Former Portsmouth quartet to go head-to-head with John Mousinho's Blues after intriguing FA Cup draw

The National League leaders are managed by Paul Cook, the ex-Blues boss who led them back into League One as title-winners in May 2017 before a controversial departure.

They also include Tom Naylor, the former Pompey skipper who featured in their Checkatrade Trophy final success at Wembley over Sunderland in March 2019.

While Michael Jacobs is also there, having left the Blues at the end of last season following the expiry of the popular attacker's contract.

And completing the quartet is Gary Roberts, a League Two title-winner with Pompey who these days is first-team coach to Cook at Chesterfield.

Now the foursome are scheduled to host Pompey at the Proact Stadium in the first round of the FA Cup between November 3-6 to set up a fascinating cup clash.

The Spireites will, of course, be coming up against League One’s current leaders and presently unbeaten in league football for 23 matches stretching back to March.

Yet Cook’s men themselves are in excellent form, three points clear of Barnet at the top of the National League, having won 10 and drawn one of their last 11 matches.

They reached the first round following a 5-0 success over Kettering, in which Naylor scored the final goal for the 32-year-old’s sixth of the season.