Portsmouth dealt brutal injury blow over £500,000 Fulham signing

The £500,000 signing is facing six months on the sidelines, after picking up a serious knee injury in training this week.

The deadline day arrival from Fulham has ruptured his patella tendon, after taking an unopposed shot in a match at the club’s Hilsea base this week.

It’s the latest in a long line of fitness setbacks for Pompey, with Mousinho explaining the circumstances surrounding the injury will be reviewed.

Bowat arrives at Fratton Park with two full seasons of football under his belt in Austria and Holland where he didn’t spend any significant periods on the sidelines.

Mousinho wasn’t hiding from the fact the development is a ‘massive’ setback to both the player and Pompey.

He said: ‘It’s not good news with Ibane, he’s ruptured his patella tendon and it’s a freak one.

‘He’s gone down after trying to take a shot in a small-sided game and he’s going to be looking at six months out.

‘It’s a massive blow for that to happen without him even setting foot on the football pitch for us.

‘We’re really devastated but it’s one of those things which happens in football.

‘Just as we get players back and it’s looking healthy on the injury front that happens. So we’ll review it as always and go from there.’

There was positive injury news for Pompey as Tom Mcintyre made his return from injury, with his Blues career limited to 54 minutes of action before suffering a broken ankle as he was sent off against Northampton in February.

Josh Murphy also impressed on his competitive Pompey bow, after picking up an ankle injury in pre-season at Charlton.

And there was the gladdening sight of Regan Poole back in a blue shirt after his second-half introduction following 10 months out with an ACL knee injury.