Portsmouth take no chances with LuaLua

Portsmouth coach Kevin Bond has warned striker Lomana LuaLua that he must prove himself 100% fit to stand a chance of facing West Brom on Saturday.

With fellow frontmen Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Diomansy Kamara sidelined by knee injuries, there was the welcome sight today of LuaLua in training for the first time since hobbling out of the home defeat by Manchester City 12 days ago.

He was forced out of that game with a groin injury, with Portsmouth having to adjust their team inside the first half hour.

Since LuaLua’s last appearance, Portsmouth have parted company with manager Harry Redknapp, won for the first time away in the Barclays Premiership this season – at Bolton – and been knocked out of the Carling Cup by Watford.

Bond is teaming up with fellow coach Joe Jordan and executive director Velimir Zajec to pick the team and decide on tactics, while chairman Milan Mandaric considers who should replace Redknapp.

“We are delighted to have Lomana back in the group but we can’t have the same situation as against City where he had to go off after only 20-odd minutes,” said Bond, ahead of Saturday’s Fratton Park clash.

“It is tough with just one striker. You are obviously not going to get as many chances and at home we need to be shooting at every opportunity.

“We need to be positive again like we were at Bolton after missing a great opportunity against Watford. We need to get busy of set-piece situations and getting midfield players up into the box.

“We’ve got some tough matches ahead against the likes of Newcastle, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea before the New Year and while I’m not saying we won’t pick up any points from these games we know we have to win matches like the one this Saturday.

“We are still 11th in the table but West Brom have been impressive lately and are responding to a new manager (Bryan Robson). So it is not going to be easy.”

Mandaric confirmed today that, ideally, he wants to recruit a British coach to work alongside former Panathinaikos chief Zajec who has so far kept his own counsel on team matters.

Mandaric visited the club’s training headquarters at Eastleigh where defender Dejan Stefanovic (back) and midfielder Gary O’Neil (ankle) were receiving treatment.

“Maybe it will never be possible to replace somebody like Harry but we have to try,” said Mandaric.

“We need a 21st century coach who can deal with the character of players.

“Even if we eventually take on somebody foreign he will need British staff because we must have continuity, There is not enough time for adjustment. We need people who know the game here and we need them soon.

“I have not changed my mind that if the person we appoint can fit the CV we have set out it will be an advantage for him to be British.”

Meanwhile veteran Shaka Hislop looks set to return in goal against West Brom, replacing Jamie Ashdown, after recovering from a hamstring injury.