So where is Anthony Scully? Portsmouth boss clears up Colchester confusion

And the out-of-favour winger is now expected to see out the season with the League Two side.

The Blues were anticipating being forced to find the injury-plagued Scully a new club this month, having returned to Fratton Park in November with an ankle problem.

The former West Ham and Lincoln man had featured just nine times for Colchester during a scheduled season-long loan which had frustratingly failed to ignite.

Indeed, it was suggested his stay with Danny Cowley’s side would be cut short, representing another blow to the luckless Scully’s stalled career.

However, Mousinho insists the 25-year-old is actually still at Colchester, who are also overseeing his rehabilitation rather than his parent club.

He told The News: ‘Anthony is still on loan to Colchester. They haven’t cancelled it.

‘If they were cancelling it, nothing has popped up across my desk. Anthony is still their player, that’s the situation at the moment.

‘That will remain so, depending on what goes on for the rest of the window. But, at the minute, Anthony is back at Colchester.

‘He’s okay, it’s a frustrating one for him because of the fact he feels it’s something which has been plaguing him for a long time now.

‘They are trying to recorrect original ankle surgery a few years ago, something which he thinks had a knock-on effect on some of the injuries last year.

‘The overall emotion from Anthony is relief that they seem to have got to the bottom of it. It’s just about rebuilding him and going on from there.’

Scully’s time at Fratton Park has been ravaged by injuries, restricting him to just nine appearances.

Signed in June 2022 for an undisclosed fee from Wigan, yet he was declared surplus to requirements just 13 months later and omitted from the Blues’ ongoing pre-season friendly programme.

Instead Scully switched to Colchester late on deadline day, yet, of his nine outings for Cowley’s men, he made just one league start, although scored in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

In November, Mousinho was braced for the loan to end, telling The News at the time: ‘Most likely we will look to get him out on loan in January, but the only important thing for us at the moment is Anthony’s health and making sure he’s back, fit and ready to go again.

‘If we can find him a loan club in January, we will try to do that.’

However, Scully continues to be on Colchester’s books as he nears a return from his latest injury set-back.