Portsmouth boss makes winger transfer admission as recruitment plans changed
Pompey have adjusted their January transfer plans following double injury set-back
Pompey’s winger crisis has forced a transfer window rethink.
Now John Mousinho is looking for ‘at least’ two new additions in that area after losing both Harvey Blair and Franco Umeh to injury during the FA Cup clash with Arsenal.
The duo join Callum Lang, Josh Murphy and Florian Bianchini on the sidelines ahead of the forthcoming trip to Sheffield Wednesday, leaving the Blues without a natural wide player to select.
Mousinho admits transfer work was already underway to replace Minhyeok Yang, who was last week recalled by Spurs and instead sent on loan to Championship leaders Coventry.
However, following the latest double injury blow, he revealed Pompey are now intent on adding even more wingers than initially planned this month.
‘Maybe it’s one more at least’
Mousinho told The News: ‘We have been looking to recruit anyway, we’re not going to panic because of injuries to Harvey and Franco.
‘Maybe positionally that impacts us, those two were our only out-and-out wingers that we had going into the Arsenal game - so we don’t have any wingers at the minute.
‘So I think it might just impact that position. It depends entirely on the nature and severity of Harvey and Franco’s injuries, so we’ll see. It’s something we will have to look at.
‘We have already planned for one swap for Minhyeok. Now with those two (injured), maybe it’s one more at least.’
Adrian Segecic and Conor Chaplin have both featured on the right wing this season, with the former lining up there against Arsenal.
However, their best work for Pompey in 2025-26 has been in the number 10 role, with Chaplin presently preferred to the Australian in that particular position.
Elsewhere, Bianchini has been absent from the last six matches with an ongoing knee injury, while Murphy (hamstring) and Lang (hamstring) haven’t been available since December.
Awaiting injury update
Pompey are still determining the extent of damage to Blair and Umeh, with Mousinho unsure of exact details when speaking straight after Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal.
Blair, who had started the game brightly, was forced off with a hip flexor injury in the 40th minute and replaced by Umeh.
It represented Umeh’s second Pompey appearance since recovering from the hamstring injury he brought with him from Crystal Palace in September.
Yet, on 84 minutes, he also had to leave the action after tearing his hamstring while attempting a left-wing run in front of the south stand.
With Pompey having already used their full allocation of five substitutes, it ensured they finished the FA Cup third round fixture with 10 men.
Mousinho added: ‘Harvey started really brightly, had a big part in creating that first goal, obviously it’s disappointing.
‘Franco has not managed to play a huge amount of minutes for us, so coming off in that nature, I felt for him.’
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