"I didn’t see coming" - Concern at Portsmouth FC as "massive blow" emerges from Fratton Park | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth pundit gives his take on the devastating injury news regarding Callum Lang.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Portsmouth's recent form has affirmed their chance to secure a position in the Championship next season, but they're set to be without Callum Lang for the rest of this term.

The attacking midfielder has been one of John Mousinho's standout players this year but came off with an injury in the second half of their 2-0 win against Oxford United on Saturday.

A hamstring issue was initially suspected, and this has now been officially confirmed by the club, who have ruled him out for the rest of the season due to a torn hamstring.

While their safety is looking more likely, the 26-year-old will be a huge loss for Pompey, as he is not only their top scorer but also a key player in Mousinho's defensive setup.

Speaking about the role he can have for the rest of the season, the head coach said: "Langy has played a huge part in what we’ve done this season – but he still has an important role because he’s such a big figure in the dressing room."

Callum Lang injury a "massive blow"

Speaking to Football League World about the injury to Lang, FLW's resident Pompey pundit, Miltos Ioannidis, admitted just how big of a miss the 10-goal star will be.

"It’s a massive blow for us, and honestly, it’s something I didn’t see coming," Miltos said, clearly disappointed.

"He is a pretty significant miss, Callum Lang. The good news is that we were able to strengthen in the winger and attacking department areas with players like Adil Aouchiche and Kaide Gordon. Hopefully, these are players who are going to be able to step up, come into the side and help fill the void caused by Lang's absence.

"It is a significant blow, one that is not too welcoming at this moment in time with 13 games left to play. Obviously, he could have been injured much earlier this season, which wouldn’t have been ideal.

"Hopefully, we still have enough in us to deliver what our goal is, which is survival in the Championship. I am confident that we will, even without Callum Lang, but it is a big blow and hopefully it doesn't affect us too much on the pitch."

Callum Lang has been a star for John Mousinho

Signed from Wigan Athletic in January 2024, Lang has had a major impact since his arrival at Fratton Park.

A double against Leeds United at the start of the season started him on his way and since then he has managed to add another eight to his tally, including a quartet of strikes against Coventry City.

As mentioned earlier, he is also pivotal to Mousinho's defence and initiates the press from the front. Over the course of the campaign, he has won 133 duels, regained possession in the final third 32 times and made 95 recoveries.

Taking this out of the side will be a massive issue for Mousinho, and he will likely be hoping that someone like Aouchiche can step up and fill that void.