Portsmouth vs Blackburn: Barclays Premier League preview
Published 11:08 28/11/08 By By Mirror.co.uk
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Portsmouth team news
Striker Jermain Defoe (calf) and midfielder Niko Kranjcar (ankle) have both returned to full training after being given the all-clear over possible surgery fears and are back in contention for places in the Portsmouth team on Sunday.
David Nugent is also available and he may be needed after Kanu picked up a groin injury against AC Milan.
Midfielder Lassana Diarra (ankle) and winger John Utaka (hip) are still sidelined.
Skipper Sol Campbell (toe) is likely to miss out again.
Provisional squad : James; Johnson, Kaboul, Distin, Belhadj, Little, Diop, Davis, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe, A Traore, Kanu, Pamarot, Hughes, Mvuemba, Nugent, Thomas, Hreidarsson, Ashdown.
Blackburn team news
Defender Martin Olsson is suspended for the match at Portsmouth after his sending-off at Tottenham last weekend. However, Stephen Warnock, who has played most of this season in central midfield, will slot in at left-back in Olsson's place after returning from a one-match ban. Vince Grella (calf) is likely to remain sidelined along with long-term absentees David Dunn (Achilles) and Steven Reid (knee).
Provisional squad : Robinson, Brown, Simpson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Emerton, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Mokoena, Andrews, Tugay, Treacy, Pedersen, Roberts, Derbyshire, Villanueva, Santa Cruz, Fowler, McCarthy.
The New Football Pools Pundits' Predictions:
John Barnes: Home win
Tony Cascarino: Home win
Graham Poll: Home win
Opta Match Facts
Jermain Defoe has scored five Premier League goals against Blackburn - only against Charlton has he been more prolific.
All three meetings between these two sides last season (league & FA Cup) were away wins by a one-goal margin.
Only one of the 10 Premier League games between Pompey and Rovers has ended as a draw.
Seven of the nine victories have been by a one-goal margin.
Blackburn have now gone eight games without a win - equalling the longest run without a victory this season held by Spurs.
Roque Santa Cruz scored the only goal of this game last season.
Sylvain Distin is the only outfield player from either of these sides to have played in every minute of every game this season.
Seven of Blackburn's last 11 Premier League away wins have been 2-1.
Since Tony Adams was appointed Pompey manager, these two sides have managed only one win between them in 12 games.
The last England match that both Adams and Paul Ince appeared in was England's 3-2 defeat in the first game of Euro 2000.
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