Portsmouth FC may have to deal with Brighton in January after Colby Bishop development | OneFootball

The return of Colby Bishop may see Brighton recall Mark O'Mahony.

Portsmouth fans will be feeling more positive about their chances of survival after they welcomed the return of Colby Bishop with a 3-1 win over Preston North End this past weekend.

Bishop, who had been sidelined since a routine pre-season heart scan uncovered a serious issue requiring surgery, made his comeback by scoring a late penalty to secure his side's third goal, with his return being a complete surprise up until the 2pm line-up announcements.

Many fans feel that given his goalscoring prowess in League One last season, Bishop has been the missing piece for John Mousinho's side, who have struggled to find the net on a regular basis this term.

His return could prove pivotal then, but as a knock-on effect, it could spell the end for Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Mark O'Mahony, who hasn't made the impact needed in Bishop's absence.

When Portsmouth signed O'Mahony on loan on the 28th of August, it seemed like a brilliant pickup. The striker had just bagged his first senior goal in an EFL Cup win over Crawley Town and had delivered ten goals in 11 Premier League 2 games for Brighton's under-21's in the previous season.

Furthermore, with the recent success of fellow Irish striker Evan Ferguson, despite his recent stall due to injuries, all signs suggested that Portsmouth had secured a promising deal, given his record in development squad football.

Unfortunately, O'Mahony hasn't had the desired impact in Bishop's absence, with the 19-year-old managing just two goals in eight appearances, and precious little impact either side of those strikes.

Those finishes came in successive games against Stoke City and Oxford United, but since then he has played just 191 minutes of football, suggesting Mousinho doesn't particularly trust him to lead the Pompey line.

This will disappoint Brighton, who would have sent O'Mahony to Fratton Park with a certain expectation of minutes in order for his development, like most Premier League clubs do with their youngsters.

If this expectation isn't met in the coming weeks, it wouldn't be surprising if Brighton decide to recall the youngster in January, allowing him to continue his development with their under-21's instead - he would not be able to play for a third club in 2024-25 due to FIFA regulations.

Colby Bishop return is going to push Mark O'Mahony down Portsmouth pecking order

While Brighton likely hoped for more regular starts for O'Mahony, it's hard to fault Portsmouth for bringing him in, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the length of Bishop's absence.

Had the former Accrington Stanley striker not made such a quick recovery, it is feasible that the Brighton man would have been afforded far more opportunities than he has been.

However, with Bishop's recovery still ongoing, Mousinho may choose to gradually reintegrate him gradually into the squad. This could present O'Mahony with a final opportunity to make an impression and earn more game-time.

Yet, once Bishop regains full fitness, he is almost certain to reclaim his role as the first-choice striker, given his impressive track record for Pompey.

Since arriving from Stanley in 2022, Bishop has been a key figure for the Portsmouth. In his first season, he was able to net 20 in 46 league appearances, and he followed that up with a crucial 21 goals in their promotion campaign.

But, it isn't just his goals that are important, with his link-up play often allowing Mousinho's side to play further up the pitch.

The hope will be that Bishop can be the catalyst and turn a miserable start to the season into a positive one for the south coast side.

For O'Mahony though, his best option should game-time not increase is a return to Brighton, where he can look to make an impact back at under-21 level before possibly heading out on loan again next season for a fresh chance at regular minutes.