Carabao Cup draw, pre-season friendlies - 11 key dates Portsmouth faithful can look forward to this summer
Pompey are preparing for their third-successive Championship campaign.
Pompey secured their Championship status with two games to spare in April, booking their spot in the second-tier for a third-successive campaign.
It’s already been a busy start to the close season at Fratton Park, with John Mousinho’s future firmly under the spotlight soon after the final day.
The Blues boss admitted Pompey will be active in the market as he looks to bolster his ranks for the new campaign.
Incomings and outgoings are on the cards as Mousinho fine tunes his squad, which secured an 18th-placed finish last term.
Away from the transfer window, the Blues have announced some pre-season plans, with trips to Woking, Aldershot and Farnborough set to take place.
There’s fixture releases and Carabao Cup draws taking place also as build-up continues ahead of the new campaign.
Starting with the window’s opening next week, here’s a run through of all the key dates for the diary so far to look out for this summer at Fratton Park.
Key dates to look out for this summer
June 15 - Transfer window opens
There are less than six days to go until the transfer window gets underway, with the Blues expected to be busy throughout the summer. Although Rich Hughes admitted he doesn’t anticipate too much action early on, the sporting director is hoping to recruit a number of faces before Pompey return for pre-season. Adrian Segecic was the first arrival through the doors at Fratton Park 12-months ago, two days into the window.
June 25 - Fixture release
Just 10 days later, there’s another key date for supporters to jot down in their diaries. The EFL have confirmed Championship fixtures will be released at midday on Thursday, June 25. They’ll be a maiden visit to the London Stadium for the Fratton faithful to keep an eye out for, along with trips to the likes of Lincoln City, Wolves, Burnley, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers.
June 25 - Carabao Cup first round draw
The EFL have also recently confirmed the date of the Carabao Cup first round draw, which will also take place on Thursday, June 25. The draw will be shown live on Sky Sports, with the opening two rounds of this season’s competitions regionalised into North and South groups.
July 14 - Woking (A)
Pompey announced their first pre-season friendly of the summer will be against National League opposition in Woking. The Blues will lock horns with former striker Jermaine Defoe, who was appointed head coach in March. Mousinho’s troops will make the short trip to the Kingfield Stadium on Tuesday, July 14, with kick-off at 7pm. Pompey claimed a 2-0 triumph against Woking in a pre-season friendly in 2025.
July 15 - Aldershot (A)
The pre-season schedule continues 24 hours later, with Mousinho’s men facing National League outfit Aldershot. The Blues will make the trip to the Recreation Ground on June 15, with another 7pm kick-off.
July 28 - Moneyfields (A)
A Moneyfields friendly at the John Jenkins Stadium on Tuesday, July 28 (7.45pm) will involve a Pompey XI in the form of the Academy.
July 29 - Farnborough (A)
A trip to Farnborough was one of three friendlies confirmed by the Blues on Monday evening. Mousinho’s troops will take on the National League South outfit at Cherrywood Road on Wednesday, July 29 (7pm kick-off). Pompey secured a 5-0 win in a pre-season friendly 12 months ago.
August 1-2 - Germany friendly
The News understands Pompey are set to make their first trip to German for the first time since 2008 to round off their pre-season program. The Blues are currently finalising their plans, with the friendly against an unnamed Bundesliga.2 side set to take place on the weekend of August 1. It represents the third time in 56 years that Pompey have played in Germany, having previously faced MSV Duisburg (September 1970) and Wolfsburg (December 2008).
August 7-9 - Carabao Cup first round
The campaign gets underway a week later, with the Carabao Cup set to take place ahead of the Championship opening weekend. After consultation with clubs, the EFL agreed to push the first round back, with those fixtures usually taking place in midweek. The decision was to allow further rest for players, who would usually play three games in quick succession after the close season.
August 14-16 - Opening weekend
As a consequence of the first round of the Carabao Cup being pushed back, the Championship opening weekend will now take place between Friday, August 14 and Sunday, August 16. Mousinho’s troops have started their previous two campaigns back in the Championship on the road.
September 1 - Deadline day
Pompey will be a few weeks into the new season by the time the window slams shut on September 1. It has been confirmed deadline day will take place on a Tuesday, with the market now set to close at the later time of 11pm.