Town boss Jim Magilton could name an unchanged side when Portsmouth visit Portman Road for Saturday's FA Cup third round tie. Skipper Jason De Vos and frontman Alan Lee are once again doubts.

De Vos suffered bruised ribs in last Saturday's game at Coventry but was OK to play in the West Brom match on New Year's Day and is expected to take his usual place at the centre of the defence.

Lee picked up an achilles problem in the Sky Blues game and was only on the bench for the victory over the Baggies. With the Championship Town's priority, it is likely that the Irishman will again be left out of the starting line-up.

Neil Alexander will continue in goal with David Wright on the left, Sito on the right and Alex Bruce joining De Vos in the centre. Richard Naylor is back in training after his slipped disc and could well be in the squad, although is unlikely to start.

Former Southampton player Magilton's main selection decision will come in midfield with Tommy Miller available again after his one-game suspension. However, after the impressive performance against West Brom, Owen Garvan and Gavin Williams are expected to keep their places.

The Town manager has confirmed that Liam Trotter will remain in the side, probably in the left midfield role he occupied on Wednesday. Danny Haynes is likely to keep his place on the right.

Up front, Pablo Couñago and Jon Walters will continue the partnership which caused West Brom's defence so many problems.

Town have a number of players cup-tied from loan spells earlier in the season. Matt Richards and George O'Callaghan both played for Brighton, while Jordan Rhodes scored his first career senior goals in Oxford United's 2-1 victory over Merthyr Tydfil in the competition's early stages.

Sammy Moore played for Brentford during his loan spell at Griffin Park, but Ian Miller was not involved in any cup ties during his time with Darlington. Both players' loan spells ended on New Year's Day.

Magilton, who is remaining silent on the identity of his second transfer target and is unlikely to have a new addition to his squad before Saturday, says he is someone who takes the FA Cup very seriously: "I am a big fan of the FA Cup and taking on a top Premier League side in front of our own fans is a challenge that I am relishing.

"Portsmouth are having a great season with a wonderful away record. They are where we want to be and the match will give us an indication of the standards required to be a success in the top flight.

"Harry Redknapp has done a terrific job and the game has all the ingredients of being a magnificent cup tie.

“Portsmouth are such a powerful force that they will have to have a bad day for us to make progress. And we will have to have a very good day - and a bit of luck.

“But we have shown against West Brom that we can stop good teams playing and we must be ready to capitalise if Pompey do tend to doze off at any stage.”

Portsmouth will be able to field their African Nations Cup-bound players - Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka (Nigeria), Sulley Muntari (Ghana) and Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal) — after chief executive Peter Storrie refused to give permission for them to join their national sides before Saturday: "They requested for them to go early, but we said no.

“We are required by FIFA to release the players 14 days before the tournament and these training camps exceed that.

"We have every right to decline their demands and that's what we have done. All four will now be available for the Ipswich tie. Their managers are probably not happy about it, but our priority is with the club and we want these players to remain here as long as possible."

The Premier League side could recall defender Noe Pamarot after a hamstring injury. Another former Spurs player, midfielder Pedro Mendes, is on the way back after a virus.

Midfielder Sean Davis is back in training after a foot injury, but is not expected to be involved against the Blues. Keeper Jamie Ashdown is sidelined with a shoulder problem, while defenders Martin Cranie (broken leg) and Linvoy Primus (knee surgery) are long-term absentees.

The two sides last met in an FA Cup tie at the same stage of the competition two years ago, Dario Silva netting the only goal in a Pompey victory at Portman Road. Prior to that, the previous clash between the sides was a 3-0 Town home league victory in April 2003 with Martijn Reuser, Tommy Miller and Pablo Couñago netting for the Blues. Pompey fans didn't mind too much as their side had already secured promotion to the Premier League.

Overall, Town have won 17 games against the Hampshire side, have drawn nine and have lost 10. The 2006 match is the only previous FA Cup tie between the two clubs.

The Blues have a poor record in the FA Cup in recent seasons with last year's 1-0 fifth round defeat at Watford ending Town's best run for 10 years. Jim Magilton will be looking for his side to beat a side from a higher division for the first time since the third round replay victory over then Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers in January 1996.

If Saturday's game ends in a draw, the replay at Fratton Park will be played on Wednesday, 16th January, kick-off 7.45pm.

Overseas Town fans can watch the game in various parts of the world including the USA (Fox Soccer Channel), Scandinavia (Viasat Sport 1), Greece (SuperSport 2), South Africa (SuperSport 3), Cyprus (Alfa TV) and Hungary (Sport 1).

TWTD issue 90 will be on sale from our sellers from 1pm. The fanzine includes an interview with skipper Jason De Vos, as well as the usual discussion of various Town issues, cartoons and poems but no recipes. If you can't make the game, a single copy or a six-issue subscription can be purchased here.

Saturday's referee is Premier League official Mark Halsey from Bolton, who has shown 56 yellow and two red cards in 23 games so far this season. Halsey's most recent Town match was the 2-1 home victory over Southampton at Portman Road last season in which he booked Alex Bruce, Gavin Williams and Simon Walton, as well as four Saints players.

Likely squad: Alexander, Supple, Wright, Sito, Harding, De Vos, Bruce, Naylor, Wilnis, Garvan, Williams, T Miller, Trotter, Haynes, Legwinski, Clarke, Walters, Couñago, Lee.

Photo: Action Images

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