Portsmouth boss provides update on injured skipper Marlon Pack ahead of Norwich, West Brom and Southampton games
Marlon Pack went under the knife on Tuesday after he picked up a knee injury during Pompey’s pre-season programme
John Mousinho has revealed club captain Marlon Pack’s knee surgey ‘went really well’.
The Blues boss provided an update on the midfielder following Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Reading at Fratton Park, when he confirmed there were no complications or unexpected surprises as he went under the knife on Tuesday.
He added the 34-year-old, who skippered Pompey to their 2023-24 League One title success, was ‘in good spirits’ following his operation.
Mousinho also confirmed that a period of six weeks was now set aside for the former Cardiff midfielder to concentrate on his recovery.
With that time frame in mind, Pack is not expected to return until at least the week commencing September 22, which will rule him out of the games against Norwich (H), West Brom (A), Preston North End (H), the south coast derby fixture against Southampton at St Mary’s on September 14, and Sheffield Wednesday (H).
Pompey’s next match following the midfielder’s scheduled return is away to Ipswich Town on Saturday, September 27 - but there remains no gurantees he’ll be risked so soon after his potential return to training.
Pack has already sat out the Blues’ first two games of the new season - including Saturday’s Championship win at Oxford United - after picking up the injury in the Blues’ behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly win against Brighton.
John Mousinho provides latest on Marlon Pack injury
Providing the latest on Pack on Tuesday night, Mousinho told BBC Solent: ‘It’s looking about six weeks.
‘The surgery went really well, there was not as much damage as there could have been in terms of making it a longer injury, so we’re looking at six weeks.
‘I spoke to Marlon this afternoon, so he’s in good spirits.’
Markon Pack’s influence and why Pompey boss wants him around changing room
In Pack’s absence, John Swift and Andre Dozzell started in midfield for the Blues’ season-opening win against Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium. The returning Colby Bishop also captained the side as his team-mate watched on from the stands.
Against Reading - a game that saw Pompey crash out of the Carabao Cup at the first-round stage - Swift and fellow summer signing Luke Le Roux were named together in the engine room, with the later replaced by Dozzell at half-time in a pre-planned move.
On a disappointing night for the Blues, none of Pompey’s so-called fringe players did enough to warrant a place in the starting line-up for Saturday’s visit of Norwich to Fratton Park.
Pack is expected to be in attendance for that game and is anticipated to be part of the travelling party that heads to West Brom on September 23.
Mousinho is keen to have the influential figure in and around the dressing room despite his current limitations.
‘As someone who knows the game brilliantly well, I think he can help everybody, whether it's individual conversations, whether it's with the group. And that's why we want him in at the game at the weekend,’ added the head coach.
‘We're going to have him at the game again against Norwich and he'll definitely be on the bus up to West Brom as well. So yeah, we won't not be seeing Marlon at all because I think he can have a real impact off the pitch, too.’
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