Concern over injured Portsmouth midfielder intensifies ahead of Norwich and Oxford games after update on ex-Derby favourite
Ebou Adams has Pompey on alert after he was forced to withdraw from The Gambia international squad for their forthcoming game against Senegal next week
Concern about Ebou Adams’ availability for Pompey’s remaining Championship fixtures has intensified.
That’s after the influential midfielder was forced to withdraw from The Gambia international squad for their forthcoming friendly against Senegal because of injury.
Adams, who has made a huge impact at Fratton Park following his £500,000 move from Derby County in January, picked up a knee injury late in Pompey’s 6-1 defeat at the hands of QPR on Saturday.
He was spotted leaving the Loftus Road pitch in tears following the full-time whistle, something which head coach John Mousinho said was a combination of his feelings over the performance and the 30-year-old carrying the injury.
The Blues boss was unable to provide much detail on the extend of the problem Adams picked up in west London when speaking to The News on Saturday evening. However, he did concede the prospect of the midfielder adding to Pompey’s injury worries would be a ‘big blow’ as the team hover about the Championship relegation zone with just eight games remaining.
Mousinho & Co’s next game is against Norwich on Friday, April 3, a fixture that comes just three days after The Gambia take on Senegal in Dakar on Tuesday March 31. A home game against fellow Championship strugglers Oxford United quickly follows on Monday, April 6.
Whether Adams will be fit to feature remains to be seen. In their short statement announcing the midfielder’s withdrawal from Johnny McKinstry’s squad, The Gambia national team wished the Pompey favourite a speedy recovery.
‘Ebou Adams has unfortunately been forced to withdraw from the squad for next week's friendly against Senegal due to injury,’ a notice on X read.
‘In his place, Johnny has handed a call-up to Mahmudu Bajo, who joins the team immediately. We wish Ebou a speedy recovery and welcome Mahmudu to the squad.’
Adams injury a ‘big blow’ for Pompey
Adams has played 14 times for Pompey since his January 16 move from the Rams and made himself an instant favourite with the Fratton faithful by scoring the Blues’ equaliser in the south coast derby against Southampton in just his third appearance for the club.
He immediately followed that up with a goal in the 3-0 win over WBA and has been a rare positive for Mousinho’s side as they have continually found themselves dragged into the relegation scrap that is unfolding at the bottom of the Championship table.
His ability to impact games for Pompey was hampered by Mousinho’s decision to play him in a more advanced role against QPR - a decision that has come under scrutiny in the aftermath of that result.
It’s doubtful whether the Blues will make that mistake again as they focus on turning round form that has seen them suffer defeat in five of their past six games.
But with no timeframe in place for Adams’ return, it’s unclear at this moment when the midfielder will be back to influence Pompey in the centre of the park.
‘I don’t know what, but he was icing it in the changing rooms.
‘We’re really thin in certain positions. That’s one where we’re without Doz (Andre Dozzell) at the minute and we’ve been short of options in there.
‘We’ve been looking to turn that around, so that would be a big blow for us.’
Dozzell is expected to return to the Pompey squad for the game against Norwich, after missing the past eight matches with an ankle injury.
For your next Pompey read: 'Major set-backs': Portsmouth boss' frustration as attacker's six-and-a-half month absence continues