Portsmouth manager has banana skin fear as Joey Barton departure frustrates rivals Peterborough United

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho is starting to feed nuggets of transfer intent to Pompey supporters ahead of the January transfer window with the Fratton Park side looking to sustain their impressive title push.

Before then, Portsmouth face a flurry of League One action with the visit of Fleetwood Town and trips to Bristol Rovers and Exeter City before the year is out.

Here's your Friday morning League One round-up.

John Mousinho warns of Fleetwood banana skin

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has sent a warning message to players and supporters ahead of this weekend's visit of Fleetwood Town to Fratton Park.

The League One strugglers have lost four on the bounce as they find themselves in the relegation zone but the Pompey boss has sent a word of warning over the potential banana skin of a fixture.

He said: “We’ve got four games in a short space of time with the busy Christmas schedule, so a prepared squad is paramount. You have to be ready for the quick turnaround and we never know what’s around the corner in terms of injuries and suspensions.

“Players need to be able to step in whenever called upon and in the past, they’ve always done that really well.

“It’s strange that Fleetwood have been struggling because there are some really good players there and they’ve got Lee Johnson, whose got a great coaching pedigree. So they’re perhaps in a false position and have the capabilities to beat any team in this league on their day.

“We’ll have to be wary of some of the individuals they have, while also guarding against any complacency.”

Charlton Athletic keen to spend in January

Mid-table Charlton Athletic could be one of League One's biggest spenders in the January transfer market as new owners pledge their commitment to bring in players on permanent deals.

SE7 Partners acquired the Addicks from Thomas Sandgaard in July and the upcoming window will be the first they will oversee from start to finish. SE7 American investors Gabriel Brener and Joshua Friedman have both been seen at the Valley this season as the club looks to push on towards the play-offs.

Addicks' technical director Andy Scott said: "Our owners are backing Michael and the club – they are making funds available to bring players in. There is money available. We want to improve the starting 11 and make changes to the squad. They believe, like we do, that if we do that we’ve got the chance to push for the play-offs in the second half of the season.

“We have got a mix where we have got some very young players and senior players, but the senior ones have not been on the pitch enough. We want to bring in better quality – a bit of leadership and experience in the group – to make sure we can handle all the opposition we get in League One.

“If you look at the teams at the top – the Portsmouths, Peterboroughs and Boltons – they have established a squad over the last two or three years that have got a mix of everything. I don’t think our mix is quite right yet."

Joey Barton sacking could implode Bristol Rovers' Clarke-Harris deal

Any potential deal between Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United for striker Jonson Clarke-Harris looks unlikely to materialise in January after the club's managerial change, according to Bristol Live.

The Gas had agreed a club-record £800,000 fee for the proven talisman in the summer but the deal fell through with paperwork not finalised in time. Since then, Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony has shared his desire to reignite the deal in January and cash in on the striker, saying that Rovers' 'manager wants him, their football guy wants him'.

However, Bristol Rovers have sacked Joey Barton and former Head of Football Operations Eddy Jennings has departed, throwing the deal into jeopardy. Clarke-Harris looks set to see out his contract at Peterborough United before being able to have his choice of clubs as a free agent next summer.