Conor Chaplin has two assists in 22 games for Pompey this season.

John Mousinho is ‘hopeful’ that Conor Chaplin will continue with Pompey for the season.

And the head coach has expressed his wish to keep the 28-year-old for the critical championship run-in.

The attacker has been a constant presence for the Blues this season, making 22 appearances across all competitions.

Despite his struggles in front of goal, where he has yet to score in any of his previous appearances, Chaplin played a key role in Pompey’s opener against Watford on Wednesday evening. It was his second assist for his boyhood club since his comeback on deadline day in September.

Ipswich, of course, has a recall option in his season-long loan deal at Fratton Park, which was originally supposed to end last Friday.

The Tractor Boys decided to defer the subject for another week, with the new deadline set for today.

Chaplin was spotted arriving at Pompey’s Hilsea training facility this morning, as preparations for Sunday’s massive south-coast derby against Southampton began.

John Mousinho delivers an update on Conor Chaplin’s Pompey future.

With the forward’s recall clause ready to expire, Mousinho has confirmed that the Blues will speak with Kieran McKenna’s side about his future.

And the head coach remains optimistic about the issue, indicating that the loanee will be available for the rest of the season.

The Blues manager told BBC Radio Solent in his pre-Southampton press conference on Thursday lunchtime: ‘Today is the deadline; we’ll chat with Ipswich and see what they want to do.

‘I’m rather hopeful. Ipswich are really flying right now, and Conor would not hesitate to strengthen them. But Conor has played almost every minute of every game here, so at the minute for both teams.

‘He has already played for Ipswich, so he cannot play anywhere else.

‘If they want to enhance their own department heading into the finish of the season, that is up to them.

‘At the moment, I believe it would be a good option for him to stay.’

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Kieran McKenna discusses Conor Chaplin’s future.

McKenna, Ipswich’s manager, outlined the logic for Chaplin’s recall clause in the Pompey agreement, as well as why his team chose to extend the deadline.

Speaking to the media last week, the Tractor Boys head coach revealed that he expected the forward to stay at Fratton Park for the balance of his loan period.

Last Friday, he told TWTD that the recall has been extended and will now take place next week. The reality is that we currently have ten forwards in the building, and they are all fit, so Conor is likely to stay.

‘He’s playing week in and week out for Portsmouth, and they’re having a successful season, so I believe he’ll continue there for the rest of the season.

‘But, of course, you want to leave things as long as possible because, if the circumstance changes here or there for whatever reason, you always want to give the player as much time as possible to make a decision.

I believe the deadline is next week or something. The clubs communicated briefly this week, and he is very much in their plans for the time being, and they intend to keep him for the rest of the season. That is how things currently stand.