Mendes missing for Pompey

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp will have to do without injured midfielder Pedro Mendes for the trip to face Middlesbrough on Monday.

Mendes is out after the horrendous challenge by Ben Thatcher which has seen the Manchester City defender suspended by his club, charged by the Football Association and the subject of a police investigation.

Redknapp has brought in David James, Sol Campbell, Kanu and Glen Johnson this summer but missed out on striker Obafemi Martins who signed for Newcastle.

Injuries to striker Lomana LuaLua (ankle) and Mendes have left his resources stretched, and youth team goalkeeper Nick Jordan again looks likely to be on the bench as Dean Kiely (thigh) and Jamie Ashdown (broken thumb) recover from pre-season setbacks.

Provisional squad: James, Jordan, Johnson, Campbell, Primus, Stefanovic, Taylor, O’Neil, Davis, Hughes, Kanu, Mwaruwari, Todorov, Thompson, Pamarot.