Portsmouth are fearful that captain Marlon Pack could be set for a period on the sidelines after going down against Wigan on Saturday, according to The News.
Pack sustained the injury after being on the wrong end of a Charlie Wyke horror tackle, a tackle which would see the Latics’ talisman receive a straight red card.
At the time, the game was firmly in the balance and although Pompey were 2-1 up, Wigan were more than in the game. The red card certainly dampened their attack as Portsmouth managed to hold on, the three points seeing them preserve their position at the top of the League One table.
However, although the game was filled with many positives for the table-toppers, the injury which forced Pack off, could become a significant blow for Portsmouth. The midfielder continued for 14 minutes following the tackle but was ultimately brought off by manager John Mousinho with some concern over the potential ankle injury.
The 32-year-old has started all ten of Portsmouth’s League One games this season, registering a goal and an assist during that time. Very much the anchor of the midfield, Mousinho will be hoping that the injury is not serious, as the strong midfield may require a significant shift-around.
The south-coast side will now play twice in the space of a week, first hosting Wycombe on Tuesday night before then welcoming Port Vale on Saturday. Pack’s involvement looks very much touch-and-go for their match against Wycombe, and we will wait on further news regarding the severity of the injury.
Pompey fans will certainly be hoping that the midfielder is included in the matchday squad during the week, as he has formed an integral part of the side which are yet to lose in League One this season.
Regarding the injury to Pack, manager John Mousinho said:
‘Marlon rolled his ankle under the weight of the challenge.
‘He’s obviously tried to carry on. Credit to him because I don’t think he would’ve come off of his own accord.
‘So we had to tell him off a bit and say he needs to let us know when he’s struggling!
‘Now we’ll assess how it is and see how things are on Monday.’
Writer’s view
It is hopefully not too significant of an injury to Pack, as the midfielder has made a great start to the new season. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to me to see him rested as a precaution on Tuesday, as Mousinho will not want to take any risks with rushing his captain back. There would be a reshuffling of the midfield but with the quality that Pompey are showing at the minute, you’d expect each player to step-up.
