Portsmouth vs. Man Utd

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Fratton Park Date: Saturday, 28 November 2009 Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day

• TEAM NEWS

Portsmouth are expected to name Jamie Ashdown in goal in place of the injured David James.

Asmir Begovic has been recalled from Ipswich to provide further cover, while Papa Bouba Diop, John Utaka and Steve Finnan are all battling to be fit.

Man Utd are waiting for news on the fitness of Dimitar Berbatov (knee), Johnny Evans (calf) and Fabio (groin).

But defenders Rio Ferdinand (back) and John O'Shea (ankle) look certain to miss out.

---

Portsmouth

Doubtful: Bouba Diop (hamstring), Finnan (groin), Utaka (thigh)

Injured: James (calf), Primus (ankle)

Man Utd

Doubtful: Berbatov (knee), Evans (calf), Fabio (groin)

Injured: Ferdinand (calf), Hargreaves (knee), O'Shea (thigh)

• MATCH PREVIEW

Portsmouth's season of turmoil took its latest twist this week with the abrupt sacking of manager Paul Hart and the appointment of former Chelsea coach Avram Grant.

The 54-year-old Israeli will take charge of Saturday's home game against Manchester United in his current role of Pompey's director of football. However, the club will then apply to the Football Association to change his status to manager.

Grant inherits a side who are three points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table after 10 defeats in 13 games. Ownership uncertainty, crippling debts and a transfer embargo have all added to the instability at the beleaguered club this season.

The irony that it is United who provide the opposition on Saturday will not be lost on Grant. They were also the first opponents when he took charge at Stamford Bridge in September 2007 and the final team he faced as Chelsea head coach the following May: he was sacked following the defeat on penalties to Sir Alex Ferguson's team in the Champions League final.

United must pick themselves up from a midweek defeat to Turkish champions Besiktas, a result that ended the Old Trafford club's 23-match unbeaten home run in the Champions League. They must do so without Ferguson in the dugout as the United boss begins his two match touchline ban.

Meanwhile, in a week that has summed up the mess Portsmouth are in, the city was ruled out of the race to be a potential host for games in the 2018 World Cup after the local council refused to provide financial guarantees.

• MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• These sides have met on 73 previous occasions. Man Utd have won 34 to Portsmouth's 20.

• United have only enjoyed two victories at Fratton Park in the Premier League era (out of six visits).

• Portsmouth have failed to score in their last three Premier League games against Man Utd.

Portsmouth

• Portsmouth have been rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table since August.

• The south coast club have the least effective attack in the division, scoring just 10 goals in their 13 games.

• One booking from a ban: Aaron Mokoena (four yellow cards so far).

Man Utd

• United have lost their last two away trips in the Premier League (against Chelsea and Liverpool). They have not lost three in a row since New Year's Day 1996.

• They are targeting their 2,000th league victory.

• Ryan Giggs will be hoping to score his 100th Premier League goal on the eve of his 36th birthday (date of birth: 29 November 1973). Paul Scholes is on 98 Premier League goals.

• United are the only team in the Premier League who have not dropped any points from a winning position in the league this season.

• LEADING GOALSCORERS

Portsmouth

Dindane: 4 goals (3 league); Piquionne: 4 goals (1 league)

Man Utd

Rooney: 8 goals (7 league); Berbatov: 4 goals (4 league); Owen: 4 (2 league)

• MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mike Dean

Assistant referees: Simon Beck & Richard West

Fourth official: Stuart Attwell

• LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Portsmouth (L0-1 v Stoke, a): Portsmouth: Ashdown, Ben-Haim, Kaboul, Wilson, Hreidarsson, Brown, Mullins (Webber 80), O'Hara, Boateng, Kanu, Dindane (Piquionne 73). Subs Not Used: Niemi, Williamson, Vanden Borre, Smith, Hughes.

Man Utd (W3-0 v Everton, h): Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva (Scholes 63), Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick (Gibson 83), Giggs, Rooney, Owen (Obertan 74). Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Anderson, Welbeck, De Laet.

• MOST RECENT MEETING

Man Utd 2-0 Portsmouth (22 April 2009)

Man Utd scorers: Rooney 9, Carrick 82

From BBC