BREAKING: Key update on Portsmouth's trip to Accrington Stanley going ahead on Saturday

But the chances of the League One trip to the Crown Ground getting the go ahead are becoming less likely.

The surface will be assessed at 8.30am by an official, with David Rock the man down to take charge of the game on Saturday.

Accrington have invested heavily in their pitch and have had covers on it in recent days, as an Arctic blast sends temperatures plummeting.

But it appears they have an uphill task to ensure conditions are safe and playable at the Crown Ground.

Temperatures are not due to get above freezing until 10am tomorrow morning in Accrington, and are forecasted to return to that level from 5pm and reach -2C overnight. That follows on from similar conditions since Tuesday.

Boss John Coleman has indicated an early call will be made, in an effort to give clarity on whether Pompey need to travel to the game.

Danny Cowley’s men are training early in the morning and are then due to travel to London and make their way up to the north west by train.

An Accrington postponement would follow Pompey’s visit also being called off in 2020, when covers failed to stop the pitch freezing.

The Blues’ visit to the Crown Ground was also called off in 2014 thanks to a waterlogged pitch.