Pompey contending with several injuries for the upcoming clash against Sheffield United | OneFootball

Sheffield United travel down to Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon to take on Portsmouth who are yet to find a win in the Championship since gaining promotion last season.

John Mousinho’s side have scored seven goals in the opening six games of the season, and while that’s a decent return compared to the rest of the league, they are extremely vulnerable at the back having conceded 13 goals.

Pompey do have plenty of injury issues to contend with for the upcoming clash against the Blades, as per The News, making their search for their first league win all that much harder. While the Blades have a major injury worry themselves.

Portsmouth early team news vs Sheffield United

On a positive front, the Brighton loanee Mark O’Mahony is set to return for this game. O’Mahony has only featured once so far, coming off the bench in the loss to Sunderland at the end of last month. His inclusion will add some much-needed depth to Pompey’s attack.

On the flip side, there are concerns surrounding Callum Lang, who was forced off during the match against Burnley due to a groin injury. His availability remains uncertain, and he could miss the upcoming fixture which would be a huge blow for the home team. Lang has already contributed to four league goals out of a total of six.

Australian striker Kusini Yengi remains sidelined after injuring his groin during the warm-up against West Brom ten days ago. According to their manager John Mousinho, Yengi is expected to be out for a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, Ibane Bowat, the newly signed defender faces a long spell on the sidelines after suffering a severe knee injury in training. Bowat ruptured his patella tendon while taking a shot in a training session and will be out for six months.

Colby Bishop is out for an extended period after undergoing heart surgery. The striker is not expected to return until at least the new year.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 01: Oliver Arblaster of Sheffield United is awarded a penalty after Yasser Larouci of Watford miss times his tackle during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Watford FC at Bramall Lane on September 01, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

Sheffield United early team news vs Portsmouth

For Sheffield United, there are doubts over the availability of key midfielder Oliver Arblaster, who missed the 1-0 victory against Derby County. Chris Wilder did admit after the game that the young midfielder could be good to go (this week), however, they will not be taking any unnecessary risks with him.

Besides, Sydie Peck stepped into midfield with Vinicius Souza, to cover for Arblaster, and the youngster cruised effortlessly around the middle of the park at Bramall Lane last weekend. And, he was denied a stunning goal on his full Championship debut in the dying moments of the match.

The Blades are unbeaten in the league thus far and have well and truly put their two-point deduction behind them as they gun down the automatic promotion places. United are three points behind second place Sunderland, and four points behind West Bromwich Albion who are top of the league at this early stage.