The 12 players set to miss Portsmouth v Southampton on Sunday - Josh Murphy is among them | OneFootball

FLW rounds-up the Portsmouth and Southampton players who are set to miss the South Coast derby.

A South Coast derby wraps up this weekend’s action in the Championship as Portsmouth host bitter rivals Southampton from Fratton Park at Sunday lunchtime.

There will be hope for some goals in a fiery affair this time around after the previous fixture at St Mary’s ended goalless last September, six years on from when the pair last met.

Both sides are situated towards the bottom end of the division, with Pompey scrapping for their lives in 21st, just one point above Blackburn Rovers from the bottom three, with this fixture the perfect incentive to achieve three points and boost their survival chances.

Meanwhile, for Southampton, there had been some struggles under Tonda Eckert, but the German managed to claim his first victory in eight league games after they edged Sheffield United 1-0 in midweek.

In the build up to the game, FLW has provided an update on the players that won’t be taking any part in the derby from both Pompey and the Saints’ camps.

Conor Shaughnessy

Portsmouth are ravaged by injuries to the first-team squad at the moment, with Conor Shaughnessy the latest casualty.

The central defender was not part of Pompey's squad that faced Watford on Wednesday night after picking up a quad injury, and initial scans have revealed a grade-three tear.

Pompey boss John Mousinho confirmed the news, hinting the 29-year-old could be facing a significant period of time on the sidelines.

Therefore, he won’t play any part against Southampton on Sunday.

Josh Murphy

Another massive blow Portsmouth have to face is the continued absence of winger Josh Murphy, who remains out with a hamstring problem.

Murphy, who recorded 14 assists last season, has been out since the end of December, and isn’t set to return to action until February.

Portsmouth will be hopeful he can make a speedy recovery, with his creativity pivotal to the club staying up this term.

Callum Lang

Like Murphy, Callum Lang has also been absent due to a hamstring issue, which is a big frustration for Portsmouth.

John Mousinho has confirmed Lang won’t be back in action until February, with himself and Murphy on a similar timeframe for recovery.

Franco Umeh

Franco Umeh has also been out for Portsmouth with hamstring trouble.

It was confirmed he went under the knife to rectify the problem, and he has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Hayden Matthews

Hayden Matthews has been missing since the opening week of January when he sustained an ankle injury against Bristol City.

The Australian was left sidelined for 8-10 weeks at the time, and is set to play no part against the Saints.

Harvey Blair

Winger Harvey Blair has had a frustrating campaign with multiple injuries, but had been growing in confidence in recent weeks due to some positive displays.

He was causing Arsenal issues in the third-round of the FA Cup too but picked up a hip-flexor issue just 37 minutes into the tie.

Blair is now set to miss three weeks of action, meaning he could return in the first week of February.

Mark Kosznovszky

Mark Kosznovsky is another Pompey player who faces a significant period of time on the treatment table.

The Hungarian sustained a torn ACL and MCL late in their victory over Charlton Athletic at the end of December.

Mousinho confirmed the midfielder will now miss the remainder of the season and is expected to be sidelined for around 9-12 months.

Florian Bianchini

Pompey loanee Florian Bianchini hasn’t been able to show his parent club Swansea City what they’re missing at the moment with plaguing injury problems.

Bianchini has been sidelined since towards the end of 2025 with persistent knee tendonitis.

The 24-year-old has still been experiencing pain and his load is being managed carefully, so it is unlikely that the French-born forward will be available for the derby.

Josh Knight

Josh Knight has been out for almost two months and is one of the Blues’ longest injury absentees. After initial bruising to his back had settled, there was a fresh setback for the defender, with scans revealing a stress fracture in to that area.

Knight is expected to be back in mid-February after initially being ruled out 4-6 weeks.

Thomas Waddingham

Thomas Waddingham hasn’t been seen since August 2025 after suffering a quad issue prior to last September’s meeting with Southampton.

Unfortunately for Waddingham, he is set to miss the reverse South Coast derby fixture too, but should be in contention for a mid-February return as he looks to put his injury woes behind him.