Portsmouth will be without seven first-team players for their Championship match against Blackburn Rovers this Saturday. The injury list includes key midfielder Josh Murphy, who is out with a groin injury until the end of October, and fellow midfielder Keshi Anderson, who has a muscle problem. Connor Ogilvie, Franco Umeh, Luke Brooke-Smith, Márk Kosznovszky and Thomas Waddingham are also sidelined.
John Mousinho's side go into the fixture sitting 18th in the Championship table with seven points from their opening six matches. Their recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five outings. The most recent was a goalless draw away to Charlton Athletic last weekend.
Blackburn arrive at Fratton Park after a 3-1 home win over Millwall, which ended a run of three consecutive defeats. The two sides last met in March, playing out a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park. Portsmouth's last home game was a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City, with goals from Conor Shaughnessy and Marezi.
Team news and selection
With so many absentees, Mousinho's options are limited. The starting lineup from the Charlton draw is likely to form the core of the side again. That means Dorde Bjelica in goal behind a back four of Toby Devlin, Benjamin Arthur, Shaughnessy and Jayden Meghoma. Marlon Pack and Roko Simic could anchor the midfield, with Abu Kamara, Adrian Segecic and Tyrese Shade supporting striker Colby Bishop.
Blackburn manager John Eustace is expected to stick with the 5-4-1 shape that brought success against Millwall. That system features Balázs Tóth in goal and a back three of Hayden Carter, Tom Atcheson and Sean McLoughlin. The visitors have their own injury concerns, though their exact list is not confirmed.
Portsmouth will be looking to improve a home record that has seen them win one and lose one of their two league games at Fratton Park this season. The full schedule of upcoming challenges is available on our fixtures page. The match kicks off at 3pm local time on Saturday, 19 September.
