John Mousinho's Portsmouth left-back admission as he eyes summer rebuild and next season

The Blues presently have Connor Ogilvie and Denver Hume fighting it out for the left-back position.

It’s a contest Ogilvie is comfortably winning at present, starting all 16 of Mousinho’s matches in charge.

In contrast, Hume has been handed three appearances from the beach during that time, totalling 12 minutes, and failed to make the squad on seven occasions.

Pompey’s head coach has already voiced his desire to take up Ogilvie’s 12-month option to to keep him at Fratton Park – while Hume is contracted under the summer of 2024.

And while the Blues are seeking to recruit up to 10 new faces in the close season, Mousinho is satisfied with the strength of his current left-back pool.

He told The News: ‘If we have two left-backs in the building competing for that spot then that’s plenty in terms of the overall theme of getting two players for every position.

‘That seems like we are in a good spot, they have been competitive.

‘That might sound a bit bizarre because Connor has started every game, but Denver has been brilliant in training and really pushed as much as he can.

‘I’m sure everybody would agree Connor has probably been one of our more consistently-better performers over the past 16 games and provided excellent defensive stability, as well as being able to go forward and effect games.

‘He won the (second) penalty against Port Vale because he pops up in those attacking positions, while was involved in Dominic Iorfa’s sending off against Sheffield Wednesday.

‘Denver has been really unlucky, but they are both still competing for that spot and I think that’s really healthy.

‘As it stands, I am very happy with them for next season. It’s going to be very interesting to see where we go with it over the next few games because I still want Denver to push and compete for that spot even though it does seem difficult at the moment.

‘Across the entire squad, we want players to compete for those positions so it’s tough to actually take the shirt off someone else. Luckily we have that at left-back.

‘We like having the option there, there is a bit of difference in how they play. When Denver has come on, he’s been a bit higher and a bit further up, I do like him in that advanced position as well.

‘Although traditionally he has been more of a left wing-back or a left-back when he was at Sunderland back in the day.

‘At the moment, though, I see those two competing for the left-back spot.’

The future of Hume is an intriguing one, having arrived from Sunderland in January 2022 for around £200,000.

Yet he has been included in just nine of Mousinho’s 16 squads for League One.

Pompey’s head coach added: ‘Every single day in training and every single week, there is still a chance for Denver to get himself selected.

‘Even though Connor’s form has been good, we want that competition. It might be an injury, it might be illness, it might be a drop in form, it might be a change in the way we might want to play.

‘I don’t want Denver thinking this season is a write-off, absolutely not. We need to continue having those players pushing for spots in the starting line-up.’