Manchester United aren't the only ones - Frustrated Portsmouth unveil plans to stamp out team leaks

The Blues have become increasingly concerned over player selection details appearing in public ahead of matches.

According to sporting director Rich Hughes, John Mousinho’s starting XI for October’s fixture with Oxford United was posted online before the match.

The U’s subsequently picked up the information, using it as part of their preparation - which they admitted to Blues staff following the 1-1 draw at Fratton Park.

On that occasion the publicised team was incorrect, with Regan Poole and Christian Saydee having missed the previous day’s training session from where the details had been gleaned - only to subsequently start.

Mousinho has since pleaded with supporters not to spread crucial team information before games and potential alert opponents.

Now new blinds are to be installed in the members’ gym at their Pompey Health & Fitness Club to prevent people watching training sessions the day before a match.

Speaking at the Tony Goodall Fans’ Conference, Hughes said: ‘In the build up to the Oxford game, Regan Poole and Christian Saydee had slight knocks and weren’t part of the team shape training session at the training ground (although did both eventually start).

‘The starting eleven was incorrectly posted online without those two, exactly how the team had set up in training that day – that alerted us to the fact that someone had seen it on the training ground.

‘After the game, Oxford staff referenced it in conversation with us – they’d seen it bandied around online.

‘We always want to be accessible as a football club to our supporters but need fans to be cautious with sensitive information.

‘I just want to reinforce that to fans – it flagged to Oxford that we were going to change things around, and we don’t want to lose out on sporting advantages like that.

‘Someone had seen it from the training ground. No real damage was done because it wasn’t the actual team – but it alerted us to the fact that this was happening.

‘We’re in the process of installing new blinds at the gym, which will be operational on matchday minus one, but want to ask fans to be cautious.’

It is protocol that team sheets aren’t officially announced until one hour before the scheduled kick-off time.

This week, Manchester United were left fuming when their team to face Manchester City was leaked on social media before Sunday’s kick-off.

That included the absences of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho - with the club subsequently launching an investigation to identify the culprit.