Will Norris and Zak Swanson were injured and missed Saturday’s 2-1 victory over QPR.
However, John Mousinho made it plain that the duo’s difficulties are not’major’, despite their noticeable absences from the 20-man squad at Loftus Road.
Norris missed his second game in a row after the Blues were thrashed 6-1 by Stoke, and the Blues manager made changes against Oxford United ahead of the international break. Along with the 31-year-old being dropped from the starting XI, Swanson, who also started the defeat at the Bet365 Stadium, was listed on the bench against the U’s but came on in the final minutes of the 1-1 tie.
Pompey chose to leave the pair on the south coast while they recover from their injuries, as they were not included in the squad for Saturday’s 2-1 triumph. Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Mousinho stated: “Zak is slightly struggling with his heel, so we left him at home.” And Will has slightly strained his MCL (medial collateral ligament).
‘It was actually something he (Norris) did in the Stoke game, where he went down and slightly hurt his knee – nothing serious.
‘While we have players coming into the squad, it’s a sensible decision to let them improve.’
Norris paid the price for a bad performance against Stoke, ending his 54-game goalkeeping record since his arrival in the summer of 2023.
Following his dismissal against Oxford United, Mousinho highlighted the 31-year-old’s displeasure at being dropped, with Nicolas Schmid coming into the side and Jordan Archer on the bench.
Meanwhile, Swanson has impressed in the Championship this season after signing a new one-year contract with a club option for an additional 12 months in the summer.following attempting to put his injury problems behind him following a dismal first two years at Fratton Park, the right-back has emerged as a viable competitor for Jordan Williams, with the youthful full-back making eight appearances this season.
Pompeii are They return to play in midweek, traveling to South Wales to face rivals Cardiff on Tuesday evening.
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