Portsmouth juggling huge injury crisis ahead of Arsenal FA Cup clash | OneFootball

Relegation-threatened Championship side missing at least nine first-team players

Portsmouth are juggling a crippingly injury crisis ahead of Sunday’s visit of Arsenal in the FA Cup third round.

Following that defeat, Portsmouth boss John Mousinho gave a blunt assessment of the club's plight.

"I said to the players we have to move on, show up on Sunday, run about and look like we can have a go, because we have no other choice.

"It's tough for us out there at the moment with the injuries we've got, but hopefully the fans can stick with us as we have some big games coming up."

And few games are bigger than the visit of the current Premier League leaders, and heavy title favourites.

Arsenal visit as Portsmouth have nine first-team players sidelined.

The most recent absentee is Mark Kosznovszky, who will miss the rest of this season and the start of the next with an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered against Charlton Athletic.

Hayden Matthews will likely not return until March due to surgery on an ankle injury, while Josh Knight continues to struggle with a back injury which could keep keep him sidelined until next month. It leaves Mousinho with just three fit central defenders.

Arguably, the biggest blow is forward pair Callum Lang and Josh Murphy being ruled out for the rest of January.

Striker Lang suffered a second hamstring injury of the season against QPR on Boxing Day, while winger Murphy is nursing a number of different ailments" which will rule him out of facing the Gunners.

Colby Bishop, Connor Ogilvie, Florian Bianchini and Thomas Waddingham will also miss Sunday's third-round clash, as to will loanee winger Yang Min-hyeok who has been recalled by Tottenham and sent to Coventry City.

In a rare piece of positive news midfielder Marlon Pack is fit again to face Arsenal.