Team news

Same again for Pompey Portsmouth should be unchanged for the visit of Ipswich.

Midfielder David Norris is still recovering from a hernia operation, Luke Varney is building up his fitness after two months out with a knee injury and fellow striker Kanu has a back problem.

With such a small squad at his disposal, boss Michael Appleton is therefore set to stick with the side which drew 1-1 at Blackpool on Saturday.

Tal Ben Haim came through unscathed at Bloomfield Road after a hamstring problem and continues at right-back.

Youngster Adam Webster will be on the bench again after having an injection in a toe injury last week.

Defender Jason Pearce and midfielder Joel Ward will play against the club who tried to sign them in January.

Ipswich skipper Ibrahima Sonko will miss the trip having been ruled out for between two to four weeks with a dislocated rib.

The centre-back was forced off in Saturday's home clash against Middlesbrough, which was abandoned after just 37 minutes at Portman Road due to a frozen pitch.

Sonko's absence will finally force manager Paul Jewell into a change having kept faith with the same XI for victories over West Ham and Coventry as well as the weekend meeting with Boro.

Lee Bowyer will be assessed having returned to training last week following his groin injury, with the midfielder close to making his return to Jewell's matchday squad.

Portsmouth vs Ipswich

Last modified 22:02 14/02/12

Chopra strike wins it for Town Michael Chopra's first-half goal was enough to continue Ipswich's npower Championship revival and poured the misery on administration-bound Portsmouth.

The south-coast club applied to the High Court to enter administration earlier today and with a 10-point penalty imminent, a defeat was the last thing Michael Appleton's side needed.

But it was always on the cards as Ipswich were in charge throughout, although they could only manage one goal - a 13th-minute close-range finish from Chopra for his 11th goal of the season and fourth in the last three games.

They should have won by a far greater margin as Damien Delaney headed against the bar and Lee Martin hit the post but after a run of two wins in 16 games, Paul Jewell's side have won their last three and are now able to look up in the table.

For Portsmouth a fourth home defeat means that when they lose 10 points, they will be level with Nottingham Forest, who occupy the final place in the relegation zone.

All the attention before the game had been on off-field matters at Fratton Park, but things on the field got off to just as a bad start for Pompey as Ipswich were straight onto the attack.

First Delaney's header skimmed the bar inside the opening five minutes and the shots then came raining in on Stephen Henderson's goal, with the Pompey keeper almost spilling a Jay Emmanuel-Thomas effort from distance and then watching a Martin free-kick whizz just over the bar.

It was only going to be a matter of time until Ipswich took the lead and it came in the 13th minute.

Daryl Murphy headed on to the post and Chopra was in the right place to nudge home the rebound.

Pompey had been simply over-run by a vibrant Ipswich side, but they could have levelled out of the blue after 25 minutes when Marko Futacs capitalised on a defensive error and lashed in an effort which was deflected wide for a corner.

It was a rare moment of hope for Appleton's side as the Tractor Boys controlled the rest of the first half and Andy Drury could have extended their lead but Henderson did well to beat away his shot.

Despite a string of set-backs over the years, Portsmouth's support has never wavered and they were again out in force tonight, trying to lift their side.

But Ipswich remained in control and they should have doubled their lead midway through the second half but Martin shot over from Drury's cut-back, while Drury himself shot wide soon after.

Portsmouth did have the ball in the net after 72 minutes following Greg Halford's long throw, but referee Darren Deadman ruled that no one else had touched it.