‘Massive’: The huge Portsmouth boost for League One run-in with Bolton Wanderers, Derby County, Peterborough United & Co

The Blues skipper is set to return to the first-team fray against Forest Green tomorrow, after seven weeks out following knee surgery.

Pack has shown his importance to his side following a summer homecoming, after leaving Championship outfit Cardiff. Mousinho feels his presence can’t be underestimated with his side still harbouring ambitions of a late charge into play-off contention.

He said: ‘It’s been a massive boost to have Marlon around the place and out on the training pitch. He brings his experience and temperament, so it’s been good to have him back in full training this week. If all goes well and we tick all the physical boxes he’ll be available for selection. It’s just a massive boost to have him back for the run-in.’

Mousinho showed how he valued Pack, by quickly handing the Buckland boy the captain’s armband following his arrival as Danny Cowley’s successor in January.

The pair are acquainted after the midfielder’s spell on loan at Wycombe, early on in his career. The Pompey boss feels Pack gives his side many different qualities, which are a boost to their ambitions this term.

Mousinho added: ‘Take away his ability, because that’s obvious for everyone to see. I played with him as an 18-year-old on loan from Portsmouth. He played with a maturity then of someone much older, but he’s really developed that side of things. He’s turned into a leader, hence why one of the first obvious things for me to do was hand him the captain’s armband.

‘He’s got a great temperament and he really tries to help the younger players, his standards in everything he does is right up there, and I’m sure we’ll see that in terms of his comeback from this surgery in a relatively short space of time. He will make sure he puts the team first ahead of himself and is hungry and ready to go.’