Alious
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho faces a defensive dilemma for their upcoming FA Cup match at Wycombe Wanderers following Marlon Pack’s red card against Sunderland.
The captain’s dismissal, which came after denying striker Wilson Isidor a clear scoring opportunity in the 67th minute, triggers an automatic one-match suspension.
According to The News, while Pack will miss the third-round cup tie at Adams Park, he will be eligible to return for Portsmouth’s next Championship fixture against Blackburn on January 15.
Though this timing somewhat benefits Mousinho, who was planning to rotate his squad for the cup game, it creates a significant tactical challenge as Portsmouth will be without any right-footed center-backs.
Pack, traditionally a midfielder, had been serving as a makeshift center-back due to the ongoing absences of right-footed defenders Regan Poole, Conor Shaughnessy, and Ibane Bowatt.
Despite some struggles in the role, particularly against Bristol City and Sunderland, his presence provided defensive stability and balanced the left-footed defensive pairing of Ryan Towler and Tom McIntyre.
Loan signing Rob Atkinson, who impressed in his debut after replacing the dismissed Pack against Sunderland, presents an obvious solution for the Wycombe match, offering him valuable playing time. However, being left-footed himself means Portsmouth will field an unconventional all-left-footed defensive line.
The only alternative involves deploying returning right-back Jordan Williams as a center-back, though previous experiments with this arrangement have proven unsuccessful.
With both Shaughnessy and Poole expected to return from calf injuries later this month, an interesting decision awaits regarding Pack’s role.
Before his defensive deployment, the former Cardiff and Bristol City midfielder had been relegated to the bench following a series of underwhelming performances.
Alious
