John Mousinho targets securing an eighth Portsmouth summer signing before Spanish training camp
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Although John Mousinho conceded any newcomer would not be fielded in the scheduled friendly with Europa FC.
Jack Sparkes’ Wednesday evening arrival represented the seventh in the opening 15 days of the transfer window for the busy Blues.
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Hide AdPompey remain in the hunt for more additions, with Gavin Whyte and Di’Shon Bernard still on their radar, while there’s interest in Australian striker Kusini Yengi.
The Blues fly out to Malaga on Sunday morning for a five-night stay in Mijas, on the Costa del Sol.
And Mousinho won’t rule out another new face joining them on the trip.
He told The News: ‘I’m not sure, I wouldn’t be surprised either way, but we are not in a huge rush on some of the players we are working on at the moment.
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Hide Ad‘It would be nice if we did have the new ones that we are working on for Spain, but everyone now we sign are a couple of days behind everyone else in terms of fitness. So we’ve got to be sensible with them.
‘Even if we manage to get one more over the line before Spain, we probably won’t see that player feature in the game on Thursday because it will be a light introduction.
‘We are not done, though, we are not resting on our laurels. There is definitely more scope.’
Pompey returned to full pre-season training on Thursday morning, with 18 outfield players involved.
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Hide AdIn addition, goalkeepers Will Norris, Josh Oluwayemi and Toby Steward worked away from the group with coach Joe Prodomo.
Newest signing Sparkes didn’t feature, instead undergoing physical and medical testing having not been present for the early part of the week.
While internationals Joe Morrell and Paddy Lane are scheduled to be back in time for Spain, having been granted another week off.
That totals 24 players presently on Pompey’s first-team books – and, at present, Mousinho expects all to be on the flight to Malaga.
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Hide AdHe added: ‘As it stands now, all the squad will be going to Spain.
‘It’s actually a case of making sure we’ve got enough plane tickets! I don’t think we quite anticipated we would have this many players sorted this early.
‘Genuinely, we didn't necessarily know what we were going to do this early in pre-season – but everything has panned out really nicely.’
Pompey face Gibraltar side Europa FC on Thursday, July 6 for their maiden friendly of the summer (5.30pm UK time).
The fixture will take place at the Estadio Jose Burgos De Quintana, close to the town of Coin in Malaga.