'Risky': Portsmouth agonise over potential season-ending decision for Zak Swanson
The defender has made 35 appearances and scored twice in an impressive season
Pompey are agonising over whether to declare Zak Swanson’s season over.
The in-form defender requires surgery on the knee issue which has frustratingly kept him out of their last two matches.
However, according to John Mousinho, conversations are taking place over whether it is realistic for Swanson to play on with his injury in order to help the Blues’ battle to remain in the Championship.
That would involve delaying the operation until the season’s end, albeit with the 25-year-old out of contract in the summer.
And Mousinho is hoping the ‘risky’ situation will become clearer by the end of the week.
‘We just need to figure out how risky that is’
He told The News: ‘We are umming and ahhing about what we do with Zak, there is an open conversation with him at the moment because he does require surgery.
‘It’s one that can potentially be put off until the end of the season, but, internally, we just need to figure out how risky that is going to be for Zak - not for us - and then go from there. So we’ll make a decision before the weekend.
‘He’s had a couple of historic issues with that knee, but it just locked up in training, pretty inconsequential, there’s no action on it. It is one of those where he’s back, he feels fine now, he can play on, but he might need something to correct it..
‘It happens, we have done this before with players where we hold off until the end of the season before going under the knife.
‘It sounds strange to people outside of football, but it does happen - and it could be the case with Zak.’
Joined Pompey in July 2022
The former Arsenal man has enjoyed his best season in a Pompey shirt since arriving on the south coast under Danny Cowley in July 2022.
With 35 appearances and two goals, he has largely flourished in an unfamiliar left-back role, producing some of his finest displays for the club.
Mousinho has previously spoken of his desire to extend Swanson’s Fratton Park stay, with his deal expiring in the summer alongside seven other team-mates.
With his Blues future uncertain, naturally that could influence whether the operation is delayed until the season’s end.
Although Mousinho doesn’t believe the contract predicament has any bearing on the decision over whether Swanson plays through the pain.
‘We have to make the right decision’
He added: ‘I don’t think his contract situation has come into it. It’s hard to balance whether it’s a good or a bad thing if you have the surgery now - or wait until the end of the season.
‘It’s something I have spoken to Zak about, he’s not concerned, it’s just about doing what is best for him and the football club.
‘It might sound like the best thing is to just play through it, but that could cost us as much as it could cost Zak - and that has a negative impact on the football club as well. We have to make the right decision.’
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