Josh Murphy posts alarming injury photo as fears grow over extended stint on Portsmouth sidelines
An Instagram post from Josh Murphy today points to the player remaining on the sidelines for some time yet.
Hopes of a hasty return to the Pompey fray for Josh Murphy appear to have been dashed.
The key Blues figure has today posted an alarming picture on social media, detailing the extent of a foot injury.
Instagram picture shows Murphy’s apparent metatarsal fracture
The x-ray image appears to show a metatarsal fracture, with the reigning player of the season sidelined for the past six weeks.
Murphy has been out since injuring his hamstring in the 1-1 draw at Derby County on December 20, in a season which has been restricted to 14 appearances amid fitness issues.
Pompey boss John Mousinho has referenced the outstanding attacking operator dealing with numerous injury issues, yesterday acknowledging he couldn’t put a return date on the Oxford United signing’s return.
That was after Murphy was slated for a comeback this month, with Mousinho reporting an ankle injury among multiple issues.
Murphy was first pictured in a protective boot a fortnight ago, when supporting his team-mates in the 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.
The Pompey boss stated the club were treating ‘two or three other things’, as well as the player’s hamstring issue, with injections required.
Now the picture posted on Instagram points to an injury not previously referenced, in a series of photos titled ‘January’.
Speaking of Murphy’s ankle injury, Mousinho stated the problem wasn’t improving as anticipated with the 30-year-old scheduled to undergo another scan.
He told BBC Radio Solent: ‘Josh is still struggling with the ankle issue that he’s got, the boot that you saw up at Sheffield Wednesday.
‘It’s just not settling down as we would have hoped, so it’s one of those that I'm trying to be as honest as possible, I’m not fobbing anyone off but we don’t really know what the return date is.
‘We’re monitoring it, we’ve got another scan in 10 days which would have been six weeks post when he’s come off it completely. We’ll see how that is.’