Decision on young Portsmouth defender expected this week and why that will impact potential Fratton Park deal for former Wimbledon, Charlton and Reading centre-back

And that will determine whether he follows up on his initial interest in former AFC Wimbledon and Reading defender Terell Thomas – or any other centre-back.

Mnoga has been a regular fixture for the Blues during their pre-season programme, featuring in all seven senior run-outs to date this summer.

Four of them have been starts, as Sean Raggett continues to recover from a back injury sustained against Qatar SC.

The most recent of which came on Saturday, when Pompey hosted Championship Coventry – a week before their season opener at Sheffield Wednesday.

The 20-year-old Tanzania international, who spent the second half of last season at non-league Weymouth, has largely impressed Cowley during that time.

At present, he’s clearly the go-to option if either Raggett for Clark Robertson gets injured for suspended.

However, that could well change, with Cowley still weighing up whether to keep faith in the academy product or find him another loan elsewhere to help his development.

‘Haji, i think, has done great this season and gets better and better with every game,’ said the Blues boss.

‘We just have to make the right decision for Haj, because he’s done really, really well and we want him to keep developing, so if he’s the next one (to progress from the development group backing up the first-team squad), we will keep him.

‘If we think he’s not the next one in, then we will get him out again playing regularly.

‘And that’s a decision we’ll make off the back of the next few days.’

Cowley is still searching for a right-sided central defender who can help ease the loss of loanee Hayden Carter, following his return to parent club Blackburn at the end of last season.

This summer has seen him run the rule over former Liverpool and Derby defender Andre Wisdom.

Meanwhile. Thomas joined up with Pompey ahead of the behind-closed-doors games at Bristol City and featured in the match at the Robins High Performance Centre.

The free agent followed that up with an outing at Gillingham, but he’s been absent ever since because of injury.

The 26-year-old has also been linked with Hibs and Motherwell this summer.

When asked if Thomas was someone he would be interested in signing on a permanent basis, Cowley replied: 'For us, we are open-minded about brining in another right-side centre-half.

'It just depends what we decide with Haji.

'The selfish thing to do would be to just keep Haji with me.

'With his energy and enthusiasm, he's improving all the time, we love working with him. He's getting better and better.

'I have to think about the long-term development of Haji and the long-term of this football club.

'And, ultimately, I have to make the best decision for both.

'I always think, if you are always player-centred, which we always try to be, and you do the right things for the players, then it's reciprocated and then the players do the right thing by the club.’