Portsmouth picture over outstanding defender’s injury return amid breakdown concern ahead of Sheffield United and Stoke City
John Mousinho admitted he will need to carefully weigh up Regan Poole’s Pompey return to avoid another big injury setback.
And guiding the key defender through three games in eight days is a big consideration for the Blues boss after his Fratton comeback.
Poole has provided the Fratton faithful with a big boost after negotiating his first two games since recovering from 10 months out with a serious knee injury.
The Wales international followed up a second-half sub appearance against West Brom, with a man-of-the-match display at Burnley last weekend in the 2-1 defeat.
They were both significant landmarks after the 26-year-old ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament at Chesterfield last November.
Now, though, Pompey entertain Sheffield United ahead of a mid-week trip to Stoke and visit from Oxford United next weekend.
Poole has made it clear he doesn’t want to be held back, with the popular figure returning at such a high level.
But with the international break then following the next trio of games, Mousinho is wary of the former Lincoln man not being dealt another big setback.
Mousinho said: ‘It’s fortunate with Regan we had a free week this week, but we are going to have to monitor it next week with the travel and the games we’ve got.
‘Stoke away on a Wednesday is always going to be interesting, book-ended by two massive home games for us.
‘So we’ll monitor that but certainly for this week we’ve been keeping an eye on his load and seeing he’s okay.
‘The big thing for Regan is to get through to the international break, where we can give him a bit more time to rest and recuperate. We’ll see how things look from there.
‘Regan hasn’t asked for anything. He’s raring to go and has been champing at the bit for a long time to get involved.
‘We’ve probably had to hold him back a little bit to make sure he’s at the levels he was at the weekend.
‘He’s been brilliant through the rehab and kept himself really positive.
‘We’ve missed him, there’s no doubt about. Him coming back into the fold with the good performance is no coincidence.’