Benjy Arthur will remain a Portsmouth player for the duration of his season-long loan from Brentford despite suffering a long-term back injury. Manager John Mousinho confirmed the 20-year-old defender will not be recalled and will aim for a comeback in the New Year.
Arthur has a stress fracture in his back, an injury that developed over time rather than from a single incident. It is expected to sideline him for a minimum of 12 weeks, ruling him out of a significant portion of the Championship campaign. Portsmouth's current position of 19th in the standings with eight points from seven games is a concern, and Arthur had started five of their six matches before his setback, a run of form that included two clean sheets.
"Benjy has picked up a stress fracture in his back and he is gutted, we’re all gutted," Mousinho said. The head coach described the England Under-20 international as a proper athlete and called the situation unlucky. Arthur had displaced Regan Poole to partner Conor Shaughnessy at centre-back, with the pair keeping clean sheets against Cardiff and Charlton.
With Arthur out and Shaughnessy also suffering a groin injury in the recent 2-2 draw with Blackburn, Mousinho must find a new defensive pairing. Madiodio Dia and Regan Poole are being considered to start together for the upcoming visit to Southampton on October 11, a key fixture in the fixtures list. The manager now faces a significant challenge in reshaping a backline that had begun to show promise.
Mousinho's commitment to Arthur shows the club's belief in the young defender's long-term value. "He has looked every inch a Championship player," the manager added. Arthur's continued presence at Fratton Park, even while rehabilitating, provides stability for a squad also missing Josh Murphy and Luke Brooke-Smith. The next test is a south coast trip to face 13th-placed Southampton, a match that will test the depth and resilience of Pompey's defensive options as they look to improve their points tally.
The original report is at portsmouth.co.uk
