BREAKING: Portsmouth youngster turns to Aldershot after Football League veto League Two and Scottish Premiership interest following Gillingham nightmare

The 20-year-old has joined Aldershot on loan for the remainder of the campaign, subject to league approval.

It represents a second opportunity for precious game time following an unhappy spell at League Two strugglers Gillingham.

Recruited on a season-long loan on deadline day in September, Pompey had to step in this month to recall the defender at the arrangement’s halfway mark.

Mnoga totalled just 71 minutes of first-team action in the league for the Gills, with five matches overall.

A sending off 10 minutes into his debut against Swindon set the tone for his Priestfield Stadium stay – and sadly a set-back he would never recover from.

To compound Mnoga’s misery, having already appeared for Pompey and Gillingham in the current campaign, rules prohibit him from playing for a third Football League team.

He is also unable to feature in Scotland – with either non-league or abroad his only options for a second loan spell in 2022-23.

It is understood two League Two clubs and one Scottish Premiership side were interested in capturing the centre-half for the second half of the season.

However, Mnoga has been forced to explore non-league opportunities, bringing him to the attention of Aldershot.

The Shots are presently 19th in the National League and have earmarked the Academy graduate for a right-sided role in their back three.

With Pompey having settled on Mnoga’s future being at centre-half rather than right-back, it represents the perfect fit for the talented youngster.

He has made 28 appearances for the Blues since his debut as a 16-year-old against Crawley in the Checkatrade Trophy in October 2018.

This season he started both of Pompey’s Carabao Cup matches, while also faced Crawley in the Papa Johns Trophy – those outings arriving before his Gillingham loan.

According to Football League rules, however, those appearances, plus his brief time at the Gills, means he cannot represent another Football League or Scottish club this term.

Now Mnoga, who is contracted with Pompey until the summer of 2024, will be hoping for crucial game time at Aldershot,