The massive Portsmouth boost ahead of Bolton Wanderers showdown after top scorer sidelined

Kusini Yengi has proved he can fill Colby Bishop’s boots for the next stage of Pompey’s promotion charge.

Blues boss John Mousinho believes the Aussie powerhouse gave a clear indication he is capable of leading the line for his side, with Bishop facing a stint on the sidelines.

Bishop is expected to be out for a month after the club’s top scorer injured his ankle in the win at Burton Albion last week. That’s a big blow ahead of next Monday’s top-of-the-table clash with Bolton at Fratton Park, but Yengi gave an impressive display of leading the line in Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Northampton.

That gives Mousinho confidence about the new Socceroos international doing the business up front for Pompey over the coming weeks.

Mousinho said: ‘Everybody talks about Kusini’s goals because he scored so many in such a short amount of time, when he first burst on to the scene in this country. That’s great and brilliant, but there’s much more to his game and much more we demand of him.

‘I say when Colby is in the side, too. We want goals - lovely, but we want you to the lead the line, too. If you don’t score I do care a bit, but there’s plenty more to come by bringing others into play.

‘If you look at Paddy’s goal he brought him into play by leading the line and occupying two centre-halves.

‘His work-rate is great, he’s quick and a different threat. He didn’t get his goal and he’ll be disappointed with that, but apart from that it was a really pleasing performance.

‘That was especially the case considering he hasn’t started a single league game for us. He’s been 18 games without a start and then came in and was very good.’

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