There is light at the end of the tunnel for the Fratton faithful, with the three-week international break coming to a close.
John Mousinho’s men travel to bitter rivals Southampton on Sunday for the first south-coast derby of the campaign.
The Blues will be looking to secure their first victory at St Mary’s in 16 years and head across the M27 after a confidence-boosting 2-0 triumph over Chelsea in a behind-closed-doors friendly last Saturday.
Tonda Eckert’s side sit 13th after picking up four wins in their opening eight matches, but uncertainty remains over the head coach’s future amid the ongoing wait for the FA’s verdict after a hearing for his involvement in the spygate scandal.
With all eyes on this weekend’s hotly-anticipated showdown, here’s a look at the early team and injury news from both camps.
Your next Pompey read: Fresh injury concern for key Southampton man ahead of Portsmouth showdown
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1. Southampton v Pompey: Early team and injury news
The early team and injury news from both camps ahead of this weekend's south-coast derby. | Jason Brown
2. Benjy Arthur - Out
The Brentford loanee is sidelined for up to three months with a stress fracture in his back. | Jason Brown
3. Connor Ogilvie - Out
The trip to St Mary's will likely come too soon for the left-back, who is yet to feature this season due to a knee problem. Ogilvie is expected to return in the coming weeks, however. | Paul Thompson/ProSportsImages
4. Caspar Jander - Doubt
The midfielder is yet to feature for Southampton this term due to a hamstring issue. Jander, who returned to training before the international break, is expected to complete his comeback against Pompey this Sunday. | Getty Images