Duo set for a breather

Wingers Armand Traore and John Utaka are leading candidates for a rest as Portsmouth prepare for their Barclays Premier League visit to fellow UEFA Cup contenders Manchester City on Sunday.

Utaka had to pass a fitness test on his knee to face Vitoria Guimaraes on Thursday night and was substituted in the second half, while Traore, on loan from Arsenal, played a second demanding match in five days after being away with the French Under-21 squad.

Younes Kaboul and Papa Bouba Diop could return to the starting line-up but Ben Sahar has a knee injury, Niko Kranjcar (ankle) and Jerome Thomas (back) are still out so fit-again Glen Little may also feature with a debut.

Team (from): James, Johnson, Kaboul, Campbell, Distin, Belhadj, Little, Diop, Diarra, Davis, Hughes, Mvuemba, Defoe, Crouch, Hreidarsson, Kanu, Nugent, Lauren, A Traore, Utaka, Ashdown.