Diarra close to Pompey return

Key midfielder Lassana Diarra could return to the Portsmouth side at home to Tottenham on Sunday after discovering the knee injury sustained in last Sunday’s 6-0 humbling at Manchester City has not damaged ligaments.

Diarra has trained since missing the midweek Carling Cup defeat by Chelsea but Sean Davis (groin) and Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) are still out along with Jerome Thomas (back) and long-term absentee Niko Kranjcar (ankle) as Pompey face a midfield puzzle. Richard Hughes is likely to keep his place. Skipper Sol Campbell and main striker Jermain Defoe are back to face their old club after being rested against Chelsea and manager Harry Redknapp looks set to play 4-4-2 with on-loan Armand Traore also recalled.

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