No new faces in the Fulham starting line-up at Fratton Park today. It’s the same team that beat FK Vetra in the Europa League the other week. I always thought that Zoltan Gera was likely to start but in place of rather than as well as Clint Dempsey, who must be suffering from the demands of playing for the USA in Mexico this week.
Portsmouth are without Anthony Vanden Borre, who didn’t get international clearance in time to place, Hermainn Hreidarsson and Steve Finnan – the latter pair were ruled out with hamstring injuries. Paul Hart hands Frederic Piquionne, the striker who scored two goals in a win over Rangers, and ex-Blackburn midfielder Aaron Mokoena their Pompey debuts.
PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): James; Wilson, Belhadj, Kaboul, Distin; Mullins, Mokoena, Diop, Kranjcar; Piquionne, Utaka. Subs: Begovic, Ward, Basinas, Hughes, Ritchie, Nugent, Kanu.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Pantsil, Konchesky, Hughes, Hangeland; Etuhu, Murphy, Gera, Dempsey; Zamora, A. Johnson. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Kelly, Baird, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Nevland, Kamara, Riise.
