Portsmouth boss’ positive Conor Shaughnessy stance as details emerge over injury

And the Blues boss confirmed the time frame for the key defender’s latest blow is in line with what the club were expecting, after his setback.

News of the extent of Shaughnessy’s hamstring injury has become clearer today, with scan results showing the 28-year-old’s expected to be out for six-to-eight weeks.

It’s an undoubted blow with the central defender returning at a high level after his five-month calf lay-off, and Pompey looking more secure defensively as a result.

Mousinho has assessed the football operation’s part in managing Shaughnessy’s comeback, after he started three games in a row and two outings in 72 hours going into Tuesday’s Cardiff win.

The head coach is adamant he would have done the same thing again, however, with the former Leeds man scoring the winner against the Bluebirds.

And he is confident there wasn’t anything Pompey could have done to prevent the latest blow.

He said: ‘It’s looking at six-to-eight weeks, unfortunately, with Conor - so hopefully we’ll see him again this season.

‘It just one of those things, a hamstring tear and there’s nothing we can do about that. If I look back now I would’ve still made the decision to play him.

‘He’s played and scored the winner. That is important for us, though Conor’s longevity and outlook for the season is, too.

‘But I just think that is one of those things - and I don’t think there was anything we could’ve done about it.’

An eight-week lay-off for Shaughnessy would see him returning for the final four games of the campaign, with fixtures against Norwich, Watford, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull bringing the curtain down on the 2024-25 campaign.

Mousinho explained that was the kind of lay-off Pompey were expecting in the immediate aftermath of the Irishman picking up the injury.

He added: ‘It’s about what we were expecting. He was really struggling to leave Fratton Park the other night. We weren’t thinking it was going to be one or two weeks.’