Portsmouth v Palace

Fratton Park, Saturday 3.00pm

Crystal Palace

Team news

Bruce will have a few dilemmas ahead of the game against Pompey. Aki Riihilahti is likely to come back to the starting line up however at the expense of who is the question. David Hopkin is to have a fitness test on his ankle injury, which, if the results are positive could see him take a place on the bench. Gregg Berhalter should once again start in defence even though he was substituted at Goodison Park after taking a knock in the second half.

Portsmouth have started the season pretty well with 3 wins, 3 draws, and only 1 loss to account for. Manager Graham Rix has few injury worries ahead of the game against on Saturday. Danish midfielder Thomas Thogersen has not pulled on a first team shirt since injuring himself in the goal less draw at Sheffield Wednesday last March, however on Wednesday night he played a full 90 minutes for the Pompey reserve side, although he is unlikely to play on Saturday with Garry Brady, Gary O'Neil, Tom Curtis, Stefani Miglioranzi, Michael Panopoulos, Shaun Derry, Frenchman Uliano Courville all battling for places in a very full Portsmouth midfield, of which Prosinecki is proving to be a star.

One player who will definitely not be making an appearance against Palace is inspirational central defender Darren Moore who completed his £750,000 move to West Brom on Thursday following weeks of behind the scenes negotiations.

Portsmouth - league stats

Full league table

Portsmouth - current form

Full form table

Our away record v Portsmouth

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
02/05/2001	League	Portsmouth	2 - 4	Crystal Palace
21/10/2000	League	Crystal Palace	2 - 3	Portsmouth
30/10/1999	League	Portsmouth	3 - 1	Crystal Palace
02/10/1999	League	Crystal Palace	4 - 0	Portsmouth
13/03/1999	League	Portsmouth	1 - 1	Crystal Palace

All time results

One to watch

Peter Crouch

The giraffe who caused so many problems for relegated QPR last year has started the season off in amazing form for his new club. Signed for £1.5m in the close season, the gangly forward has shown why Rix splashed the money on him with fine displays not only in the air, but on the ground as well, showing his ball skills. The Palace defense will have to be very tight to wipe out his threat along with his partner Mark Burchill.

Last meeting

English Division 1

Portsmouth 2 (1) Mills 45 Tiler 87

C Palace 4 (3) Forssell 18 Riihilahti 25 Freedman 45, 51

02-05-2001

Portsmouth: Flahavan, Primus, Hiley, Tiler, Waterman (Panopoulos, 54), Harper, O'Neil, Sharpe, Vincent, Mills (Nightingale, 54), Bradbury Subs not used: Tardif, Crowe, Lovell

Palace: Kolinko, Mullins, Berhalter, Austin, Smith, Thomson, Carlisle ( Evans, 88), Riihilahti, Morrison, Freedman, Forssell Subs not used: Gregg, Black, Hankin, Harrison

Bookings: None

Attendance: 19013

Referee: P R Richards

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