Marlon Pack handed Portsmouth start amid four changes - plus injury return on bench against Watford

Marlon Pack has earned himself a Pompey recall following his eye-catching cameo at Ipswich.

The club captain starts his first match of the season in tonight’s visit of Watford, having convinced John Mousinho he deserves to be included.

Pack replaces Luke Le Roux in the centre of midfield as one of four changes to the side which lost 2-1 at Portman Road at the weekend.

Jordan Williams, John Swift and Conor Chaplin are also included against the Hornets, with Adrian Segecic, Zak Swanson and Mark Kosznovszky dropped to the bench.

However, there is still no return for Josh Murphy, who has been troubled by an ankle injury and has now missed the Blues’ last three matches.

Elsewhere, Harvey Blair is included in his first Pompey squad since the final game of last season, having recovered from a hamstring injury.

Ibane Bowat and Makenzie Kirk drop out, with Hayden Matthews the sole central defender among the substitutes.

Pompey: Bursik, Williams, Knight, Poole, Ogilvie, Pack, Dozzell, Swift, Chaplin, Yang, Bishop.

Subs: Killip, Swanson, Segecic, Blair, Kosznovszky, Le Roux, Matthews, Bianchini, Devlin.