Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley reveals update on future of youngster Haji Mnoga following non-league nightmare

Pompey are looking to send the 19-year-old back out on loan this month, despite his nightmare spell at Bromley during the first half of the season.

After signing a new contract in the summer, it was hoped the versatile defender would gain valuable first-team game time with Andy Woodman’s side.

But his spell with the Ravens was disastrous, as he struggled to feature in the National League before returning to Fratton Park a month early.

And the Blues’ head coach explained how they’re seeking the perfect fit for Mnoga this time around.

Cowley told The News: ‘We’ve been speaking to clubs regarding Haji and there’s a lot of interest naturally in him. It’s just about finding the right club for him at this point. We’re obviously disappointed in how his loan spell unfolded at Bromley.

‘We called him back at the beginning of last month, but there’s a lot of interest in him, so for us we’ve been having low-level conversations and we anticipate he will go out during this month and hopefully play the games he needs at this stage in his career.

Prior to his premature Pompey return, Mnoga hadn’t played for Bromley following his red card in an FA Cup clash with Rotherham in early November.

In total, the 19-year-old made seven appearances under Woodman without completing a full 90 minutes.

But Cowley explained how it’s an experience Mnoga must learn from.

He continued: ‘This sometimes happens and loans are not always straightforward.

‘We sent him to Bromley and they were very, very keen on him. They made numerous phone calls and we spoke to their coaching staff and their manager, and, for whatever reason, Haji went there and it didn’t work out.

‘Haji has to take some responsibility in that for sure, but you have to respect Bromley have had a really good run of form which kind of happened when Haji arrived – and he just didn’t get the game time we all would have liked.

‘He has to lick his wounds and learn from it. He was back training with us throughout December and he’s been training really well.

‘He’s in a really good place and really motivated to hit the ground running this month.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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