"I love this club" - Josh Murphy delivers emotional Portsmouth message as major blow confirmed | OneFootball

Josh Murphy has delivered an emotional message to Portsmouth supporters following his season-ending injury

Josh Murphy has delivered a major fitness update to Portsmouth supporters following Pompey's 1-0 defeat to Hull City on Saturday.

Courtesy of an injury, Murphy has not featured for the Fratton Park club since he produced an assist in their 1-1 draw with Derby County on 20 December.

Meanwhile, Pompey's successive defeats at the hands of Wrexham and Hull have left John Mousinho's men just five points clear of the Championship relegation zone.

Portsmouth will hope to enjoy a winning start to March when they travel to Blackburn Rovers next Saturday, with wins needed to drag them further clear of the drop zone.

Josh Murphy delivers message to Portsmouth supporters as season-ending injury confirmed

If they are to remain in the Championship though, they'll be achieving it without the services of Murphy, who will not feature for John Mousinho's side until next season, courtesy of a broken foot.

The winger shared an emotional update with Pompey fans via Instagram on Saturday: "Not something I wanted to be writing, but I am gutted to be out for the rest of the season.

"My foot was injured against Swansea, and it’s taking longer to heal than expected. I love this club and was doing everything I can to get back, but unfortunately, it just needs to heal.

"The boys have been outstanding recently and a real joy to watch! I will continue to be the boys' biggest cheerleader whilst working like an animal in preparation for next season."

Murphy has produced six assists in 14 Championship appearances this season, and he was a particularly influential figure in last term's survival effort, notching seven goals and 14 assists in 42 second-tier outings.

Portsmouth should have enough quality to survive despite Josh Murphy blow

Pompey's consecutive defeats against Wrexham and Hull have shown that Mousinho's side are unable to consistently produce positive results against some of the Championship's best sides.

However, the Fratton Park outfit should not be overly worried by the prospect of relegation, even with Murphy unavailable, as they have largely performed well since the turn of the year.

In January, Portsmouth enjoyed a four-game unbeaten streak in the Championship, with wins against Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion arriving either side of draws with Watford and fierce rivals Southampton.

Mousinho's men then went on to bounce back from defeats against Preston North End and Sheffield United with victories over Charlton Athletic and Millwall.

Pompey's recent wins over Charlton, West Brom, and Wednesday show that they are capable of defeating the sides in their region of the table, which is their primary responsibility at the business end of the campaign.

Their 3-1 triumph over Millwall on 21 February proves that Portsmouth can also shock some of the Championship's promotion contenders.

There is no doubt that the Hampshire club would be in better stead to avoid an unwanted League One return if Murphy were fit, but Mousinho's current options have shown enough quality in recent weeks.

January loan signing Mllenic Alli notched a goal and an assist in Pompey's aforementioned 3-0 win over West Brom, and could help his new club fill the void left by Murphy if he establishes consistency.

The Fratton Park outfit can also rely on moments of quality from the likes of Adrian Segecic, who has scored one goal and produced five assists this term, but more players will need to step up if they're definitely going to pull clear of the drop zone in the coming weeks.