Portsmouth boss provides update on top-scorer amid heart surgery plan ahead of Leeds United clash

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Leeds United welcome Pompey to Elland Road in less than two week’s time.

Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho hopes to have Colby Bishop available at some point this season but the striker will certainly miss next weekend’s trip to Leeds United.

Pompey, who are less than two weeks away from their long-awaited return to the Championship, confirmed on Tuesday morning that Bishop was to undergo heart surgery after an issue was raised during pre-season medical checks. The 27-year-old had been absent for pre-season after the recent birth of his child but now looks set to miss a large portion of the 2024/25 campaign.

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No timescale has been put on the return of Bishop, who was Portsmouth’s top-scorer last season with 21 goals in 44 appearances, but a return now looks unlikely any time soon. Speaking after Tuesday evening’s 1-1 pre-season draw against MK Dons, Mousinho revealed that his striker would go under the knife soon, with some hope he can feature later on in the season.

“Colby is okay. He’s obviously not thrilled, but I hope that, by the time he has the surgery and everything goes successfully, we will all be really grateful that we’ve caught it,” Mousinho told The News. “That’s the most important thing. Thankfully we haven’t had an incident where Colby has collapsed on the pitch, meaning there’s something more serious than what we are facing now.

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“We are looking for the operation to happen in early August, so in the next couple of weeks. Although we don’t know when he’ll be back (playing football). There is some precedent in this with a couple of professional sports players. Connor Goldson and a Rugby Union player from Saracens (Nick Isiekwe) have had the same procedure. 

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“Both have had really good careers after that, so we’re really hopeful from that point of view, but we don’t want to put any pressure on the times. I think he could play again this season, but we are not going to put any pressure on that. We are going to make sure he’s right before we think about anything football-wise.”

Bishop will be a major miss for Portsmouth, who already have the odds stacked against them on their return to the second-tier for the first time in 11 years. The striker has only been at Fratton Park for two years but 45 goals in 100 games is evidence of his importance to Mousinho’s side.

After winning three consecutive friendlies against non league sides, Pompey were unable to extend their perfect run against MK Dons and face another League One outfit in Charlton Athletic on Saturday. Leeds face Valencia on the same day, with both then looking forward to a full week of preparations ahead of the start of the 2024/25 campaign at Elland Road on Saturday, August 10.

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