'Definitely a consideration': Portsmouth boss addresses squad rotation for Plymouth clash after exhausting Leeds heroics

However, the Blues boss has intimated his team will be as strong as possible 72 hours after their remarkable Leeds performance.

Presently 10 points above the relegation zone, Pompey can take another giant stride away towards safety if they can beat the rock bottom Pilgrims on Wednesday night (7.45pm).

Myron Muslic’s men are without a victory in their last six matches in all competitions and currently six points behind 21st-placed Cardiff.

On occasions this season, Mousinho has rested key players to avoid burn-out and potential injury, usually at Pompey’s cost in terms of results.

And he’s weighing up protecting his best performers after putting their heart and souls into beating Leeds on Sunday.

Mousinho told The News: ‘Rotation against Plymouth is a consideration, it’s definitely a consideration.

‘The only thing I would say is we had a free week going into the Leeds game. Admittedly, it’s a quick turnaround from Leeds to Plymouth, but they are both home games, so we haven’t had the travel in between. Sometimes we struggle with travelling.

‘We also have the game on Saturday (Preston) to bear in mind, but we have two weeks off after that with the international break.

‘If you look at the games in January where we were really managing the squad and looking to rotate them, West Brom was a really good example.

‘But that came off the back of three games in nine days, with West Brom being the fourth in 12 days, plus there was Millwall coming up on the Tuesday - so we had to make sure we tried to manage the squad. Bristol City was the same around Christmas time.

‘However, I feel we’re in a slightly different spot at the moment because we have the time before the Leeds game and the time after the Preston game.

‘That doesn't mean to say squad rotation isn’t a possibility, but I just think it’s a different situation.’

International break

Indeed, the international break follows this weekend’s trip to Preston, representing a fortnight between Pompey fixtures.

For those not involved in international call-ups, it will provide precious respite from the Championship schedule ahead of the remaining final eight games.

Mousinho added: ‘The most important thing is to look at the Plymouth game in isolation. We must be fully focused on trying to win the match. This is now the most important game for us this season, an absolutely massive game for many, many reasons.

‘We are focused on that and we’ll deal with the Preston game after that, but certainly Plymouth is the big game for us right now.’