Pompey and Reading almost at full-strength

After dipping into their reserves for midweek Carling Cup defeats Portsmouth and Reading were both back to near full-strength for their Premiership clash of the early-season surprise packages.

Glen Johnson and Linvoy Primus both passed late fitness tests for Pompey whose major bonus was the return of skipper Dejan Stefanovic on his 32nd birthday after two games out through knee trouble, but Portuguese midfielder Manuel Fernandes did not make the squad.

Reading, whose run of three consecutive defeats made this just as big a game as it was for the hosts – losers in four of their last five games – recalled key men like Steve Sidwell, Ibrahima Sonko, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Kevin Doyle but Brynjar Gunnarsson kept his place in midfield where Bobby Convey returned from injury to replace Stephen Hunt.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Stefanovic, O’Neil, Pedro Mendes, Davis, Taylor, Mwaruwari, Kanu. Subs: Kiely, Cole, Pamarot, Kranjcar, LuaLua.

Reading: Hahnemann, Gunnarsson, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Ki-Hyeon, Harper, Sidwell, Convey, Doyle, Long. Subs: Federici, Little, Lita, Oster, Bikey.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire)