Exeter v Portsmouth: team news, predicted XIs, how to watch game from home, key stats and form guides

Here’s all you need to know ahead of kick-off (7.30pm).

The match is available to watch on iFollow if you can’t make it to St James Park.

Exeter team news

Tonight’s Papa John's Trophy fixture will be Exeter's third game in the past seven days and manager Matt Taylor is expected to rest some players following their goalless draw against Forest Green on Tuesday night.

The Grecians boss has insisted, though, that he’ll try to field the most ‘competitive team possible’.

The told the Exeter website: ‘We've got senior players coming back so generally this squad will be strong, depending on where every one is preparation and game-time wise.

‘The bench was strong on Tuesday and I'm expecting it to be strong again on Friday.’

Goalkeeper Harry Lee could return to the starting line-up, having featured in all three of the Grecians' group-stage games.

Ben Seymour, Sam Stubbs and Kyle Taylor all appeared off the bench against the Green Army and could also to start.

Despite impressing in his previous two games, stalwart Cheick Diabate might drop to the subs bench.

Predicted line-up: Harry Lee, Sam Stubbs, Jonathan Grounds, Harry Kite, Callum Rowe, Josh Key, Nigel Atangana, Kyle Taylor, Matt Jay, Sam Nombe, Ben Seymour. Subs: Scott Brown, Pierce Sweeney, Cheick Diabate, Timothee Dieng, Archie Collins, Alfie Pond, Padraig Amond.

Pompey team news

Pompey boss Danny Cowley is in the rare place of having an almost full squad to chose from heading into the game against Exeter.

Clark Robertson, Louis Thompson and Ryan Tunnicliffe are all available after periods on the sidelines respectively.

However, the Pompey Blues boss is weighing up whether to utilise Robertson straight away after three-and-a-half months out with a quad injury.

He also insisted that only one of Thompson and Tunnicliffe will feature as he looks to protect his options for the second half of the season.

Cowley has often used the Papa John’s Trophy to help fringe players get match minutes – and it’s a tactic he’ll likely deploy again at St James Park, with academy youngsters Toby Steward and Harry Jewitt-White likely to be involved.

Predicted line-up: Alex Bass, Kieron Freeman, Sean Raggett, Clark Robertson, Haji Mnoga, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Miguel Azeez, Lee Brown, Michael Jacobs, John Marquis, Ronan Curtis. Subs: Toby Steward, Paul Downing, Connor Ogilvie, Sean Williams, Reeco Hackett, George Hirst, Harry Jewitt-White.

Matchday odds (Bet365)

Exeter: 11/5

1-0 10/1, 2-0 16/1, 2-1 12/1, 3-0 33/1, 3-1 28/1, 3-2 33/1

Pompey: 21/20

1-0 7/1, 2-0 9/1, 2-1 8/1, 3-0 16/1, 3-1 16/1, 3-2 25/1

Draw: 23/10

0-0 9/1, 1-1 11/2, 2-2 14/1, 3-3 50/1

Referee

Paul Howard

Key Stats (All competitions)

Exeter

Record this season: P30 W10 D14 L6

League Position: 8th (League Two – 34 points)

Top goalscorer: Matt Jay (11)

Most assists: Jevani Brown (6)

Discipline: 29 yellow cards, 2 red card

Pompey

Record this season: P39 W12 D7 L 10

League Position: 8th (League One – 37 points)

Top goalscorer: Marcus Harness (10)

Most Assists: Ronan Curtis & Ryan Tunnicliffe (4)

Discipline: 40 yellow cards, 1 red card

Form guide

Exeter

D 0-0 Forest Green (A) – League Two

L 2-1 Sutton United (A) – League Two

L 1-0 Tranmere (H) – League Two

L 2-1 Northampton (H) – League Two

L 2-1 Cambridge United (A) – FA Cup

Pompey

D 0-0 Cambridge United (A) – League One

W 2-0 v Morecambe (H) - League One

D 0-0 v Sheffield Wednesday (H) - League One

L 2-1 v Harrogate (H) - FA Cup

W 1-0 v Gillingham (A) - League One

Latest Papa John’s Trophy results

Charlton Athletic 1-0 MK Dons, Crewe 2-4 Rotherham United, Harrogate Town 1-0 Carlisle United, Hartlepool United 1-0 Bolton Wanderers, Oldham Athletic 0-6 Wigan Athletic, Sutton United 2-1Colchester United

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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