Portsmouth may have to put Southampton hatred to one side if Colby Bishop replacement is needed | OneFootball

With Colby Bishop out injured, Portsmouth should be looking at signing Billy Sharp on a short-term basis as his replacement.

Ex-Southampton man Sharp is currently a free agent after his short-term deal with MLS side LA Galaxy came to an end in recent weeks.

Pompey may just be in need of a short-term fix at striker as starman Colby Bishop suffered an injury against Burton Albion at the end of November and is set to be ruled out for at least a couple more weeks.

Bishop has been in great form for Pompey this season, scoring 11 goals in 18 League One fixtures, making him the joint third top scorer in the division.

How bad is Colby Bishop's injury?

Pompey fans would have been relieved to hear that Bishop's injury isn't quite as bad as first feared.

Manager John Mousinho told The News, "So Colby’s okay. We’re sending him away for a second opinion because we’re relatively positive on it. So hopefully we’re thinking it’s going to be about a month, which is good news.

"There’s just a couple of things we have to check. There’s scar tissue there from a previous injury which sometimes shows up on the scan, so we want to make sure and that’s why we’re having a second opinion.

"It’s not the terrible news that everybody was fearing it could be. It’s not going to be a quick fix, but we’re looking at weeks rather than months at this stage. I’d be very surprised (if he wasn’t back before the end of the year), especially with Colby’s constitution and the way he wants to get back in and play."

With this in mind, Pompey may not need to recruit a striker, but with the club wanting to remain at the summit of the league, it's crucial they continue to score goals and win games.

Despite being a former Southampton man, 37-year-old Sharp could prove a useful short-term signing at Fratton Park.

What would Billy Sharp offer Portsmouth?

Sharp is a real EFL icon and, despite his age, he's still more than capable of playing League One football. He left Sheffield United in the summer, helping them reach the Premier League with two goals in 38 games and enjoyed a brief foray in the MLS. Sharp scored six goals in 12 MLS games for LA Galaxy but wasn't offered a contract extension despite this great form; that one-in-every-two record in the MLS was much more fitting with Sharp's 14-goal haul in 2021/22 Championship and fills you with confidence he's ready for third-tier football.

Despite being an ex-Southampton man, the Saints are by no means the first club you'd associate with Sharp, who enjoyed fruitful spells with hometown club Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers amongst others.

The striker actually only played 18 games for the St Mary's side, so he's by no means a Southampton cult-hero or legend. With that in mind, should Pompey supporters read too much into his Southampton links?

If Sharp could replicate the form he's shown in the MLS and in recent Championship seasons, then Pompey would be silly not to consider signing him if Bishop is out for longer than expected. He may just be able to help the club reach the Championship for the first time since 2012.