'A real blow': Portsmouth's forgotten signing - and why impending return could be crucial
The winger featured 19 times in the Championship this season at Birmingham before moving to Fratton Park
He’s the forgotten January signing who was meant to drive Pompey’s survival push, only to last just 39 minutes of first-team action.
And with Keshi Anderson not expected to return until next month, John Mousinho admits the winger’s ongoing absence has been ‘a real blow’.
Snapped up on a free transfer following his release from St Andrew's, the 30-year-old was just 15 days into his Fratton Park career before tearing his hamstring in training.
WIth 19 Championship outings for Birmingham this season, Anderson represented the much-needed recruitment of an experienced attacking player to bolster the goal output of Mousinho’s struggling side.
Instead, he has missed the last eight matches and isn’t anticipated to be back until the Good Friday trip to Norwich on April 3.
‘Keshi being out has been a real blow’
Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘We brought Keshi in to strengthen that department, so unfortunately he has picked up that injury.
‘It happened at a time when we were slowly bringing Harvey back, we’re getting Gus up to speed and we lost Josh Murphy for the season in the meantime.
‘In other circumstances, if we’d had a bit more in and around that, it wouldn’t have mattered so much, but Keshi being out has a been a real blow
‘He’d been looking really sharp, you guys had seen the performances as well as me. He came on and made some really important contributions and was due to start against Ipswich (February 3), but unfortunately got injured on the same day when he came back and started training.
‘Now we’re just looking to get him back into training fully and returning for away at Norwich.’
Missed the last game games for Pompey
Anderson, who scored in Birmingham’s 4-0 win over Pompey in November, made his debut for Mousinho’s men as a substitute against Southampton in January.
He subsequently was also involved in the 3-0 success over West Brom, offering an alternative off the bench to Milli Alli on the left wing.
However, he damaged his hamstring in training in the build up to last month’s trip to Preston, becoming the latest casualty during yet another injury-wrecked campaign for the Blues.
The former Crystal Palace, Bolton and Blackpool man had been a popular player at St Andrew’s after joining in July 2023 following a successful trial, helping them win the League One title last season.
Yet he has now been sidelined for six weeks for Pompey - and it will be eight should he return on schedule at the Canaries.
‘He’s versatile on both flanks’
Mousinho added: ‘He’s had that impact when he’s come and played. In the appearances so far when he came on, we decided to go with him off the left and moved Milli to the right.
‘He’s versatile on both flanks, he’s got a lot of experience at the level as well, a good player we want to have in the building, impacting things.’