John Mousinho has cast serious doubt over whether Adil Aouchiche will feature again for Portsmouth this season, admitting the French midfielder may have already played his last game in a Pompey shirt following a wrist fracture sustained against Norwich on Good Friday.
The on-loan Sunderland playmaker was forced off in the 85th minute at Carrow Road after putting in what Mousinho described as his “best performance” since arriving at Fratton Park in January. Despite attempting to play through the injury during Monday’s match against Watford, Aouchiche was withdrawn at half-time—clearly struggling with the physical limitations the fracture imposed.
Now, with just two matches left, Mousinho admits the risk of aggravation or mental hesitation may outweigh any potential benefit of bringing the 22-year-old back into the squad.
“Aouchiche had the fracture previously, he tried to play with it [against Watford] and it just wasn’t right. So I don’t think we’ll see Adil play at the weekend.”
“It doesn’t obviously affect him football-wise, but he can’t hold players off, can’t properly close players down, can’t really go into challenges—and I think that plays on your mind.”
Unless he’s deemed 100% fit, it seems unlikely Aouchiche will feature against Sheffield Wednesday or Hull City, closing the door on what could be the end of his brief stint with the Blues.
Mixed But Promising Spell at Fratton Park
Aouchiche joined Portsmouth in the final days of the winter transfer window, seeking more game time after making just eight appearances for Sunderland under Regis Le Bris. He has since made 12 appearances for Pompey—starting nine times, scoring once (against Plymouth Argyle) and assisting once (against Norwich).
Despite moments of inconsistency, Mousinho praised the young Frenchman’s evolution, particularly the balance he struck between technical skill and unexpected work-rate at Carrow Road:
“It was Adil’s best game for us by a long way… He put both bits together. What we’ve seen with Adil is a huge amount of work-rate, which is maybe slightly surprising to some.”
“He showed that quality on the ball, coming out of tight areas, his work-rate was constant, he was dead on his feet at the end.”
Aouchiche, who came through the ranks at PSG before stints at Saint-Étienne and Sunderland, has shown flashes of promise, but this latest setback might prevent him from fully cementing his value before returning to the Stadium of Light.
Other Injury Updates
Pompey were handed better news regarding two key players:
- Colby Bishop and Jacob Murphy are both fit to face Sheffield Wednesday despite picking up knocks in the Watford game.
- However, Jordan Williams will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for 6–8 weeks.
As Portsmouth prepare for their final fixtures of the Championship season with safety now secured, the question remains: has Adil Aouchiche already had his Fratton farewell?
In other news, “The Ambition Is There” – John Mousinho Sends Clear Message on Portsmouth Future Amid Championship Surge
