Troubled Pompey target morale-boosting win over Black Cats

Portsmouth

• Loan striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie is in line to make his full debut.
• Aruna Dindane is expected to return alongside him attack.
• Portsmouth are unbeaten in their last five games against Sunderland.
• Pompey beat Sunderland 2-1 in the FA Cup at Fratton Park last month.

• Midfielders Michael Brown and Papa Bouba Diop are struggling to overcome back and hamstring problems.
• Hermann Hreidarsson and Tommy Smith are also injury doubts.
• Nigerian Kanu is still expected to be missing after African Cup of Nations duty.
• Pompey have won only one of their last nine league fixtures.
• Avram Grant’s side is seven points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Sunderland

• Phil Bardsley is hoping to start after returning to full fitness.
• Leading scorer Darren Bent scored when the two teams drew 1-1 in the league in December.
• The Black Cats are hopeful Jordan Henderson can overcome an ankle injury to feature.

• Defender John Mensah faces a fitness test on a hamstring problem.
• Sunderland have failed to win in their last 11 Premier League fixtures.
• The Black Cats have won only one of their last 22 away matches.
• Anton Ferdinand is still sidelined by ankle trouble.
• Sunderland have kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 games.

Expert Advice

Bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth appear to be slipping closer and closer to relegation with every week that passes but the troubled club won’t get too many better chances of boosting their morale than against Sunderland. Steve Bruce’s side has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous this season and arrive at Fratton Park in desperate need of a win themselves if they are to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle that just didn’t seem possible three months ago. The Black Cats appear to have developed some sort of mental block on the road and face a Pompey side who have already beaten them once at home this season. A second win may seem fanciful but Avram Grant’s team have enjoyed a good recent run against Sunderland and that could continue here, with a home by one goal at Betsson’s odds of 4.05 looking a value bet.

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