The Championship climax is on the horizon for Pompey, who currently sit two points above the relegation zone.
The Blues continue to be affected by injury issues, with 12 members of John Mousinho’s squad sidelined for Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Swansea City.
The fixtures, though, keep coming thick and fast as the race for survival intensifies.
Derby County visit Fratton Park next Monday before a short trip to the capital on March 21 to face QPR at Loftus Road ahead of a two-week international break.
We’ve taken a look at the injury latest and current expected return dates of the Blues’ absentees with 10 games remaining of the campaign.
9. Makenzie Kirk
Kirk was initially pencilled in to return against Blackburn Rovers last week after picking up a minor achilles injury last month. Although Mousinho expected the striker to then return against Swansea in midweek, he was once again left out of the 20-man squad, with no new date pencilled in for his comeback. Expected return: N/A. | Graham Hunt/ProSportsImages
10. Josh Murphy
After a brilliant 2024-25 campaign at Fratton Park, Murphy’s second season on the south coast has been hugely frustrating. Three separate injuries have limited the all-action winger to just 14 league appearances this term, with his latest set-back ruling him out for the run in. A fractured metatarsal, sustained against Swansea in December, has kept the 31-year-old out of action for the past three months and will keep him sidelined for the final 10 matches. Expected return: Pre-season. | Graham Hunt/ProSportsImages
11. Florian Bianchini
Bianchini continues to be sidelined with ongoing tendonitis in his knee, which has kept him out of action since November. Mousinho admitted earlier in the month that the winger was still in pain and no timeframe had been set on his return. It remains to be seen whether the Swansea City loanee has played his final game for the Blues. Expected return: N/A. | Paul Phelan/ProSportsImages
12. Conor Shaughnessy
The centre-back was a surprise absentee for Tuesday’s defeat to Swansea, having featured for just 23 minutes on his return from a quad injury against Blackburn at the start of the month. Mousinho later admitted he was left out as a precaution as they continue to manage his fitness, having featured just 11 times this term. Expected return: Derby County (March 16). | Jez Tighe/ProSportsImages