Saints quartet sit out Pompey tussle

Defenders Fonte, Seaborne and Otsemebor and winger Puncheon are all cup-tied so Wayne Thomas, Chris Perry and Radhi Jaidi come in at the back and Michail Antonio should start on the flank in the fifth-round tie against Pompey at St Mary's. A fifth new recruit, striker Lee Barnard, is available and returns to the squad having been ineligible for the midweek Johnstone's Paint Trophy win over MK Dons. Manager Alan Pardew will check on forward David Connolly, who has been out since December with a niggling groin injury but is close to returning. Veteran full-back Graeme Murty remains on the sidelines with ankle ligament damage.