[themaclad]

Photo attributed to Ian Patterson
Will it look like this on Saturday, or will the big tent have turned it into a pristine surface

OPPOSITION

www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/

MANAGER

John Michael Lewis Mousinho (born 30 April 1986) is an English professional football manager and former footballer who is head coach of EFL Championship club Portsmouth. Primarily a central midfielder early in his career, he was later utilised as a centre-back.

Mousinho began his senior football career at Brentford, having previously played for Chesham United and Notre Dame Fighting Irish while studying at the University of Notre Dame. He spent two and a half years at Brentford before joining Wycombe Wanderers in June 2008, playing regularly for two seasons and experiencing both a promotion and relegation. He signed for Stevenage in June 2010, helping the club earn the second of back-to-back promotions and scoring the decisive goal in the 2011 League Two play-off final, finishing as the club's joint-top goalscorer for the season.

After an injury-affected 2011–12 season, Mousinho joined Preston North End, with loan spells at Gillingham and a return to Stevenage. He signed for Burton Albion in June 2014, winning the League Two title in his first season and achieving promotion to the Championship a year later. Mousinho moved to Oxford United in August 2017, making 151 appearances before retiring in January 2023. During the latter part of his playing career, he served as chairman of the PFA from May 2021 until January 2023, when he stepped down to become Portsmouth's head coach, leading the club to the Championship as League One champions in the 2023–24 season.

FORM



MYSTIC MACS FORM RATINGS

PNE 7 POMPEY 11

Slightly better form than us, suggests a close game

[themaclad]

Team News​

Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed that Robbie Brady has been more involved with training in recent times, as he edges closer to a return to action.
Meanwhile, Dan Iversen, Andrew Hughes and Brad Potts continue on their individual paths back to full fitness.
The Visitors​

Having clinched the League One title in 2024, Portsmouth successfully retained their Championship status last year by finishing 16th in the second-tier standings.
After a stuttering start to the 2025/26 campaign, John Mousinho’s side have picked up form in recent times, losing only one of their previous nine league matches heading into this clash.
With the smart recruitment of players such as Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams in the winter transfer window, Pompey may have several reasons to feel optimistic about what the second half of the season has in store for them.

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Match Officials​

Referee: Adam Herczeg
Assistant Referees: Andrew Fox and Simon Bennett
Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse
Adam Herczeg will take charge of North End’s clash with Portsmouth at Deepdale.
He last officiated PNE in their 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wrexham in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
Herczeg has shown 71 yellow and three red cards in 19 contests so far in the 2025/26 campaign.

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Preston North End could include their record signing Callum Lang in their squad just five days after the forward left their opponents on Saturday, Portsmouth.

The Lilywhites have slipped three points outside the play-offs after a four-game winless run.

Pompey are four games unbeaten but only one point clear of the relegation zone.

Preston are unbeaten in their past 11 home league games against Portsmouth (W7 D4) since a 5-0 loss in February 1973.

Following their 1-0 win in August, Portsmouth are looking to complete the league double over Preston for the first time since 1969-70.

Preston have lost their past two home league games (1-0 v Derby, 3-0 v Hull). They last lost three in a row in the same season in December 2023, while they last did so without scoring in October 2020 (4).

Portsmouth have lost just one of their past nine league games (W4 D4), and are looking to win consecutive matches for the first time since April 2025.

Only bottom side Sheffield Wednesday (1) have won fewer away games in the Championship this season than Portsmouth (2).