Portsmouth boss John Mousinho's frustrating update on injury-ravaged attacker - but there is hope
The former A-League striker has made just eight appearances in the last 12 months
John Mousinho is refusing to write off Thomas Waddingham’s season.
But the Blues boss is still unable to put a timeframe on the Australian’s long-awaited return following his latest set-back.
The 20-year-old has suffered a torrid time with injury, restricting him to just eight appearances over the last 12 months.
Although initially expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks through the injury, his absence has now reached five-and-a-half months - with the striker yet to even return to full training.
‘We are still struggling with a couple of issues’
And, having recently been forced to cancel a comeback date against Sheffield United, Mousinho has no idea when Waddingham will make his long-awaited return.
The Blues head coach told The News: ‘We are still struggling with a couple of issues with Tom. I do expect him to be back this season, I just don’t know when.
‘We were hoping to have him back for the Sheffield United game. It’s a tough one. It’s the same issues with the thigh, a couple of niggles, a couple of things he’s struggling with.
‘He’s not been back in full training. We’ve had him dipping in and out, that usual reintroduction of players into the training group, but not back into full training.
‘Tom’s back doing his rehab at the moment, he has done a little outside, so he’s able to go outside, but it’s just not high intensity at the minute.’
Featured in Pompey’s opening five matches this season
After a strong pre-season, when he finished as Pompey’s top scorer with four goals, Waddingham was regularly involved with Mousinho's first-team at the start of the campaign.
He featured in all the opening five matches, with four appearances off the bench in the Championship and a start in the Carabao Cup defeat to Reading.
However, on the eve of the south-coast derby at St Mary’s, the striker tore his thigh in training, putting him out for three months.
There have since been several set-backs along the way for Waddingham, who had been expected to return to action at some stage this month.
Since arriving from Brisbane Roar in January 2025, he has featured just 10 times after scoring on his debut at West Brom.
The Australian’s 2024-25 season was curtailed by a hamstring injury collected on his full Championship debut, having lined-up at Coventry in April 2025.
That saw him miss the final five matches as Mousinho’s men successfully secured Championship survival after a lengthy relegation battle.
His compatriots have also suffered injury problems since transferring from the A-League, although Hayden Matthews is anticipated to return from his ankle problem against Hull on Saturday.
Jacob Farrell, who has featured just three times for the Blues since joining in July 2024, is currently on loan at Western Sydney Wanderers, with the hope of regular first-team football.
Although Adrian Segecic has played 27 times this season and is Pompey’s leading scorer at present with six goals.