Portsmouth transfer plan becomes clearer after significant Callum Lang blow | OneFootball

John Mousinho has revealed Portsmouth's transfer plans after Callum Lang suffered a hamstring injury against Norwich City.

John Mousinho has revealed that the injury to Callum Lang won't intensify the search for a new winger in the transfer market.

Portsmouth suffered a huge blow on Saturday when their star winger was forced to be withdrawn from action in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Norwich City in their first Championship home game of the season.

Lang has suffered another hamstring injury, having missed two months of last season and endured a disrupted pre-season schedule due to this issue, in what is a 'massive blow' for Pompey.

However, speaking to The News after the defeat to the Canaries, boss Mousinho has revealed that this injury setback won't make the search for a new winger more desperate in the final few weeks of the window.

Out wide has been identified as a key area Pompey must strengthen, but their head coach has remained adamant that the injury to Lang won't change anything in this search.

John Mousinho outlines Portsmouth transfer strategy after Callum Lang injury

After beating Oxford United 1-0 on the opening day of the season, the first game at Fratton Park didn't go as planned, as Portsmouth fell to a 2-1 defeat against Norwich, in which Lang sustained another injury to his hamstring.

Whilst it's currently unknown what the timeframe is for his return, his boss Mousinho spoke to The News after the Norwich match about whether the fresh injury setback will change his side's search to sign a new winger.

The 39-year-old responded: "We were focused on adding in the wide areas anyway and that’s where Callum has been playing.

"We still thought it was a real priority to strengthen in wide areas, so I don’t think Callum’s injury necessarily changes anything - we’ll just continue in that vein."

Pompey have been keen to add another player in the wide areas, and Mousinho has confirmed that, despite the injury to Lang, this will remain a priority in the final weeks of the transfer window.

Fortunately, Josh Murphy returned to action for Pompey yesterday, which provides an extra body out wide, but the former midfielder's statements suggest they are still looking to reinforce that area.

Callum Lang injury is a major blow for Portsmouth - especially if it's a long-term issue

Since his arrival in January 2024, Lang has been an important player for the Blues, scoring some crucial goals which helped Pompey secure promotion, and ultimately Championship survival the following years.

Despite playing 32 times in the league last season, the 26-year-old chipped in with 10 goals and two assists, which helped Mousinho's men overcome a rough start to the season, where they were glued to the bottom of the table.

His versatility across the front four gives his head coach plenty of cover and options wherever he needs it, so to see him injured again is a massive setback for Pompey, who had to do without the ex-Wigan Athletic star's services for a portion of last season.