Following last season’s achievements, morale within Portsmouth’s camp should be sky-high. They ended the campaign with a strong five-point lead over their rivals and incredibly lost just one League One match since mid-January. John Mousinho and his squad will be eager to maintain that momentum, and with the summer’s new signings, they could pose a serious challenge to Leeds at Elland Road. Notably, Portsmouth went unbeaten in their last 10 away games in League One last season. However, goals could still be plentiful in this match, given that Portsmouth managed only one clean sheet in their final seven third-tier fixtures last year.
Josh Murphy is likely to make his competitive debut for Portsmouth in West Yorkshire, following his move from Oxford United in July after contract negotiations with his former club fell through. Another recent signing, defender Jordan Williams, who switched from Barnsley to Portsmouth after his contract expired, could also start this weekend. Unfortunately for Pompey, they will be without their key forward, Colby Bishop. After undergoing heart surgery last month during routine medical checks, Bishop faces a lengthy recovery. This is a significant setback for the striker, who netted 21 goals in Portsmouth’s title-winning League One season.
