Portsmouth v Sunderland preview

Grant: Up against it

PREDICTIONS:

Skysports.com prediction: 0-3

SKY BET odds: Portsmouth 7/5, Draw 9/4, Sunderland 19/10

One to Watch: Darren Bent

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Portsmouth will be desperate to give their survival hopes a shot in the arm against out-of-form Sunderland at Fratton Park.

Pompey are currently seven points adrift of fourth from bottom Bolton while the Black Cats have gone 11 league games without success.

Avram Grant's side have now taken just one point from their last six league games while their counterparts have picked up four points.

Portsmouth did beat Sunderland on home soil in January after John Utaka cancelled out Darren Bent's early opener for the visitors.

Pompey news

Portsmouth could be without Kevin-Prince Boateng and Anthony Vanden Borre for the visit of the Wearsiders.

Vanden Borre limped off during the second half of Pompey's 5-0 defeat against Manchester United on Saturday and his replacement, Boateng, was also unable to complete the match after suffering an ankle injury.

Steve Finnan could replace Vanden Borre at right-back if he is ruled out. Utaka (hamstring) may return but Papa Bouba Diop is still sidelined.

Sunderland news

Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks as manager Steve Bruce waits to discover the extent of his ankle injury.

The teenager, who was carried off during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Wigan, will miss the trip to Portsmouth as he prepares to undergo a scan on Thursday.

Bruce will also be without John Mensah (hamstring), Kieran Richardson (calf) and Anton Ferdinand (ankle) at Fratton Park as the Black Cats attempt to their poor league run without success.

Possible starting XIs:

Sunderland: Gordon, Hutton, Turner, Kilgallon, McCartney, Cattermole, Cana, Reid, Zenden, Bent, Jones.

Portsmouth: James, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Rocha, Belhadj, Basinas, O'Hara, Mokoena, Yebda, Piquionne, Utaka.