PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 21 February Kick-off: 1500 GMT
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Stoke City will be without the suspended Rory Delap and Matthew Etherington, but striker Mamady Sidibe could return following a knee injury.
Stephen Kelly (hamstring) and Danny Higginbotham (calf) are doubts. On-loan striker Henri Camara could make his full debut.
Portsmouth have no fresh injury concerns ahead of their trip north.
Herman Hreidarsson (virus) is expected to be fit but Richard Hughes, Papa Diop and Armand Traore remain sidelined.
Stoke (from): Sorensen, Griffin, Wilkinson, Pugh, Shawcross, Sonko, Abdoulaye Faye, Amdy Faye, Kelly, Cresswell, Diao, Whelan, Camara, Beattie, Sidibe, Dickinson, Simonsen, Olofinjana, Lawrence, Kitson, Tonge.
Portsmouth (from): James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Davis, Mullins, Kranjcar, Nugent, Crouch, Basinas, Belhadj, Traore, Pamarot, Utaka, Kanu, Kaboul, Gekas, Begovic.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis:
"We have had too many red cards and we have Rory Delap and Matthew Etherington suspended for a few weeks now.
"We have to be more careful. We cannot afford to have anyone else suspended.
"We've talked about discipline, giving away silly free-kicks and picking up needless bookings, we have to improve."
Portsmouth caretaker manager Paul Hart:
"The players put down a benchmark with the way they grafted and defended against Manchester City.
"If they can maintain that work-rate and desire then we should be okay.
"Winning galvanises players and we have a big game next against Stoke. They'll have to be up for it as mentally and physically it'll be a tough challenge."
Make your Premier League predictions
BIG-MATCH FACTS
Two of the three clubs immediately above the relegation zone clash at the Britannia Stadium.
A clear three goal win for Stoke would see them leapfrogging Portsmouth; defeat could leave them one off the foot.
Caretaker boss Paul Hart takes Portsmouth to the North Midlands looking to build on last week's victory over Manchester City.
Tony Pulis welcomes the club to the Britannia Stadium he managed for 10 unhappy months in 2000.
Stoke have won one of 11 Premier League matches and Portsmouth have won one of 10. In each case the one club beaten was Manchester City.
Stoke are on the look out for a first top-flight victory over Portsmouth in 57 years, since their 2-0 triumph at the Victoria Ground on 29 March 1952. Stoke finished immediately above the drop zone that season at third bottom.
Distance between the clubs: 201 miles (323 kilometres)
CLUB FORM
STOKE CITY
Club stats
17th 24 points
Highest realistically achievable after Saturday's matches: 15th
Lowest could fall: 19th
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
1. Won one of 13 in all competitions.
2. Lost six of eight Premier League matches.
3. Bidding for the first back-to-back home wins in the highest league since Arsenal and West Brom where beaten at the Britannia Stadium on 1 and 22 November respectively.
4. Lost 11 of the 13 league games in which they've conceded the opening goal.
5. Scored just one goal in four home league games; against Manchester City.
6. Only Manchester United, Chelsea and Everton have taken maximum points away from the Potteries this season.
7. Scored only two first-half goals in 13 Premier League matches.
Fixtures
PORTSMOUTH
Club stats
15th 27 points
Highest realistically achievable after Saturday's matches: 11th
Lowest could fall: 16th
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
1. Last Saturday's victory over Manchester City followed four straight defeats in league and cup, and ended a nine-match winless league run when only two points out of 27 were accrued.
2. It was also their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches.
3. 11 points down on this corresponding stage last season, when ninth in the table.
4. Lost 10 of the 13 league matches in which the opposition have scored the opening goal.
5. Lost two of their 10 matches against clubs currently in the bottom-half; Newcastle and Bolton.
6. Need to score three more goals to total 250 in the Premier League, and two goals shy of conceding 300.
7. Only registered one victory in eight away (all competitions); 0-2, against Bristol City in a third round replay in the FA Cup on 13 January.
8. Winless in six away league games; the 1-2 triumph over Sunderland on 8 November is their only victory in 10 on the road, and just their second of the season.
9. Not lost to a promoted club this season; beat Stoke, drew home to Hull and away to West Brom.
10. The 0-1 defeat to Aston Villa on 27 January was their first loss in 12 Premier League matches against Midlands clubs. Won two and lost four of their last six top-flight matches in the Midlands, and Aston Villa's 1-0 home victory on 4 March 2006.
Fixtures
KEY PLAYER NOTES
STOKE CITY
Squad profiles
Ricardo FULLER is the club's top Premier League scorer with six goals.
If selected:-
Amdy FAYE will be coming up against the club he first played for in England. The 31 year old Senegal international made 52 appearances (47 in the league) for Pompey between August 2003 and January 2005.
Andy GRIFFIN will come up against familiar faces. The 29 year old defender attempted to keep the opposition at bay in 49 appearances (44 in the league) for Pompey from May 2004 to August 2007.
Vincent PERICARD will oppose the club he joined from Juventus in June 2002. In three years at Fratton Park, the 26 year old French forward made 49 appearances (44 in the league) and scored 10 goals (nine league) before his move to the Britannia Stadium in June 2006.
Salif DIAO will be facing the club he was on loan to for a year from August 2005.
If on the field from the outset:-
Dave KITSON will be making his 250th club career start (Cambridge United, Reading and Stoke).
Suspended:-
Matthew ETHERINGTON (three matches)
Rory DELAP (two matches)
PORTSMOUTH
Squad profiles
Sylvain DISTIN and David JAMES are the only remaining players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Portsmouth's Premier League matches this season.
Peter CROUCH is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool and Portsmouth).
If selected:-
JAMES will be extending the Premier League appearance record to 537. He broke Gary Speed's long standing record when he kept goal against Manchester City last Saturday.
HEAD TO HEAD
Stoke have not beaten Portsmouth since a 2-1 home win in the second tier on 11 April 1998.
Pompey are aiming to do the double over Stoke for the first time since the 1950-51 top-flight season.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Stoke 19 wins, Portsmouth 25, Draws 13
Prem: Stoke 0 wins, Portsmouth 1, Draws 0
at Stoke only
League (inc PL): Stoke 15 wins, Portsmouth 8, Draws 5
Prem: Stoke 0 wins, Portsmouth 0, Draws 0
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Portsmouth 2-1 Stoke City
5 October 2008 - Ref: Andre Marriner
Portsmouth scorers: Crouch 25, Defoe 51
Stoke scorer: Fuller 48
REFEREE
Mike Jones (Cheshire)
