John Mousinho has no concerns over Matt Ritchie negotiating the relentless run of fixtures Pompey are about to embark on.
The Blues boss believes the Gosport favourite has shown he can take on the testing period of games ahead, after coming into the heart of his side’s Championship campaign.
Mousinho’s side enter the Christmas period against Coventry City this weekend, facing a run of five games across 16 days – culminating with the longest trip of the season to Sunderland on January 5.
That forms part of a whopping run of 12 games in 43 days through to the home meeting with Burnley on February 1 – with rearranged meetings with Millwall and Blackburn accommodated next month.
Ritchie has now found himself as a central figure in his team’s season following his summer arrival from Newcastle.
With the 35-year-old building fitness, he started just one of the first 13 games this term – but has now started each of the past seven fixtures.
Ritchie’s form has impressed in that time as has his levels of graft, despite now being firmly in the veteran category.
He looked jaded at Derby last week at the end of three games in seven days, though there were no players emerging from the 4-0 battering at Pride Park with any credit.
Mousinho has made it clear he has no qualms about the left footer continuing to feature across a run which will see fixtures arrive every three-and-a-half days for a lengthy period.
He said: ‘The proof’s in the pudding with Matty.
‘When he made his second start against Hull, we were maybe thinking he won’t play again at Plymouth.
‘But his physical output was really good going into that game and then he started again at the weekend.
‘So he’s done the three-game weeks and I’m not concerned about that (the run of games).
‘We’ve managed his minutes but I’ve got no concerns about Matty, because he’s a top professional and he does everything right off the pitch and gives himself the best chance of performing to a much younger age than he actually is.’
