Man Utd vs. Portsmouth

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Saturday, 6 February 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

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic returned to training this week and could be in line for a recall.

Rio Ferdinand serves the second match of a four-game ban, while Owen Hargreaves and John O'Shea remain long-term absentees.

Portsmouth will again be without injured defender Herman Hreidarsson, while Michael Brown, Papa Bouba Diop and Tommy Smith are all doubtful.

New signing Ricardo Rocha was on the bench at Fulham and could feature.

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Man Utd

Suspended: Ferdinand (three matches)

Doubtful: Vidic (nerve in leg)

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

Portsmouth

Doubtful: Brown (back), Diop & Smith (both hamstring)

Injured: Hreidarsson (Achilles)

• MATCH PREVIEW

As Portsmouth's financial crisis rumbles on, Wayne Rooney and co will be hoping to cash in on the ongoing turmoil at the south coast club.

The latest twist in a season of upheaval at Fratton Park came this week with the news that Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai has become their fourth owner in six months.

On the pitch, Avram Grant's side remain rooted to the foot of the table after yet another defeat on Wednesday. They have picked up just one point from their last five Premier League outings and are five points adrift of second-from-bottom Burnley.

Pompey's trip to Old Trafford, just as Manchester United are beginning their familiar new year challenge for the Premier League title, could not have been timed any worse.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side are not only back in the title race, but they produced a performance against Arsenal which proves they should be taken seriously. And with Chelsea and the Gunners due to meet on Sunday, the visit of Pompey hands United an ideal opportunity to reclaim top spot.

• MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• These sides have met on 74 previous occasions. Man Utd have won 35 to Portsmouth's 20.

• United have won all six Premier League home games against Pompey, keeping five clean sheets and conceding just one goal.

• Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in 12 games against Portsmouth in the Premier League.

Man Utd

• United have taken 16 points from their last six games.

• They have conceded just one goal in their last seven Premier League games at Old Trafford.

• Paul Scholes is one strike away from joining Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney on 100 Premier League goals.

Portsmouth

• Portsmouth have won just one of their last eight league games (W1, D2, L5).

• Their total of 15 points after 23 games is Portsmouth's lowest-ever return at this stage of a Premier League season.

• Pompey have won just one of their last 25 Premier League matches away from home.

• LEADING GOALSCORERS

Man Utd

Rooney: 22 goals (20 league); Berbatov: 7 goals (7 league);
Owen: 7 goals (2 league)

Portsmouth

Piquionne: 6 goals (3 league); Dindane: 5 goals (4 league)

• MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Lee Mason

Assistant referees: Jake Collin & Paul Thompson

Fourth official: Jon Moss

• LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Man Utd (W3-1 v Arsenal, a): Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Jonathan Evans, Brown, Evra, Scholes (Giggs 71), Carrick, Fletcher, Nani (Berbatov 89), Rooney, Park (Valencia 87). Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Owen, Gibson, De Laet.

Portsmouth (L0-1 v Fulham, a): James, Finnan, Wilson, Ben-Haim, Belhadj, Yebda, Basinas (Owusu-Abeyie 82), Boateng, O'Hara, Dindane, Piquionne (Webber 62). Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Rocha, Mullins, Vanden Borre, Hughes.

• MOST RECENT MEETING

Portsmouth 1-4 Man Utd (28 November 2009)

Portsmouth scorer: Boateng 32 (pen)

Man Utd scorers: Rooney 25 (pen), 48, 54 (pen), Giggs 87

From BBC