Defoe back for Pompey

Portsmouth came back to earth from their UEFA Cup glamour tie with AC Milan to scuffle for precious Premier League points – minus both midweek goalscorers in the starting line-up against Blackburn.

Younes Kaboul was ruled out with an ankle injury and Noe Pamarot stepped in, while striker Jermain Defoe returned after missing two games with calf trouble and relegated Kanu to the substitutes’ bench.

Struggling Blackburn, without a win in their previous eight league games, were missing Sweden’s Martin Olsson through suspension after his sending-off a week ago against Tottenham.

Stephen Warnock was back from a ban and Turkish midfielder Tugay was preferred in midfield to South African Aaron Mokoena.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Distin, Pamarot, Belhadj, Little, Diop, Hughes, Armand Traore, Crouch, Defoe.

Subs: Ashdown, Hreidarsson, Mvuemba, Davis, Kanu, Nugent, Kranjcar.

Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Andrews, Kerimoglu, Pedersen, Roque Santa Cruz, McCarthy.

Subs: Brown, Mokoena, Villanueva, Simpson, Fowler, Derbyshire, Roberts.

Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)