‘Big one’: The plan for Portsmouth striker as he bolsters injury-hit ranks
What comes next for the front man after bolstering Pompey’s injury-ravaged Championship ranks.
John Mousinho has laid down the pathway for Thomas Waddingham after his injury return.
And the Pompey boss acknowledged this is now a ‘big’ period for the striker, as he searches for the run of fitness which has eluded him at Fratton Park.
Mousinho on Waddingham: ‘He’s going to be ready to do 15 at weekend’
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Waddingham made his comeback from ankle surgery at Wolves on Tuesday night, following 10 weeks on the sidelines.
The 21-year-old suffered an unfortunate contact injury in the Carabao Cup defeat at West Ham, following a tackle from defender Ollie Scarles which frustrated Mousinho.
It’s the latest issue in an injury-ravaged stay at PO4, following his arrival from A-League side Brisbane Roar at the start of last year.
Waddingham has been restricted to 13 Pompey appearances largely coming off the bench, with a thigh issue at the heart of his limited availability.
Now the striker is back in the equation and was being readied for involvement off the bench at Molineux, until Terry Devlin’s late goal changed Mousinho’s tactical approach.
Waddingham was deemed ready for no more than five minutes of football in the 1-1 draw, but has since been put through a session at the club’s Hilsea base.
That means he’s ready for more involvement against Millwall on Saturday if called upon.
Mousinho said: ‘Wadds had a good training session yesterday, so he’s going to be ready to do 15 at the weekend.
‘The more he plays in those game or takes part in the kind of sessions we did yesterday, the more he is going to be build up.
‘But he’s been out for so long. It’s not just the injury at West Ham, but he’d been out for a long time before that.
‘So we’re going to need to just be a bit careful with him.
‘That’s the big one for Wadds (staying fit), the worst thing for him is it was a contact injury and that’s just unfortunate.’
Waddingham’s injury has been one of a number Pompey are dealing with, while the Aussie is one of host of additions from his homeland who’ve dealt with fitness issues.
That’s been a criticism from some supporters, but Mousinho has indicated he feels viewing his latest injury through that prism is harsh.
Speaking to The News in August, he said: ‘I really feel for him.
‘When he picks up a soft tissue injury we have to look at ourselves and think what have we done with the rehab and where have we been with building him up.
‘That’s on us, but I thought this one was doubly disappointing.
‘Wadds has come off worse off the back of that challenge.
‘The most important thing is Wadds and I’m gutted for him.
‘So we’ll deal with the consequences of the refereeing decision over the next couple of days, but it doesn’t look good.
‘The fact the lad has been out since August last year and has needed to come off after five minutes at West Ham at the London Stadium, that shows it must be something pretty serious.
‘Wadds has worked so hard to get back fit.
‘So for him to limp off from a poor challenge right in front of the assistant is very disappointing.
‘I said that at the time, it’s not just something I’ve said afterwards. I try to be consistent with that. I thought at the time it was pretty poor and not dealt with.’