Confidence is crucial to the fortunes of any football team. Stoke, on the back of two straight Premier League wins, one being the superb victory at Tottenham on Saturday, and unbeaten in five on the road have it. Portsmouth, rock bottom of the Premier League and with just one league win to their name all season, do not.

 
This week under the ownership of Saudi tycoon Ali Al-Faraj, there are green shoots showing for Pompey however, and their form in the League Cup this season is a manifestation of the current feeling of cautious optimism around Fratton Park. Their wins in the competition so far have both come against lower league opposition in Hereford and Carlisle, and former manager Tony Pulis and his Stoke side, who saw off Leyton Orient and Blackpool to progress to this stage, should prove a sterner test in the last sixteen tie tomorrow night.

As the priorities of both clubs this season lie very much in Premier League survival and consolidation, they are both more than likely to name a severely weakened side for the game, in order to keep key players fresh for the weekend’s league action. The most significant inclusion in Pulis’s side will be the hugely popular Mali international Mamady Sidibe. The target man, who has been ruled out since March after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury played an hour for the reserves last week, and is deemed fit enough to feature in the game. Turkish forward Tuncay, whose opportunities at Stoke have at yet been limited, should also be given the chance to prove his worth from the outset, while fringe players Michael Tonge, Tom Soares, Andy Griffin, Leon Cort and Danny Pugh should all play. After he excelled against Spurs at the weekend as a late stand-in, Pulis has hinted that he may rest his second choice ‘keeper Steve Simonsen, who usually plays in League Cup matches, and instead line up with regular number one Thomas Sorensen, who missed Saturday’s give through illness, at the heart of his side. Young centre midfield pairing Nathaniel Wedderburn and Diego Arismendi could also be given the nod.

The hosts will definitely be without Stoke-born defender Mike Williamson, midfielders Jamie O’Hara and Kevin-Prince Boateng and striker Tommy Smith, all of whom are cup-tied, while if selected in goal, David James would be making the 800th appearance of his 21 year club career.

Key Battles:

Frederic Piquionne v Leon Cort
Portsmouth’s French international striker Piquionne, born on the South Pacific island of New Caledonia will face up against Stoke centre back Leon Cort, born in South London. Cort has been on the bench for most of Stoke’s recent league games, and will look to show his first team credentials with a strong showing against Piquionne, who has failed to set the world alight this season at Pompey on loan from Lyon.

Michael Brown v Diego Arismendi
Portsmouth’s physical midfielder Brown should give Stoke’s Uruguayan youngster Arismendi a difficult night. These matches will be key to the 21-year old’s development as he adapts to the English game and pushes for more regular first team inclusion, his only previous competitive outing having come in the 4-3 win over Blackpool in the last round of the League Cup.

Younes Kaboul v Tuncay
Many Stoke fans are keen to see the skillful Tuncay given more time on the pitch in Premier League matches, and tomorrow night will provide the Turkey captain with the perfect chance to stake his claim to a more regular inclusion. On his nly previous start, against Blackpool, he set up two goals and won a penalty. A similar performance could make the night a long one for Portsmouth centre back Kaboul.

My Prediction:

Portsmouth 0-1 Stoke City: The Potters have been on a high of late, and I foresee this good form carrying into the game against struggling Pompey, with Tuncay netting the winner with his first goal in a Stoke shirt.

As all of Portsmouth’s key players look unlikely to play, the “Opposition’s Star Man” feature will not be included for this game.

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