Exclusive:Portsmouth boss responds to defensive concerns as questions persist over centre-back options
Pompey are down to two fit central defenders, with question marks over Madiodio Dia’s form. John Mousinho discusses the key department.
Pompey will monitor their defensive options with a view to strengthening as doubts are cast over their centre-back personnel.
And John Mousinho promised having available players of the right quality available at the back remains an issue the Blues football operation is acutely aware of.
Mousinho on defensive options: ‘It’s one we’re always aware of’
That’s with the fitness and form of his central defenders a significant factor once again, with the Championship season now firmly up and running.
Pompey went into the south-coast derby on Sunday with just two fit centre-backs, with Benjy Arthur (back) and Conor Shaughnessy (groin) sidelined.
Regan Poole and Madiodio Dia were those two men, with Dia having some difficult moments in his Blues career since arriving for £600,000 from Norwegian side Haugesund in the January transfer window.
Dia’s form and the continuing fitness question marks over Shaughnessy are big talking points among fans, with Pompey now in the midst of five games in the space of 13 days.
Mousinho stated he would be happy with what he has in the middle of defence, if his players there were fit.
The prospect of that not being the case means recruitment there will remain a live transfer topic moving forward.
Mousinho said: ‘With Benjy, we hope and expect him to be back in December.
‘So by the time we got to January we’d have four centre-backs, then the players who are out on loan as well with Hayden (Matthews) and Josh Knight.
‘There would be leeway to bring them back in January, too.
‘So where where we were at the start of the season, we had Benjy coming and Shaughs back as well with the two others champing at the bit as well.
‘So if we had those four back for January I think we’d be fine, but we’d need to assess the situation.
‘The issues there have factored into our thinking previously, because sometimes we’ve run with five or six centre-halves through the squad.
‘At the back end of last year we had quite a few there with the injury issues we had.’
Defensive concerns are nothing new for Mousinho and Pompey, with the middle of the back line exposed last season.
That saw the Blues go into January’s south-coast derby with one available centre-back in Ibane Bowat, who failed to finish the 1-1 draw at Fratton Park.
Mousinho added: ‘The last time we played the derby at our place, it’s an unbelievable example of where we were.
‘We had six centre-halves on our books and we had one of them to start the game, which was Ibane Bowat, and Ibane had a back niggle at the time so came off around the 60-minute mark.
‘So we were down to none by the end of the game!
‘So it’s one we’re always aware of and we make decisions based on how fit we think the group is and how fit the individuals are. It’s a factor in our thinking.’