Portsmouth Football Club have named a 22-man squad for the Championship season, leaving three spaces vacant in their permitted 25-man list. The club omitted six players, including winger Josh Murphy who is recovering from groin surgery, as reported by portsmouth.co.uk this week. The Blues currently sit 14th in the Championship table with six points from five games, having scored seven goals and conceded eight.
Which players were left out of the squad?
Josh Murphy's absence was expected as he has been ruled out until November following an operation. Keshi Anderson is also sidelined with a torn quad, though his return was originally pencilled for mid-October. Defender Jacob Farrell was an anticipated omission as Portsmouth seek to move him on before the A-League transfer window closes on September 15. Youngster Mark Kosznovszky is expected to be out until January due to injury.
Harvey Blair was involved in the match-day squad as recently as the Derby County fixture last week but was not part of the 2-0 victory over Cardiff City. Connor Ogilvie completes the list of six omitted players. This approach mirrors the club's strategy in January when they registered 23 players and left out injured trio Blair, Florian Bianchini, and Josh Knight.
Who is included in the Portsmouth squad?
The registered squad includes three goalkeepers: Schmid, Bielica, and Killip. Defenders named are Arthur, Devlin, Shaughnessy, Poole, Dia, Swanson, and Meghoma. The midfield group consists of Pack, Swift, Adams, Bailey, Mohamed, and Shein. Wingers Kamara, Kavuma-McQueen, and Segecic are included, while strikers Bishop, Milovanovic, and Shade complete the attacking options.
Several under-21 players do not count toward the squad limit. Thomas Waddingham is injured after an ankle operation but falls into this category. Tayo Singerr is on loan at AFC Totton, while Toby Steward is currently with St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership. Other under-21 players at the club include Luke Brooke-Smith, Eoin Kenny, Franco Umeh, Chinedu Agu, Michael Ani, and Nathaniel Chioma.
What is Portsmouth's current league position?
John Mousinho's side have taken six points from their opening five Championship matches. Their record shows two wins and three losses, with recent form reading WLLWL. They have scored seven goals while conceding eight, leaving them with a minus one goal difference. The Blues trail league leaders Swansea City by five points in the early season title race.
Portsmouth's next challenge is an away fixture against Charlton Athletic on September 12. Charlton currently occupy sixth place in the table, making this a significant test. Fans can check the full upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures page. The senior squad list is also available on the official squad section of the website.
Why did Portsmouth leave squad spaces open?
The club's policy appears to involve not registering players who are facing extended injury absences. This allows flexibility for potential additions when the transfer window reopens or as players return to fitness. With three slots remaining in their 25-man allocation, Portsmouth maintain room for manoeuvre in the months ahead.
The Football League released complete squad lists for all 72 member clubs at the end of last week. Portsmouth's decision to submit 22 names follows a pattern seen across the division where clubs often retain flexibility. Supporters can track the team's progress in the standings as the season develops. Portsmouth travel to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic on September 12.
