Portsmouth manager John Mousinho must resist the urge to change goalkeepers again and persist with Daniel Bielica. The summer signing has conceded four goals in his first four Championship appearances, with questions over his role in three of them, but a third change in eight league games would be chaotic.

Bielica arrived from NAC Breda in July for a fee understood to be significant, a clear sign he was not bought for the bench. He was handed his league debut at Derby after Nicolas Schmid was dropped following a 3-1 loss to QPR. That debut proved forgettable, with Sam Szmodics scoring through his legs at the near post after 16 minutes. Mousinho absolved Bielica of blame for the first goal that day, a Dapo Afolayan shot, but the second stemmed from a poor clearance by the keeper himself.

Distribution concerns

His distribution has been notably worse than Schmid's, whose tendency to kick into touch was already a fan concern. Before the Derby game, Bielica's only appearance was a 90-minute, behind-closed-doors friendly clean sheet against SC Kuwait. He has kept two clean sheets in competitive play, but the early errors have drawn scrutiny.

Portsmouth's history shows the cost of constant change between the posts. In the 2013-14 season, they used four different goalkeepers in the first 12 fixtures, a period that included a 4-2 defeat at York and ended with manager Guy Whittingham being dismissed 16 games in. More recently, Will Norris was a title-winning keeper before moving on. Bielica needs a consistent run of games, time, and trust to prove his worth. The team's current standings position of 19th, with eight points from seven games, shows the need for stability rather than more upheaval.

Defensive injury crisis

This patience is needed as the squad deals with a defensive injury crisis. Centre-halves Conor Shaughnessy and Benjy Arthur are sidelined with a groin issue and a back fracture respectively. That leaves only Regan Poole and Madiodio Dia available at centre-back, a pairing that finished the recent 2-2 draw with Blackburn.

The team's form adds pressure. Their recent run reads one win, two draws, and two defeats. With 10 goals conceded already this season, the defensive unit will need to be at its best for the next challenge on the fixtures list: a trip to St Mary's.

Loan watch

Meanwhile, young defenders Josh Knight and Hayden Matthews, sent on loan to Reading and Bradford, have managed just 62 minutes of first-team football between them. Reading boss Leam Richardson said Knight is "a little bit behind" in his fitness, explaining his absence from their matchday squads. Knight did start the final pre-season friendly for Pompey, playing 61 minutes against SC Kuwait.

Mousinho's decision is clear. Recalling Schmid after a four-game absence would signal panic. For a team that has used two goalkeepers already this season, stability is now the priority. The focus turns to preparing a patched-up defence for the trip to St Mary's.

The original report is at portsmouth.co.uk