Pompey man believes injury issues are over

And the Pompey defender promised he will resist the temptation to rush back after getting to the bottom of his foot problem.

Thompson’s Blues career has been grounded before it can take off after being sidelined in his second training session for his new club.

The arrival from Swindon suffered with a recurring foot issue last term as the Robins were relegated to League Two.

The 26-year-old sought specialist help after the problem’s return and is facing up to six weeks out.

But Thompson is confident the crux of the issue has now been tackled. And despite his eagerness to impress at Fratton Park, he will not unduly hasten his return.

Thompson said: ‘It’s getting there now. I’ve seen the consultant who’s optimistic.

‘We’ve got the recovery down to four to six weeks, so things are a lot more upbeat.

‘It’s not going to keep me out too far into the season so things are a lot more positive.

‘It’s a good group here and I’ve been welcomed with open arms, but it is tough after being here for such a short amount of time.

‘I want to show the lads what I’m capable of achieving. So it’s tough being sat in the gym doing your rehab.

‘But there’s a lot of good people at this club who want to help me. I’m certainly looking to repay that support.

‘It’s important we saw the consultant, got to the bottom of it and ironed it out.

‘Now everything is in place to ensure there are no more surprises. You learn from your mistakes and I’ve certainly learned from rushing back too quickly.

‘There’s a capable group here, though. Before at Swindon I felt I had that added responsibility with being captain and wanting to lead on the pitch,

‘I want to do that here, but there is a capable group – I’ll get back when the foot’s right.’

Thompson believes being able to correctly identify how the injury is hindering him has allowed him to progress.

A boot support was previously highlighted as problematic, whereas it’s now developed into a tear in his foot which has been pinpointed.

‘When we were at Swindon we thought it was bruising from landing on the orthotic in the boot,’ added Thompson.

‘We had it scanned at the time and thought there was no problem with it.

‘Then second day in here I jumped up for a header, pushed off and it seemed to tear. It’s a very strange injury but it seems we’ve got to the bottom of it with the medical team here, so that should be it.

‘We had a change of physio at Swindon. I’m not being disrespectful to anyone there, but we weren’t able to solve what was happening there.

‘I’ve been able to see a consultant who knows exactly what he’s talking about. He’s the best in his field so hopefully we can put that all behind me now.’