Team News
Richard Hughes serves the first of his two match suspension after being sent off on Tuesday for abusing the referee. Steve Cotterill should bring back the likes of Kitson, Utaka and Rocha should the latter be passed fit after suffering from a knock.
Paulo Sousa is also set to make changes to the side that defeated Pompey on Tuesday. Martyn Waghorn and former Southampton player Matt Oakley should return but Yuki Abe and Vitor may keep their places after impressing last time out.
The Match
The Foxes may have won the battle, but they have not won the war yet. This game is far more important in the context of Championship survival and a 2-0 win for Pompey will see them leap struggling Leicester in the table.
Steve Cotterill has highlighted David Nugent's lack of goals as one of Pompey's biggest problems and I'm starting to think that if Nuge continues to miss then he'll be dropped from the team. So, he needs to score tomorrow instead of shooting straight at the 'keeper.
Despite our problems up front, I believe our chances in this match rest on the fitness of Ricardo Rocha. Our defence looks a different prospect with him in the side and Sonko out of it.
Leicester have the worst shots-to-goals ratio in the Championship apart from one team and there are no prizes for guessing which team that is. So don't be too surprised, given the way this season has gone so far, if the Foxes win 1-0 having only had one shot on target.
Liam Lawrence has said that there are no more excuses for not getting results now. The off-field drama has died down, the transfer window has been shut for a while and we can't keep blaming bad luck forever, so it's time to perform in front of the Sky cameras.
However, Leicester aren't our bogey team for no reason.
They stopped us becoming the first side in the 20th century from doing the League and Cup double, they hold our record defeat - a 10-0 thrashing in 1928, they beat us in the 1993 play-offs and we still couldn't beat them when we won the Championship in 2003, getting "doubled" by them the season after despite their relegation.
We have only beaten them once in the last 16 meetings but we need a win even more than they do tomorrow night. Hoodoos have to be laid to rest eventually.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Pompey
GK: Jamie ASHDOWN
RB: Joel WARD
CB: Aaron MOKOENA
CB: Ricardo ROCHA
LB: Carl DICKINSON
RM: Liam LAWRENCE
CM: Hayden MULLINS
CM: Michael BROWN
LM: John UTAKA
CF: David NUGENT
CF: Dave KITSON
Leicester
GK: Chris WEALE
RB: Robbie NEILSON
CB: Jack HOBBS
CB: VITOR
LB: Bruno BERNER
CM: Matt OAKLEY
CM: Yuki ABE
CM: Andy KING
RWF: Martyn WAGHORN
LWF: Lloyd DYER
CF: Steve HOWARD
Last Time: Portsmouth 1 Leicester City 2 (Carling Cup Third Round - 21/09/2010)
Given we only played them on Tuesday, you should remember what happened! The last two times we have played Leicester at Fratton Park in the league, we have lost 2-0 in the pouring rain.
My Prediction
We need to win but I can't see anything but another defeat against the team we just simply cannot beat. Expect us to lose to a 90th minute penalty or something...
Portsmouth 0 Leicester City 1