'It's very difficult': Why Portsmouth boss is in the dark over whether forgotten man has Fratton future

John Mousinho insists he remains in the dark over whether Liam Vincent has a Pompey future.

And he believes the youngster needs to finally conquer injury issues and stay on the pitch if he's to persuade him as the clock ticks down on a potential summer exit.

The left-sided player has suffered a torrid time with injuries since arriving at Fratton Park for an undisclosed fee from Bromley in June 2021.

Still to make his first-team debut, Vincent’s last squad involvement for a competitive Blues fixture was in April 2022 as an unused substitute.

This term there have been unsuccessful loans at Worthing (twice) and Chelmsford, returning from the latter after one match with a knee problem.

And with the 20-year-old’s three-year contract up in the summer, Mousinho claims he hasn’t seen enough of Vincent in action to decide whether to keep him at Fratton Park.

The Blues’ head coach told The News: ‘We want to see Liam going and getting games so we can properly assess him to see what his future is.

‘He’s had a lot of bad luck. He got going in the second half of last season with Worthing, then he’s gone back to Worthing twice this season and it didn’t quite happen for him. Now he’s come back injured from another loan.

‘There’s still plenty of time left in the season and if he can train with us for the next week or so, then hopefully he’s available for a club to take him. That will allow us to properly assess him for the last four months of the year.

‘But it’s very difficult to properly assess Liam at the moment because he hasn’t set foot on a football pitch as a first-teamer.

‘He has a lot of attributes that we’d like at left wing or left-back, it’s just about him putting that altogether. Not just with a run of games, but also making sure he puts performances together.

‘Liam has a really good left foot, is a really good finisher, he’s an athletic young lad, but probably needs to nail down a position, whether that is left wing or left-back.

‘It’s just having a run of games out on loan first so we can properly assess him. He needs a period free of injury - and he hasn’t managed that for the last year or so.’

Vincent’s latest set-back occurred on his Chelmsford debut in November against Maidstone, when he sustained a knee injury after 68 minutes.

However, he’s now on the road back to fitness, with Pompey to explore a fourth loan of the season once he is ready.

Mousinho added: ‘Liam was available for the first-team warm-up last Thursday after his knee injury.

‘He was unlucky just to play the one game for Chelmsford through injury, he just tweaked his MCL and has been in the physio room ever since.

‘For Liam’s development, going out and getting games again would be the preferred choice, so we want to get him back out on loan in January, if possible.’