Exclusive:Portsmouth handed much-needed attacking fitness boost for Millwall amid injury woes
Some much-needed positive Pompey fitness news as their Championship injuries mount once again.
Thomas Waddingham is set to hand Pompey fitness fillip amid their frantic run of fixtures.
The Australian is in line for a return to selection availability for next weekend’s Championship clash with Millwall.
Waddingham has been sidelined since undergoing ankle surgery, after suffering the setback in the opening-day Carabao Cup defeat at West Ham.
Mousinho on Waddingham: ‘At a push, we’ll get him back for Millwall’
A tackle from Hammers left-back Ollie Scarles saw the 21-year-old forced off in the second half of the 2-1 defeat at the London Stadium and handed his latest fitness issue.
But the former Brisbane Road man has undergone his rehabilitation successfully and built his training minutes to the point where he’s now close to a comeback.
Mousinho feels Waddingham could count himself unfortunate to be the victim of an impact injury, in an injury-hit Fratton stay.
But now the striker is close to offering a personnel boost at a time where Pompey are once again feeling the fitness strain.
Mousinho said: ‘With Wadds, at a push, we’ll get him back for Millwall.
‘He was looking at 10 weeks from that West Ham game.
‘He is about 70 per cent of the way there in terms of training minutes.
‘He’s built himself up from 15 to 70 per cent.
‘It’s luck, he’s been unlucky and needs a bit of luck.
‘He was unlucky with the injury at West Ham so we’re just keeping our fingers crossed that can be the case with him.’
News of Waddingham being close to a return arrives with Mousinho needing to name two keepers on the bench for Wednesday’s win over Sheffield United.
Ben Killip and Daniel Bielica filled those berths, with Keshi Anderson then forced off with a hamstring injury after entering the fray in the second half.
Tyrese Shade is expected to be added to the group, after missing the 3-2 win over the Blades, however.
Benjy Arthur (back), Connor Ogilvie (knee), Conor Shaughnessy (groin), John Swift (knee), Franco Umeh (hamstring), Mark Kosznovszky (knee), Josh Murphy (groin) and Luke Brooke-Smith (ankle) are all also sidelined.
There is some positive news over Murphy, however, with Mousinho indicating the key man could be nearing a return to his group.
Mousinho told The News today: ‘Murph is out on the grass and we’re looking at post-Millwall.
‘We were looking at eight weeks from the back end of August - so we’re on track.’