'Unlucky': Baffled Portsmouth striker stumped by his wretched 21-month injury nightmare
The striker has bagged two goals in 14 appearances since joining the Blues in January 2025
Thomas Waddingham admitted he’s at a loss to explain his wretched injury record and insisted: I’ve just been unlucky.
The former Brisbane Roar man spectacularly announced his latest comeback with the late winner over Millwall in Saturday’s 2-1 success.
Introduced off the bench for his first outing since the opening day of the season at West Ham, it marked the 21-year-old’s maiden competitive goal since January 2025.
Since netting on his Blues debut at West Brom, Waddingham has suffered hamstring, groin, quad and ankle injuries, restricting him to just 14 games.
Certainly injuries have also been a trait for fellow A-League arrivals Jacob Farrell and Hayden Matthews since arriving from Australia during the last two years.
But the talented striker is putting it down to bad luck.
‘I just don’t know what has caused it’
He told The News: ‘It’s about just staying fit, I’ve had so many set-backs, but in terms of on the pitch I think I can help the team.
‘I’ve just been unlucky. The injuries could be coming across from the A-League, but someone like Hayden (Matthews) hasn’t had any muscle injuries, while Segs has been fine.
‘It could be down to anything really, there have obviously also been heaps of injuries at the training ground. I just don’t know what has caused it.
‘It was my hamstring with a bit of groin at the very start, then my quad, which I had surgery on. Then it was my ankle at West Ham, which is football, you can’t really do much about that.
‘It’s unlucky, it could have happened to anyone, a bit frustrating, and mentally it has been tough. I have come over here from Australia and the main goal is to play football, so I guess that’s the main goal which keeps me going.’
Mousinho unhappy over West Ham tackle
Waddingham’s most recent set-back arrived in the 60th minute against West Ham, minutes after being introduced off the bench in August’s Carabao Cup fixture.
At the time, Mousinho was unhappy over Ollie Scarles’ crunching tackle which made initial contact with the ball, yet also claimed the Australian, damaging his ankle.
The previous season, a quad injury sustained in training in September 2025 ruled Waddingham out for seven months.
Now he’s hoping for a huge change in fortune this time around.
He added: ‘I feel really fit and really good at the moment. We are doing heaps off the pitch, working in the gym, and as long as I keep doing my recovery, I should be fine.
‘They have looked after me very well here, that’s definitely something at the forefront of their minds. They want to ease me back in, but we still have to play and win games.’