'Running himself into the ground': Portsmouth boss addresses Marlon Pack concerns

John Mousinho believes Marlon Pack is ‘running himself into the ground’ for the Pompey cause at present.

Yet he has backed the remarkable 35-year-old to go again on Tuesday as the Blues’ gruelling schedule next leads them to eighth-placed Wolves.

Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Norwich represented a third match in seven days, with their skipper starting all of them in the centre of midfield.

Having completed 90 minutes at Southampton and against Sheffield United, Mousinho brought Pack off with 10 minutes remaining at Carrow Road after another outstanding shift in their engine room.

And Mousinho continues to be astounded by the impressive continuing contribution of a player who turns 36 in March.

‘An unbelievable example for the young lads’

Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘Marlon ran himself into the ground last week massively.

‘It was an emotional weekend for him against Southampton, obviously, and he gave us 90 minutes then and 90 minutes on Wednesday night.

‘He’s fine. Marlon is 35 and playing every minute of every game at present, he’s an unbelievable example for the young lads.

‘He has run himself into the ground. His numbers are through the roof when he comes back pre-season, he can run, he can run, he can run and the pressure and the level of expectation on him is immense, we’re asking him to go and lead the team on a consistent basis.

‘He will be fine for Wolves. Marlon’s aerobic fitness is unbelievable, so he will be fine to recover. He will do all the right things, he should be fine.’

Replacing the irreplaceable at Fratton Park

Pack returned from summer knee surgery to be thrown straight into Mousinho’s starting line-up at Lincoln in August.

He has subsequently started nine successive Championship matches, being substituted in six of them, often very late on.

Finding a long-term replacement for Pack has long been a headache for the Blues’ recruitment team, particularly with the former Cardiff and Bristol City man continuing to be a hugely influential figure - both on and off the pitch.

Iyad Mohamed, signed as a potential replacement in August, hugely impressed alongside Pack at Norwich and could yet prove to finally be the solution, although these remain early days.

With another five games in 19 days ahead, it remains to be seen whether Mousinho now opts to rest his veteran midfielder for Tuesday night’s trip to Molineux (7.45pm).

If that’s the case, Regan Poole is likely to take over the captaincy, having worn the armband after Pack’s substitution in the 80th minute of Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Canaries.

Although with squad shortages leading to two goalkeepers being named on the bench recently, plus now with Colby Bishop’s fresh knee injury, Pack may still have to be named as a substitute to help with numbers.

Your Next Pompey Read: Portsmouth boss stunned after 'impressive' signing's rapid adjustment to English football