New signing Kieron Freeman cup-tied for Portsmouth
Portsmouth manager Paul Cook will have to wait to hand loan signing Kieron Freeman a Pompey debut, with the defender cup-tied for the FA Cup fourth round visit of Bournemouth on Saturday.
Freeman arrived on loan from Sheffield United until the end of the season on Thursday to provide competition for ever-present full-backs Ben Davies and Enda Stevens, but scored in the Blades' 3-0 first-round win over Worcester.
Midfielder Ben Close has featured in most of Portsmouth's cup ties this season and could come in to the side for Adam Barton or Michael Doyle, while leading scorer Conor Chaplin, Adam McGurk, and Christian Burgess are all pressing for recalls following the 1-0 home defeat against Oxford last weekend.
Danny Hollands, who remains sidelined with a broken leg, and goalkeeper Paul Jones are Cook's only long-term absentees.
Bournemouth will have captain Tommy Elphick back in the squad following his recovery from ankle surgery.
The defender has been out since mid-September, but could feature at Fratton Park having stepped up his recovery.
Midfielder Junior Stanislas is expected to be out for two weeks following a knee problem sustained in the Barclays Premier League match at Sunderland.
Cherries boss Eddie Howe is likely to rotate his squad, but forwards Callum Wilson and Max Gradel both continue their long-term rehabilitation.
Howe has warned his players risk getting dumped out of the FA Cup if their focus is not right at Fratton Park.
The Cherries now find themselves as a prized top-flight scalp following promotion last season.
Pompey have fallen down the divisions since establishing themselves in the Premier League under Harry Redknapp, winning the FA Cup in 2008.
Nevertheless, Howe knows full well what reception will await the Bournemouth players when they travel up the M27, having joined the Fratton Park club in March 2002 as Redknapp's first signing only to suffer a serious knee injury.
"The Fratton Park pitch is quite close to the stands there and the Portsmouth crowd really stick with their players, so if we don't start well, it will be difficult for us," Howe said.
"The mentality from when we arrive at the stadium will be key for us.
"We want to progress and coming into the third round now is still a new experience for us, a couple of wins and you are looking at the latter stages, so we will take it very seriously.
"The magic is there, if you want it to be, and the FA Cup can still be a huge competition in English football."
Current Pompey boss Paul Cook has taken his side up into the top six of Sky Bet League Two, and knocked Championship side Ipswich out in round three after a replay back at Fratton Park.
"They have been hugely impressive this season with a good work rate and Paul Cook has them well organised, they have every chance of going up," Howe said at a press conference, published on the club's official website.
"We know that away from home, in a cup tie, which is a derby, that we will have to be at our best to progress."
Howe was linked with the vacant Chelsea managerial position earlier this week, reportedly on a contingency short-list including Leicester's Claudio Ranieri, Mark Hughes at Stoke and Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino should Blues owner Roman Abramovich fail to land a big-name coach to permanently succeed Jose Mourinho in the summer
However, the 38-year-old says he has nothing else on his mind other than taking Bournemouth forwards.
He added: "My focus is here. I have heard about the story but you look at it and then it's forgotten. It's just gone, it doesn't mean anything so it's work, Portsmouth and making sure we progress in this cup competition.
"I always say - and this is for players and for me - it's nice when you get linked with other clubs or jobs because it means you're doing a good job where you are. I would take that every day of the week because it means that, hopefully, we are achieving our aim of staying in the Premier League."
Source: PAR
