Pompey Preview and Pre-Match Quotes

50/50
By Matthew Jones
October 1 2005

Kieron Dyer will make a return to the Newcastle United squad today, although is still only 50/50. Emre and Solano are still out of action, and should return after the international break...

Portsmouth v Newcastle

Venue: Fratton Park
Date: Saturday, 1 October
Kick-off: 1500 BST

Ref: Steve Bennett
Radio: BBC Radio Five Live

Kieron Dyer will make a return to the Newcastle United squad today, although is still only 50/50. Emre and Solano are still out of action, and should return after the international break.

Former Toon duo Laurent Robert and Lomana LuaLua will miss out on the tie due to a contractual reason and illness (malaria) respectively.

Pompey midfielder Gary O'Neil is expected to shake off a leg injury in time for today’s 3pm KO, while Zvonimir Vukic is unlikely to play for the home side, despite being back in training.

Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin: "We need points for the team, supporters and club as a whole.

"Newcastle have Alan Shearer and Michael Owen and will be a handful but we have to put our minds on the job in hand and try to get something from it.

"We've put a lot of emphasis on players getting in on the end of crosses as our problem has been scoring goals."

Speaking to Newcastle World TV, Toon Boss Graeme Souness said: "We will see the ex-players there and I will shake hands with them if I get the opportunity, but for the 90 minutes of the game I'll not be wishing them too much luck.

“Whoever plays for Portsmouth will be a threat. We'll give them the utmost respect and we have to match their effort.

"The last time we went into one of these breaks, we'd just lost a game against Manchester United, and I don't want that same taste again for two weeks after Saturday.

Souness (on the return of Steven Taylor) added: "Young Tayls has done nothing wrong this season when he's been on the pitch.

"He gives us a headache in that sense by coming back."

Portsmouth (from): Ashdown, Priske, Stefanovic, O'Brien, Vignal, Taylor, Hughes, Diao, O'Neil, Silva, Karadas, Todorov, Westerveld, Griffin, Skopelitis, Songo'o.

Newcastle (from): Given, Carr, Babayaro, Bramble, Boumsong, Taylor, Bowyer, Clark, Dyer, Parker, N'Zogbia, Shearer, Owen, Ameobi, Faye, Harper, Elliott.