West Ham v Portsmouth

West Ham United

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• Defender Daniel Gabbidon could miss the Christmas period with a hamstring problem.
• Leading scorer Carlton Cole is out until next year because of a knee injury.
• Midfielder Valon Behrami is still to return to full fitness after knee surgery.
• Midfielder Kieron Dyer is out until the start of next month with a hamstring injury.
• Zavon Hines is also out with a knee injury that could need an operation.
• The Hammers have beaten Portsmouth only once in their last eight meetings
• Gianfranco Zola’s side hasn‘t kept a clean sheet in their last 15 games.

Portsmouth

• Goalkeeper David James hopes to return after a calf injury and virus.
• Striker Frederic Piquionne is bidding to score in his third successive game.
• Piquionne became the first Pompey striker to score away from home in nine months at Chelsea last week.
• Portsmouth have taken ten points out of 12 from their last four trips to Upton Park.

• Avram Grant’s side has won just once on the road in nine matches this season.
• Pompey have scored only five goals in nine away fixtures this term, the second worst in the Premier League.

Expert Advice

West Ham and Portsmouth may be the Premier League’s bottom two teams but they certainly didn’t play like that last weekend, as Liverpool and Chelsea will testify. It’s been a struggle on the most part for both teams this season but there are signs that both could still lift themselves clear of a relegation fight. Keeping defender Matthew Upson fit and at the club looks key for the home side but scoring goals is still a problem without star striker Carlton Cole. For Pompey, Frederic Piquionne has finally discovered his shooting boots and the visitors will arrive at Upton Park quietly confident that they can extend their impressive record in the East End. It appears a tight game to call, though, so Betsson’s price of 1.74 for there to be under 2.5 goals looks a sound bet.

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