Pompey return to action after the international break by making the long trip north to Blackburn on Saturday (3pm kick-off). And they do so on the back of a first home victory of the season, with Preston beaten on the south coast a fortnight earlier. Their next opponents should also be in confident mood, however, as they were 3-1 victors on the road at Cardiff on the same day. Andreas Weimann's brace and a Lewis Baker finish ensured Rovers took a maximum haul home with them from south Wales. The result leaves John Eustace's men sitting ninth in the Championship standings and three points adrift of the play-off places. It also brought to an end a couple of worrying runs – with the side having lost their previous three fixtures and not scored in the past four. Fans will be hoping for an improvement on last term, when they ended up in 19th position and only three points clear of the drop zone. This will be the first meeting between between the clubs since both were in League One during the 2017/18 campaign. Blackburn won both contests that season, including a 3-0 success at Ewood Park, on their way to securing automatic promotion. TEAM NEWS Jacob Farrell (knee), Conor Shaughnessy (calf), Zak Swanson (heel) and Jordan Williams (hamstring) remain sidelined for Pompey. Ibane Bowat is set to miss the the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, but Colby Bishop could feature after making a surprise appearance from the bench against Preston following his summer heart surgery. The visitors are without Arnór Sigurðsson (calf), while Balázs Tóth (ankle) is a doubt, although Owen Beck and Amario Cozier-Duberry are available again following spells out. VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM Read the thoughts of John Mousinho and Regan Poole ahead of the big game. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Pompey: 26 wins Blackburn: 40 wins 24 draws At Ewood Park Pompey: 8 wins Blackburn: 26 wins 10 draws Last Away Meeting Blackburn 3 (Dack, Graham, Conway) Pompey 0 League One October 21 2017 TICKETS Pompey are no longer selling tickets for this fixture and they are not available to purchase at Blackburn on the day of the game. Click here to read guides to visiting Ewood Park that has been produced by the home club. Please note that cash is not accepted in the stadium kiosks. OFFICIALS Referee: Farai Hallam Assistants: Mark Stevens and Matthew McGrath Fourth Official: James Bell Hallam last took charge of Pompey for their 5-1 EFL Trophy victory over Gillingham at Fratton Park in October last season, showing a yellow card to Ryley Towler and three visiting players. MATCH COVERAGE Supporters based overseas can watch the game on Pompey+, either through a monthly/annual subscription or by purchasing a match pass. The pre-match show is live before the game for Pompey+ subscribers and overseas fans with a video subscription/match pass. George Wedlake and the team will be presenting from the Fratton Park studio. Fans can get involved by sending messages and voicenotes to our Pompey+ WhatsApp channel* on +44 7457 413694 or via this link. Please note that the half-time and post-match shows are only available to watch for fans in regions where the game is being shown live on Pompey+. Audio commentary from Andrew Moon and Guy Whittingham is available for Pompey+ subscribers or those who purchase an audio subscription/match pass. Click here for more details about using Pompey+, including the answers to some frequently asked questions. Locally-based fans who are not going to the game can listen as always via BBC Radio Solent or Express FM (not available online). *Please note that the WhatsApp service is only for sending messages to appear on the matchday show. The club will not be able to reply to any messages.
I was strongly considering getting tickets for this as I have nothing to do today bur I decided against it because I'd the weather forecast, and also I don't trust Avanti Worst Coast. Apparently there's a pitch inspection so maybe it was a right call Instead I'm going to spec savers for an eye test this afternoon. What an exciting life I lead.
Excuses! Still gotta do your job and post the starting line ups!! While I have made many terrible life choices, my decision not to buy a Blackburn ticket wasn't one of them at least
My bad life choice was setting the alarm for 2 in the morning and getting up expecting to watch the match!!
Given it's on a Sunday your time, why don't you just stay up late on Saturday and lie in late on Sunday?
A new date has been arranged for Pompey’s Championship visit to Blackburn. The sides were due to meet last Saturday, but the contest was postponed after heavy rain made the pitch unplayable. John Mousinho’s men will now make the trip to Ewood Park on Wednesday, January 15 (7.45pm kick-off). Tickets bought for the original fixture remain valid for the new date. Ticket holders who cannot now attend the game and wish to secure a refund should click here to fill out an online form by 11.59pm on Sunday, December 15.
