Portsmouth v Villa preview

Grant expected to remain focused on cup run as O'Neill's men visit

Last updated: 1st December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Portsmouth v Villa preview

Grant: Man on a mission

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In 2007/08 Avram Grant was managing Chelsea as a Premier League and UEFA Champions League double proved just out of reach, but now the new Portsmouth boss will want a Carling Cup win over Aston Villa to distract from a relegation battle.

Pompey welcome Villa to Fratton Park in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night with their recently appointed Israeli chief hoping to demonstrate his versatility as a manager by restoring the South Coast side's fortunes in a wretched campaign.

After financial problems, confusion over the club's ownership and a transfer embargo, Paul Hart paid the price last week as he was sacked by the top-flight's bottom club and Grant was appointed his successor from a position of director of football.

The 54-year-old eventually lost comprehensively to Manchester United, the side who narrowly denied him at Chelsea, in his first game in charge to indicate the contrasting task to that he performed at Stamford Bridge when succeeding Jose Mourinho.

He will therefore hope that a maiden success can be recorded against Villa in the battle to reach the semi-finals to give fans, who have had little to cheer since the FA Cup final was won in 2008, a reason to celebrate.

Confident

Villa, though, will not be prepared to simply play the supporting cast as Pompey bid to ease the pain and Martin O'Neill's side, who earned a battling point against rivals for a top-four place Tottenham on Saturday, will be confident.

Pompey will be without Jamie O'Hara, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mike Williamson and Tommy Smith as the quartet will all be cup-tied.

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is expected to play as England international David James is still struggling with a calf injury.

Steve Finnan is fighting to be fit after a troublesome groin problem, while Papa Bouba Diop has a hamstring injury.

Aston Villa, who won the League Cup in 1996, are set to select Brad Guzan as a replacement for Brad Friedel in goal after his penalty shoot-out heroics in the last round against Sunderland.

Stephen Warnock (illness) and Nigel Reo-Coker (ankle) will undergo late fitness tests before the game, but James Collins (groin) is not available.

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