‘Not live with regrets’: Portsmouth boss’ critical message on issue which could have seismic impact on promotion bid

Owen Moxon has been told to carry on playing his normal game as he walks a Pompey disciplinary tightrope.

And boss John Mousinho has made it clear the Blues will live with the consequence of a two-game suspension, which could have dire consequences for his side’s decimated midfield, if the worst happens.

Mousinho’s squad is down to its last two fit senior players in the middle of the park, amid an unprecedented injury crisis.

Skipper Marlon Pack and Moxon are those crucial men, but the Carlisle arrival is two yellow cards away from picking up a ban which would be a massive hit to Pompey in the current circumstances.

The 26-year-old hasn’t been booked since arriving at PO4, but picked up eight yellows with his old side - with 10 cautions seeing the ban kick in.

That means Moxon has to negotiate Saturday’s visit from Oxford United and the trip to Blackpool, before the threshold is raised to 15 yellows.

Despite the gravity of that situation amid Pompey’s promotion chase, Mousinho hasn’t given an specific details to the box-to-box operator - with the thought doing so will have a detrimental effect on performance.

Mousinho said: ‘We’re obviously aware of it with Owen, but it’s nothing which is at the forefront of our minds too much because we want him to play his natural game.

‘If we ever asked Owen to be careful because he’s on eight yellows, it will take an edge off the way he plays.

‘Obviously when you’re in a game and on a booking you have to change the way you play slightly, but we want Owen to play his natural game and deal with the consequences if and when it happens.

‘I certainly haven’t looked at it in my time with Owen so far, because he’s not a player who’s ill disciplined at all.

‘The yellows were picked up by Carlisle, away from what we’ve been doing.

‘We want Owen to be all-action and fly into tackles like he does, be aggressive and front-footed. Sometimes bookings will come with the territory.

‘If you worry too much about picking up a suspension, you do risk doing something which puts you short in a game.

‘The far more important thing for us is to take care of what’s in front of us at that moment - and not live with regrets. We’ll deal with any consequences after.’