit of a tangent there about that with Harvey, but I actually felt a bit sorry for him because I thought he put some really good work in.
‘He looked like he was a real threat and I think we need to see more of it.’