Todorov facing long lay-off

Portsmouth fear that last season’s top scorer Svetoslav Todorov could be out long term after scans revealed knee ligament damage.

The Bulgarian is certainly out of Pompey’s Premiership debut at home to Aston Villa tomorrow after being injured in training on Thursday.

Nigerian youngsters Yakubu Aiyegbeni is likely to replace Todorov, who hit 26 goals in last season’s First Division championship-winning campaign, and he is set to partner new signing Teddy Sheringham.

Other new boys Patrik Berger, Sebastien Schemmel, Dejan Stefanovic, Boris Zivkovic, Amdy Faye and goalkeeper Harald Wapenaar are all likely to make their bows as well, while Linvoy Primus, Tim Sherwood and Matthew Taylor are all nursing injuries.

Provisional squad: Wapenaar; Schemmel, Stefanovic, Foxe, Zivkovic, Stone, Faye, Quashie, Berger, Sheringham, de Zeeuw, O’Neil, Pericard, Hughes, Robinson, Hislop.