Preview: Portsmouth vs. Fleetwood Town - prediction, team news, lineups

While the hosts are currently sitting top of the League One table, the visitors are languishing in the relegation zone.

Match preview

After 21 matches, Pompey have established a sizeable lead seven-point lead at the top of the standings, while they boast an eight-point cushion to the sides chasing from outside the automatic promotion places.

Since losing 4-0 to Blackpool on November 25, John Mousinho's side have embarked on an impressive run of form, winning their last four league games by a combined 10-0 scoreline.

An Abu Kamara brace and a Marlon Pack strike guided Pompey to a commanding 3-0 win over Shrewsbury Town last weekend to extend their unbeaten away run to 16 league matches (W9, D7).

While they are enjoying a successful campaign in the third tier, Portsmouth experienced a disappointing outing in the EFL Trophy in midweek, as a much-changed side suffered a heavy 5-2 home defeat to fourth-tier AFC Wimbledon.

With Pompey now out of all three cup competitions, they will turn their full attention to their promotion bid, beginning with Saturday's home clash with Fleetwood, where they will attempt to claim their 15th league win of the season.

Meanwhile, Fleetwood are currently way down in 22nd place after winning four, drawing four and losing 12 of their 20 league games this season.

Since recording their most recent victory in a home clash with Exeter City on November 11, the Cod Army have gone on to lose six consecutive games across all competitons without troubling the scorers.

Not only have they failed to score in any of those six matches, but they also conceded at least three goals in each of those fixtures, highlighting a need to improve at both ends of the pitch.

Although they kept Peterborough United to just one goal last weekend, Archie Collins's first-half strike was still enough to condemn Lee Johnson's side to a narrow 1-0 defeat.

With the Cody Army bracing themselves for another tricky test on Saturday, they may be able to draw inspiration from the fact they have taken a point from each of their last four trips to Fratton Park.

Portsmouth League One form:

D

L

W

W

W

W

Portsmouth form (all competitions):

L

W

W

W

W

L

Fleetwood Town League One form:

D

W

L

L

L

L

Fleetwood Town form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

L

L

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Team News

The hosts are still unable to call upon the quartet of Regan Poole, Conor Ogilvie, Tom Lowery and Tino Anjorin.

After making wholesale changes for Tuesday's EFL Trophy fixture, Mousinho could be tempted to revert back to the side that started last Saturday's win over Shrewsbury Town.

Anthony Scully could provide the Pompey boss with a useful option off the bench after he returned from injury to make his first appearances since August as a halftime substitute in midweek.

As for Fleetwood, they have doubts over the availability of Adam Montgomery and Danny Mayor after the pair missed the defeat to Peterborough.

After returning from suspension last weekend, Josh Earl is set to retain his place in a back four alongside Ben Heneghan, Bosun Lawal and Carl Johnston.

Peterborough loanee Kabongo Tshimanga was unable to feature against his parent club last weekend, but he could return to the squad to provide Johnson with a useful option off the bench.

Portsmouth possible starting lineup:

Norris; Rafferty, Raggett, Shaughnessy, Sparkes; Morrell, Pack; Kamara, Robertson, Lane; Yengi

Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:

Lynch; Johnston, Lawal, Heneghan, Earl; Broom, Vela, Wiredu, Patterson; Marriott, Stockley

We say: Portsmouth 2-0 Fleetwood Town

Portsmouth may have suffered a disappointing defeat in the EFL Trophy in midweek, but they have been in imperious form in the third tier.

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