Hislop given Cup green light

Shaka Hislop has been told to carry on playing for Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals against Arsenal on Saturday after a specialist examined his broken finger.

Hislop, 35, has already faced Liverpool and Newcastle despite a fracture of the knuckle on his left-hand index finger.

A Portsmouth spokesman said: “He has had a specialist look at it and the verdict is that playing on won’t damage the healing process now Shaka’s got his protection in place.”

Hislop, who saved a Michael Owen penalty to celebrate his birthday in the cup replay win over Liverpool after breaking the finger in a pre-match warm-up, wore giant white gloves in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle at Fratton Park.

He had them restitched so two strapped-together fingers could be inserted and is on a course of pain-killers.

He made a splendid late save from Newcastle’s Jermaine Jenas just before Lomana LuaLua hit Pompey’s last-gasp equaliser.

Winger Steve Stone should also be fit to face the Gunners after fears he had suffered a stress fracture of a shin, but Teddy Sheringham has only just returned to light training after a hamstring tear.

It still looks too early for striker Svetoslav Todorov despite two impressive reserve outings since a knee operation in August.

On-loan Russian midfielder Alexei Smertin will be handed a one-match ban after five bookings but will not serve the suspension until the trip to Everton a week on Saturday.