Pompey are to face the Premier League big guns in a behind-closed-doors fixture, with Xabi Alonso’s men providing testing opposition.
Pompey are set to take on Premier League Chelsea tomorrow.
The Blues have lined up a meeting with the Premier League outfit, as they look to stay sharp ahead of their south-coast derby showdown with Southampton next week.
Chelsea to provide Pompey’s behind-closed-doors test
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Pompey are set to face Chelsea tomorrow. Pic: Gettyplaceholder image
Pompey are set to face Chelsea tomorrow. Pic: Getty | Getty Images
The News understands the behind-closed-doors match is scheduled to take place away from Pompey’s training base.
The match takes up the slot Pompey John Mousinho was anticipating filling, as he looks to keep his players up to speed across the new-look international break.
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The three-week pause to Championship football has presented new considerations for the Fratton football operation, as they look to balance rest with the need to keep players sharp ahead of a frantic return to action.
The Southampton game commences a period of five games across the space of 13 days culminating with Millwall coming to PO4 on October 24.
Chelsea will offer a decent test of Pompey’s credentials, with Mousinho set to field a strong team of the players he has at his disposal.
Their boss Xabi Alonso played similar games at their Cobham home against Bromley and Crawley last summer, with the Blues also familiar with their Surrey base.
Danny Cowley’s men went down to 2-0 loss there in 2021, with the impressive Malik Mothersille getting two late goals.
The following year Joe Pigott grabbed a hat-trick with Ronan Curtis also on the scoresheet in a 4-2 win, as Cowley sent a team including the likes of Sean Raggett, Connor Ogilvie, Clark Robertson. Reeco Hackett, Curtis, Josh Koroma, Owen Dale and Pigott into action.
Pompey were afforded some time off across the first week of the international break, but returned last Saturday and have been training as normal this week.
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The game will then precede a full week of work at their Hilsea base, before going to St Mary’s Stadium on October 11 for the noon kick-off.
Speaking about his considerations and a fitting a game, Mousinho said before the international break: ‘There’s a little bit of a balance between having a break and keeping them fit.
‘We’ll keep training through the break, that’s the most important thing. We'll do a lot of work which involves bigger pitches and even 11-a-sides to make sure we’re as close to full match fitness as possible.
‘We will come off it in the first week, but there’s only so many days you can have off before you need to get back training. So we’ll bear that in mind.
‘There’s also a couple of potential options for friendlies. We’ll possibly look at that for the second weekend.’