Portsmouth boss outlines plan to have Colby Bishop firing in new year after heart surgery
Pompey will look at organising warm-up games to have Colby Bishop firing for the start of 2025 - if his recovery allows a return before the new year.
John Mousinho explained there’s every chance the goal machine could be fit before the year’s out, with his recovery from surgery going well.
The Blues boss made it abundantly clear, however, the club have no intention of putting a timescale on the Magic Man being back in action
But if things go well the likelihood is Pompey will organise behind-closed-doors friendlies, which will allow the 27-year-old to sharpen his match fitness before going into Championship action.
Bishop underwent successful heart surgery in August, after pre-season cardiac screening discovered a ‘potential risk’ to the striker with the issue coming to light thanks to mandatory testing.
His rehabilitation is largely an unknown quality, with there few examples of players making a return to action from such an undoubted serious issue.
There is some clarity over Bishop, with the £500,000 signing from Accrington not available to play until next year at the earliest.
That’s after he was not named in Pompey’s 25-man squad submitted to the EFL, with the earliest chance to change that situation arriving when the January transfer window opens.
For now, though, Bishop is concentrating on building his return and making steady progress - as is currently the case.
Mousinho explained, however, if progress continues to the point the striker is ready this year, plans will be put in place to ensure his firing on all cylinders for his return to competitive action.
The Pompey boss said: ‘Colby’s okay, he’s been out on the grass.
‘He’s been doing a lot of running and kicking a football completely unopposed - he’s doing well.
‘He quite possibly could be (fit before January) but we don’t know for sure. It’s such an unknown, so there’s no exact timescale.
‘If he is then he’ll have a running start into January 1. If not then there’s no issue - there’s certainly no problem either way.
‘If he’s ready we’ll get him involved in training and make sure he’s sharp and ready to go straightaway.
‘There could be a couple of behind-closed-doors games, but putting any pressure on him isn’t the right thing to do.’