Portsmouth boss: Why new Reading recruit is not ready for Blues' first-team

John Mousinho admits he is ‘wary’ of handing Pompey newcomer Tom McIntyre immediate first-team involvement.

The 25-year-old completed his anticipated switch from Reading on Tuesday night, for a reported fee of £75,000.

However, having recently returned from a four-month injury lay-off, the Blues are cautious about throwing the central defender straight into the action.

McIntyre has totalled 10 minutes for the first-team since collecting a thigh injury in training at the start of October, although earlier this month completed a full match for the under-21s.

Mousinho is adamant he has no concerns over the former Scotland youth international’s injury record - yet concedes he is not ready for an instant introduction.

He told The News: ‘At this stage of the season, to be able to bring in someone who has played the majority of his career in the Championship and is a really, really calm, composed defender is a real bonus.

‘Tom is a left-footed centre-back but quite versatile. He has played left-back and in the middle of the park - but we definitely see him as that left-sided centre-half.

‘It might take a bit of time for us to introduce him. He played the opening five league games and picked up an injury, but has recently been back involved.

‘I went to see him at Reading’s training ground the other week when they played Leicester Under-21s and he’s then been involved in a couple of the first-team games off the bench.

‘That is one thing we have to be wary of with him, he’s not necessarily box-ready like Myles and Callum.

‘I have no concerns over his injury record, it’s one of those things. He’s actually got a very good injury record throughout his career and played 38 games in the Championship last year, so it’s not a concern for us.

‘Where he fits in is not something I have thought about massively at the moment, we have come off the back of a couple of really good clean sheets and then conceded two goals at Oxford.

‘He has a big part to play for the rest of the season, we always want to have that strength and have four centre-halves in the building. And he’s a player that can impact us now.’

The arrival of McIntyre balances Pompey’s central-defensive options.

Replacing the right-footed Regan Poole, it now gives Mousinho the opportunity to select from two left-footed players (McIntyre and Ryley Towler) and two right-footed players (Conor Shaughnessy and Sean Raggett).

Pompey’s boss added: ‘We haven’t been specifically looking for a left-sided centre-half, it was just trying to replace Regan.

‘It didn't necessarily matter whether he’s right or left footed, we just thought Tom was the best possible option for us.

‘We now have two left-footed centre-halves in the building and two right-footed centre-halves. There’s quite a lot of balance there and that provides us with great options.’