Portsmouth predicted XI and bench v Shrewsbury - three changes as Blues hand recall to Fratton favourite: gallery

Pompey are closing in on a return to the Championship - but there’s still plenty of work to do before they can clinch promotion

Pompey return to action on Saturday just days after their epic top-of-the-table match-up with Derby County.

Shrewsbury are the visitors to Fratton Park as the Blues look to take another important step towards the Championship. But how much did their midweek excursions in the rain take out of them? And will John Mousinho be tempted to freshen things up against the Shrews?

That’s the conundrum the Pompey head coach has ahead of the weekend - so what does he do? Does he keep faith with the side that maitained the Blues’ five-point lead at the top of the table? Does he hand Lee Evans a second successive start after his impressive full debut or does he reward Owen Moxon with a recall following his spectacular equaliser off the bench against Derby? Is there a need to freshen up the attack, with Paddy Lane struggling to repeat his form from earlier in the year? And then, as always, there’s Kusini Yengi! Is this a game the Aussie must start?

With so many options to chose from, only Mousinho and his staff will really know what’s coming. However, here’s how we think Pompey could line up for the visit of Shrewsbury.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.