£300,000 former Liverpool youngster delivers Portsmouth early blow

Harvey Blair has handed Pompey an early injury blow ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The winger, who joined the Blues for £300,000 from Liverpool last summer, is yet to resume training for the campaign ahead.

The Pompey players returned to club duties on June 23 following a seven-week summer break, with the likes of Hayden Matthews, Paddy Lane, Jacob Farrell and Zak Swanson all featuring despite their well-documented recent injury woes.

However, Blair is still waiting to be involved as he continues to recover from the hamstring setback he suffered in the final game of last season against Hull on May 3.

The Fratton Park fixture represented the 21-year-old’s maiden PO4 start at the end of a frustrating first season on the south coast.

He scored his first goal for the club the game before, netting Pompey’s equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. But the euphoria he felt then soon turn sour as a tackle from Hull defender Sean McLoughlin just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark forced a painful exit for the winger.

Mousinho has confirmed Blair tore a hamstring in the hefty challenge two months ago. And while the rest of his team-mates get down to the hard work of getting fit for the upcoming season, the former Liverpool youngster is already playing catch-up.

Providing the latest on the youngster’s battle to get fit, Mousinho told The News: ‘The only one really who isn’t back at it in full training or being close to training is Harvey.

‘Harvey had the hamstring tear at the back end of last season in the last game against Hull so isn’t back into it yet.’

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Harvey Blair needed full pre-season with Pompey

Blair’s delayed return comes after Mousinho hoped the player would benefit from a full pre-season under his guidance. It’s something he missed out on last season, which might explain why he featured just 12 times in all competitions in 2024-25.

Both the player and the club are hoping the forward will have more of an impact next season.

As a result, a loan move away from Fratton Park in order to gain first-team experience has already been ruled out.

Speaking in May, Mousinho said: I see it as a future here for Harvey.

‘My challenge to Harvey is to come back in the summer and have a full pre-season with us, which he didn’t have last year, and be at it in terms of his fitness.

‘In terms of his development, I want him to treat this year almost like it was his first loan.

I know he’s a permanent, but he’s one of those players who’s come out of the 21s, had his first taste of league football, his first taste of living away from Liverpool and any home comforts he was used to.

‘He’s really needed to adjust to life down here and training here every day.

‘The PL2 fixture list is very different from the Championship fixture list and the demands of the league is very different.

‘We’ve seen that with first loans relentlessly.

‘So it’s almost that’s your first loan and we’re getting you back for your second loan next season, but thankfully we’ve got him as a permanent player - I’m expecting big things from Harvey.’

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