Portsmouth FC: Robertson and Swanson situations will be on John Mousinho's mind | OneFootball

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is preparing for life in the Championship.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho lifted the League One title at the end of his first full season in charge.

Pompey finally achieved promotion from League One as champions last term and will play Championship football for the first time since 2012 when the 2024/25 campaign gets underway in August.

Their season kicks off with a difficult run of fixtures. Portsmouth will travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on the opening day before Luton Town visit the south coast for the first second-tier fixture at Fratton Park for more than a decade.

Mousinho will have one eye on Portsmouth's first game of the season but he has plenty of other things to think about before then as he continues to prepare his squad for the step-up into the Championship.

Mousinho has refused to rule out the possibility that one or two of Portsmouth's key players could depart the club this summer if the right offer comes in but stressed that they are under no pressure to get rid of anyone. There has reportedly been interest in a couple of names so far during the transfer window.

Let's take a look at a couple of things that are likely to be on Mousinho's mind at this stage of the summer transfer window.

Alex Robertson

Mousinho is still keen on a Fratton Park return for Alex Robertson. The midfielder joined Portsmouth on loan from Manchester City last summer, before a training injury cut his season short in January.

The Australian was forced to watch Portsmouth go on to win the title from the sidelines.

He could yet return to the south coast for Pompey's return to the Championship, as Mousinho is playing the waiting game before City make it clear what they intend to do with the youngster.

The 21-year-old made 23 appearances in League One during the first half of last season, and became a key player in Portsmouth's midfield as they established themselves at the top of the table in the early months of the campaign. He assisted four goals and scored once during his loan spell with Pompey.

It remains to be seen whether Portsmouth will be able to bring Robertson back ahead of next season, but while it is still a possibility, it will definitely be on Mousinho's mind.

Zak Swanson

There has been no confirmation regarding the future of Portsmouth right-back Zak Swanson, who was in the last year of his contract during Pompey's promotion-winning season.

Swanson provided cover at right-back for Pompey last term, making 12 appearances in League One as the club conceded just 41 goals - the third-fewest in the division.

The 23-year-old's future at Fratton Park is uncertain, and he was absent from Portsmouth training on their first day back for pre-season.

All the signs suggest that Swanson will not be a part of Portsmouth's squad next year.

Pompey have signed Jordan Williams from Barnsley, and are interested in making another signing in that position. However, Mousinho has admitted that he may need to promote from within instead, with Regan Poole and Terry Devlin touted as players who could fill in at right-back when required next season.

The manager must be tempted to try and agree fresh terms with Swanson, as he is a natural right-back who showed that he can step in and do a job throughout last season. Even if Mousinho doesn't end up keeping Swanson, the idea must surely be on his mind after deciding to look in-house for another right-back option.

The 38-year-old will not want to risk being short of options at right-back during the 2024/25 campaign, and until he knows that is not going to be the case, Swanson will likely be on his mind.