Portsmouth boss provides injury update over key striker ahead of Preston North End contest
PNE make the long trip to Fratton Park this Saturday to face Portsmouth.
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has allayed fears over a potential injury to Colby Bishop.
The striker was withdrawn midway through the second half of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against West Brom at the Hawthorns.
The 28-year-old opened his goal-scoring account for the season moments before, when he headed home an equaliser to shared the points in the Midlands.
But after taking a ‘whack’ to the back in the first half, Pompey’s main man was brought off with 14 minutes to go.
However, he should be fit to face the Lilywhites this Saturday, when Paul Heckingbottom’s men make one of their longest trips of the campaign to Fratton Park.
Bishop, of course, was the hero for Pompey when North End last visited the south coast, with the striker scoring on his return from heart surgery in November.
And the frontman will be in the squad for PNE’s visit, with Mousinho minimising any potential injury concerns.
John Mousinho provides key injury update ahead of PNE contest
The Portsmouth boss told BBC Radio Solent on Saturday: “I think it was a whack to his glute or a whack to his back, so he was really struggling with that at half-time.
“It was just one of those that we didn't want to (take a risk with).
“Actually, I don't think it was a risk, I think it was just a whack, but he couldn't properly run any more.
“He obviously said: “I'm keen to continue”. But yeah, at that point I thought, we've got the subs on the bench and we can get the boys in to see how they get on.”
Although Bishop will be fit for the Championship contest, Portsmouth will still be without one key attacking figure.
Callum Lang, who was the subject of a reported £2m bid by PNE in July, will be sidelined for the fixtues as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.
The versatile forward is expected to be absent between 4-8 weeks after coming off in the second half of the Blues’ 2-1 defeat to Norwich City last week.
The head coach said: “Callum will be probably, at the optimistic end, about four to six weeks. At the pessimistic end, about six to eight weeks - so anywhere in between, I suppose, four to eight.
“We're just waiting on a second opinion from another specialist, just to confirm what we think about the scan.
“To be honest, it's not the end of the world in terms of bad news. When he first did the hamstring, or when he first picked up the injury, we thought he might be a bit worse because he was about three months on the sidelines last season, and we thought it was very, very similar.”
Portsmouth have had a mixed start to the new Championship campaign, picking up one win, one draw and one defeat in their opening three matches.
Mousinho’s men sit three points and five places behind PNE going into this Saturday’s fixture at Fratton Park.