Cook to rotate Pompey squad
Portsmouth boss Paul Cook has made no secret of his plans to launch a Sky Bet League Two title challenge, so is expected to rotate his squad to face Derby.
Despite the sizeable task of entertaining a Championship club, Cook could still leave out Kyle Bennett, Matt Tubbs and Nigel Atangana in Wednesday's Capital One Cup first-round tie.
Adam McGurk and Conor Chaplin may start for Portsmouth as Cook wants to keep his squad fresh for league commitments.
Michael Doyle captained the side to Saturday's 3-0 opening league victory over Dagenham and could feature again to boost continuity.
Derby midfielder Will Hughes will miss the game at Pompey as he has been sidelined for six months by a serious knee injury.
Hughes suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage during the Rams' goalless draw against Bolton on Saturday and is not expected to feature until February at the earliest.
In another blow for new Derby manager Paul Clement, midfielder Craig Bryson has been ruled out for two to four weeks with a knee injury he suffered at the Macron Stadium.
Jeff Hendrick and Ryan Shotton came on for Bryson and Hughes against Bolton and could feature in the cup.
Source: PAR
