Some huge decisions lie on the horizon for Pompey, as they bid to bolster their bid to finally reach the Championship.
We have looked into some of the key areas boss John Mousinho, sporting director Rich Hughes & Co need to tackle next month.
And we’ve also cast our eyes towards next summer and another raft of big calls which lie on the horizon for the Blues.
9. Asian Cup
The Asian Cup is set to throw a sizeable spanner in the works next month. Pompey face losing Kusini Yengi and Alex Robertson as part of Australia’s involvement in the competition in Qatar. The event runs from January 12 until February 10 - spanning five League One fixtures. That’s not taking into account any training camp involvement beforehand. John Mousinho seems comfortable with the midfield cover for Robertson - the Yengi situation isn’t so clear. Photo: Jason Brown
10. Striker situation
It remains to be seen if Pompey will feel it necessary to invest in another front man next month. Kusini Yengi looks likely for an Australia call-up after selection in their World Cup qualifiers last month, but the Blues are waiting to see the outlook on Colby Bishop after his ankle injury. With Christian Saydee looking more comfortable in a deeper role, the squad could look very light up front in no time. ‘It’s something we have to look at,’ Mousinho said on the topic last week. Photo: Jason Brown
11. Loan arrangers
The ongoing potential to use the loan market is a weapon in Pompey’s armoury next month. There’s no limit on the amount of loans you can bring in, but only five are allowed to be named in a matchday squad. Tino Anjorin, Abu Kamara and Alex Robertson are the trio in the building at the moment leaving space for two more, with any further arrivals clearly coming in to directly impact the promotion charge. The leeway with loans in January was a deliberate squad-planning ploy. Photo: Jason Brown
12. Keep at all costs!
It goes without saying how important it will be to keep Alex Robertson next month. John Mousinho is quietly confident parent club Manchester City will be happy to see the Aussie stay given his progress. And if Pompey were to be in the Championship next summer, there wouldn't be any harm in looking to see if there was any way to find a Fratton return on loan or even permanently. It would be remiss of the Blues not to ask! Photo: Jason Brown