The Blues will be incredibly backed by 3,500 members of the Fratton faithful, who will set the alarms early on Saturday morning ahead of a near 525-mile round trip to Deepdale.
John Mousinho’s men will be looking to rekindle the performance seen against Leeds last weekend after a disappointing defeat to bottom-of-the-table Plymouth in midweek.
The Blues have won just two games away from Fratton Park this term but will be looking to increase the gap to the relegation zone as the race for survival heats up.
Pompey currently sit seven points above the relegation zone ahead of the trip to Lancashire but could rise as high as 14th in the standings with a win against the Lilywhites. In fact, three points could see Mousinho’s troops move above the hosts, who are unbeaten in their last 14 games in all competitions on home soil.
Ahead of this afternoon’s game, we’ve taken a look at the current injury situations of both sides.
9. Callum Lang - out
Pompey’s top scorer is a major miss for the Blues after a hamstring issue sustained against Oxford United in January was enough to rule the attacker out of the season. | Getty Images
10. Paddy Lane - out
Another knee injury for the Blues to contend with. The winger sustained the issue against Blackburn in January, where he was withdrawn in the first half at Ewood Park. | National World
11. Hayden Matthews - out
A major blow for Mousinho after the January arrival was ruled out for the rest of the term after requiring surgery on an ankle injury picked up in the 2-1 win against QPR last month. Photo: Peter Nicholls
12. Conor Shaughnessy - out
The central defender will be closing in on a potential return to the side after the international break according to Mousinho as he continues his recovery from a hamstring problem sustained against Cardiff last month. | Jason Brown/ProSportsImages