'The bigger game is Plymouth' - why Portsmouth will still go full-throttle against Leeds United despite importance of forthcoming fixture against Pilgrims

That’s despite the Blues’ home game against Plymouth Argyle just three days later having greater importance - and John Mousinho’s options being decimated with injuries again.

The Pompey head coach looks set to be without up to nine players for the game against Daniel Farke’s league leaders, which will be shown live on both Sky Sports and ITV.

The fixture has no doubt been chosen in part for the potential it has on impacting both ends of the Championship table - with Leeds looking to return to the Premier League and Pompey keen to retain their second-tier status as early as possible.

Already this season, Mousinho has taken into consideration the perceived more important game on the horizon when it comes to his team selection. That approach came back to haunt the Blues in January when multiple changes were made for an away game at West Brom, only for Pompey to lose at home to Millwall days later.

There will be a temptation to do the same against Leeds - with some considering the fixture against the Whites a free hit. But it’s unlikely the Plymouth game will have as much sway in Mousinho’s team selection and approach to the head-to-head with Farke’s troops.

According to The News’ Pompey writer Jordan Cross, the current injury situation gives the boss less freedom to change things around. Secondly, a game of this magnitude - with both sets of supporters selling out their allocation for a game in front of a national TV audience - necessitates 100-percent commitment.

Speaking on the latest episode of Pompey Talk, Cross said: ‘The bigger game is Plymouth, no doubt about that, because that can pretty much go eight tenths of the way to getting the job done this season.

‘Leeds is a free hit, but what can he (Mousinho) do at the moment? What can John Mousinho actually do? It’s not like there's not a lot of players in the stand at the moment! There's nine players injured.

‘I can't see any changes from last week, really. What can he do?’

Game to be broadcast live on Sky Sports and ITV

Cross added: ‘It's a platform, isn't it? It's also an ITV and that kind of amplifies the occasion.

‘There's Leeds coming, there's going to be eyes on Pompey. That's something for Pompey to relish. These are the occasions, this is what they came to the Championship for, these moments. To take on these big boys.

‘If you can't be up for this game, get out of town. I'd give my left and my right arm to be involved in an occasion like this, wouldn't you? So they've just got to savour that.

‘The vibe I get in terms of can they make changes?, I think they've got three games in seven days. ‘They’ve got to get on with it. You've got to. They've got an international break coming up, they can recoup after that.

‘There might be some good news on the horizon with Conor Shaughnessy. There's news there of him being well on course for a return to training around that international break and then hopefully a couple of weeks from coming back.

‘But I don't see any massive changes. They can probably change it in parts of the game. Again, they can probably shake it up within the game because once you get to 60-70 minutes, that's when the danger starts for fatigue and injury.

‘But In terms of starting, I think they'll be pretty much as powerful as we can go. Get stuck into these three games and get on with it.’

For your next Pompey read: Alexander Milosevic: who is the new Portsmouth defender? Why was he a free agent? How can he aid the Blues' Championship survival hopes?