Portsmouth winger Josh Murphy faces approximately eight weeks on the sidelines after the club decided he should undergo surgery on a persistent groin problem, head coach John Mousinho has confirmed.

The 31-year-old limped off during Pompey's 3-1 victory over Lincoln on 22 August and has since had an operation in an attempt to resolve the issue once and for all. If the timeframe holds, Murphy is not expected back until late October.

A recurring problem finally addressed

Murphy had only just returned to match fitness having barely featured in pre-season, with Mousinho acknowledging the winger had endured an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign even before this latest setback. The decision to operate, rather than manage the problem conservatively, signals the club's view that surgery offers the most reliable route to a full recovery.

"We've got a little bit more clarity on Josh's situation now," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. "We decided at the back end of last week that there were a couple of procedures that Josh had to undergo to finally clear up a couple of issues he was having."

"We expect Josh to be out for about eight weeks altogether. We are extremely hopeful that this is going to be the end of some of the issues that he's had. We took the decision to get him in a good spot physically. He'll hopefully be in a good spot to compete for the rest of the season. I'm really positive there is light at the end of the tunnel."

That is, largely, press-release language from a head coach managing a difficult message. But Mousinho's underlying point is straightforward: Portsmouth believe a clean surgical fix is preferable to another cycle of breakdown and return.

What it means for Portsmouth's season

Murphy joined Portsmouth from Oxford in the summer of 2024 and has accumulated 60 appearances for the club, contributing seven goals and 20 assists. That creative output makes him a meaningful absence for a side still finding their feet in the Championship after winning promotion.

He had featured in two of Portsmouth's opening three Championship matches before the injury at Lincoln intervened, which means the squad will now have to cover his role on the flank for the best part of two months. Mousinho's options out wide will come under scrutiny in the weeks ahead, particularly as the fixture list gathers pace through September and October.

Portsmouth's next outing is a Tuesday night home fixture against Derby County at Fratton Park, a game that will now proceed without Murphy in contention. Derby, like Pompey, are a club finding their way in the second tier, so the match carries genuine mid-table significance at an early but not unimportant stage of the campaign.

The bigger picture

Injury management in the Championship is, inevitably, a numbers game. Squads that stay relatively fit tend to accumulate points; those that suffer repeated absences in the same positions find momentum difficult to build. Murphy's groin has been a recurring concern, and the club will be hoping that operating now, even at the cost of eight weeks, delivers a more reliable player for the long run.

Mousinho has spoken previously about the need for Portsmouth to improve quickly, and losing a wide player of Murphy's experience for two months does little to simplify that task. Whether the surgery proves as definitive as the head coach hopes will only become clear when the winger returns to training and, ultimately, to the pitch.

Frequently asked

How long is Josh Murphy out for Portsmouth?
Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho has said Murphy faces around eight weeks out following groin surgery, putting his return in late October.
What injury has Josh Murphy had?
Murphy has been suffering from a groin problem. He went off during Portsmouth's win over Lincoln in August and subsequently had an operation to try to resolve the issue.
When is Josh Murphy expected to return for Portsmouth?
Based on the eight-week timeframe given by Mousinho, Murphy is expected to be back in contention around late October 2025.