DETAILED: Portsmouth boss reveals events behind dramatic Colby Bishop heart surgery return after sensational Preston North End comeback

The Blues carried out a cloak-and-dagger mission to keep the striker’s comeback under wraps against Preston this afternoon.

The first most knew about the Magic Man’s availability was when the team-sheet sensationally landed at 2pm, with the striker named on the bench by John Mousinho.

That news gave supporters a huge lift, but that was nothing on what was to follow with the 28-year-old entering the fray and sealing the 3-1 win from the penalty spot.

With Bishop not expected back until the new year and Pompey getting special dispensation from the EFL to register the striker in the 25-man squad, it was a fairytale return on a day to savour.

Mousinho has detailed the sequence of events which unfolded this week to allow the key figure to provide a massive boost for his team’s Championship aspirations.

He said: ‘I was delighted we were able to register him. It was brilliant to have Colby coming off the bench and affecting the game like he did.

‘I’m really pleased for him to get the goal, but I’m probably more pleased with his overall performance.

‘He didn’t look like someone who’d been out and had open-heart surgery, he slotted right back in.

‘He’s actually been training with us for six weeks now.

‘So we had to have all the final checks and scans. He had three scans this week and saw a specialist this week to make sure it was okay for him to come back into the side. He had that on Thursday.

‘We were selective with the truth because we didn’t want something to come back on the scan Thursday and all of a sudden he’s out for another six weeks.

‘It was very deliberate and we weren’t going to do it any other way, so we were comfortable back in the squad.

‘Once we were, we were delighted to name a squad with him in it.

‘He’s been training with us and anyone can come and see our training.

So people could’ve worked it out and I was slightly surprised we could keep it under wraps.

‘We’ve done it with a couple of injuries where we’ve thought people would be back sooner than they were and it deflates everyone.

‘We didn’t want to say he was ready and then he wasn’t in the squad, so we wanted to protect him from that - and we’re delighted with how it worked out.’