Harvey Blair Injury Update: John Mousinho Explains Surprise Absence as Portsmouth Battle to 1–1 Draw with Leicester City
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has shed light on the surprise absence of Harvey Blair during Pompey’s 1–1 Championship draw with Leicester City on Saturday evening — revealing that the winger picked up a minor hamstring problem in training.
Blair, who endured a frustrating start to the season after suffering a hamstring injury on the final day of the previous campaign, had recently returned to full fitness. The 22-year-old missed the opening seven matches of the new season as he worked his way back to match sharpness but had featured in Pompey’s last two fixtures from the bench, signaling steady progress in his recovery.
However, his return was halted temporarily when he felt discomfort in the same hamstring during a sprint session in training ahead of the Leicester clash. Although the issue was not serious, the coaching staff decided against taking any risks, leaving the young winger out of the matchday squad entirely.
Explaining the decision after the game, Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:
“Harvey felt his hamstring in training on Saturday. We pushed him to sprint on Friday, but he didn’t feel quite right. It’s nothing major, but we wanted to be careful. Hopefully, he’ll be available for one of the two games next week — either against Coventry or Stoke.”
Mousinho’s update will come as a relief to supporters who feared a recurrence of Blair’s previous long-term injury. The former Liverpool academy graduate has impressed the Pompey staff with his pace and directness since joining the club, and his imminent return would add much-needed attacking depth as the fixture list continues to intensify.
Despite Blair’s absence, Portsmouth produced a resilient performance at St Andrew’s, coming from behind to earn a well-deserved point against one of the league’s top promotion contenders. The draw maintained the Blues’ positive run of form and underlined their growing ability to compete with the Championship’s strongest sides.
Reflecting on the match and the team’s overall condition, Mousinho praised his players’ commitment and confirmed there were no fresh injury concerns apart from minor fatigue.
“It was a really tough match physically,” he said. “Colby (Bishop) cramped up near the end — he put in a huge shift leading the line and pressing from the front. It’s actually a good sign that he’s pushing himself back to top form when centre-halves have to switch sides just to deal with him.”
The Pompey boss added that Adrian Segecic had also taken a knock to the face during the match but managed to finish the game without major issues.
“Segs took a bit of a whack but carried on. Other than that, everyone came through fine, which is good news for us with so many games coming up.”
With midweek and weekend fixtures on the horizon, Mousinho will be hoping Blair can recover quickly and be available for selection as Portsmouth continue their push up the Championship table.
The draw against Leicester once again highlighted the team’s resilience under pressure — a trait that will be vital as they look to sustain momentum and remain competitive through a demanding run of matches.
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