Many Pompey fans were left kicking their heels last weekend, without a game to attend.
The international break saw a scheduled League One trip to Oxford postponed, with just two fixtures going ahead in the entire division.
John Mousinho admitted that he certainly missed the experience of standing in the dug-out to direct his side.
But Pompey made the most of their gap between games by resting up before an intense period on the training pitches to prepare for facing Blackpool on Saturday.
The Blues boss said: “It’s nice to have a break sometimes and useful to get some work into the lads, although you do miss the football.
“So everyone’s looking forward to the fixture this weekend – and those we’ve got coming up in a hectic schedule.
“After giving the boys a few days off, we’ve been able to get in some solid training blocks and are really well prepared.
“Blackpool have welcomed some key players back into the fold and had a pretty comfortable victory over Shrewsbury last week.
“They’ve been competing well even when results haven’t been there and they’re a well-coached side, so we expect a tough game.
"It’s nice to have a break sometimes and useful to get some work into the lads, although you do miss the football."
“Neil Critchley has got them promoted out of this league, so there are plenty of threats to be aware of and we’ll have to be at our best.
“Owen Dale is one of them and I enjoyed working with him last season. His work-rate was right up there and we know he has some real quality.”
Pompey will almost certainly be without Paddy Lane against the Seasiders, while Mousinho provided an update on the other players currently receiving treatment.
He said: “Paddy pulled out of the Northern Ireland squad with a calf injury and so it’s unlikely he’ll feature.
“Anthony Scully is out on the grass again and with no negative reaction – that’s a real positive for him and us.
“Marlon Pack is back in full training. He was available for Charlton, but we just felt it was a couple of days too soon and didn’t want to take any risks.
“Tom Lowery has been participating in about 75 per cent of the sessions and we’re happy he’s made the step up. He’s probably a couple of weeks away now.
“Regan Poole is set for surgery next week because the stronger you are going into an ACL reconstruction, the better you’ll be after it.
“Tino Anjorin is back with Chelsea and we’re looking at eight-plus weeks out for him, while Connor Ogilvie had a slight reaction to some injections, so it’s taking a bit longer than expected.”