PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:
St James' Park Date:
Monday, 27 April Kick-off:
2000 BST
Coverage:
Score updates on Final Score, BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 Live; live text commentary on BBC Sport website; Highlights on Match of the Day
Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique could return from his knee-injury but Steven Taylor (ankle) and Joey Barton (metatarsal) are doubts.
Strikers Obafemi Martins (groin) and Mark Viduka (Achilles) have suffered no reaction to their returns to action at Tottenham last Sunday.
Portsmouth have doubts over forward David Nugent and defender Younes Kaboul who both have thigh injuries.
Midfielder Niko Kranjcar is still missing due to his injured ankle.
Newcastle manager Alan Shearer:
"It's my biggest game for a long, long time. We all know the stakes, so we need to go out and get three points.
"It sounds easy, but it won't be. We all know the importance of it. Now we just need to go out and do it. We have to go at it and grab those three points.
"I think nine points could just be enough, looking other teams' fixtures.
"I might be wrong, but I'm asking the players to win their three home games, starting with Monday against Portsmouth."
Portsmouth manager Paul Hart:
"There was a performance given at Old Trafford which, despite the loss, puts us in good heart for the next game. And that was extremely important.
"It was never a case of us going there and lying down and thinking we can just turn out when we want.
"We showed we can turn out in every game and I was delighted with the attitude, especially in the second half.
"We've done this in every game so far since I've been here apart from the one against West Bromwich Albion when there were a few complaints I have to say, but we are over that and the aim remains the same - to stay resolute and difficult to beat for the rest of the season."
Alan Shearer selects the Newcastle side for the fourth of his eight matches in interim charge, knowing that nothing short of victory against Portsmouth, and against Middlesbrough and Fulham in the other home fixtures after this will give the Magpies the slightest glimmer of hope of avoiding relegation.
This is Newcastle's 16th successive season in the Premier League. They have been runners-up twice (1995-96 and 1996-97), and have never finished lower than 14th (2004-05).
Portsmouth, who achieved a Premier League best eighth last season, are ending their sixth successive campaign at the highest level, and will want to end higher than their lowest finish of 17th in 2005-06.
Newcastle are on their longest winless run of the season (eight games); Pompey were experiencing one of their longest unbeaten sequences until Manchester United beat them on Wednesday night.
The Magpies are yet to win under Shearer; Portsmouth have won three and drawn four of their nine games under Paul Hart.
Newcastle welcome Portsmouth to St James Park seeking the three points, which would see them doing the double over Pompey for the first time in the top-flight in over half a century.
Distance between the clubs: 341 miles (549 kilometres)
Portsmouth
make the longest journey of any club in this entire Premier League season.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Going into this round of matches: 19th 30 points
1. Drawn three and lost five of the last eight Premier League matches, since beating West Brom 2-3 at the Hawthorns on 7 February 2009; their only maximum in 15.
2. Kept one clean sheet in 16 top-flight matches, courtesy of the goalless home draw with Everton on 22 February.
3. The current tally of 30 points after 33 matches is their lowest ever in the Premier League. They have had more than double that in five of the last 15 seasons. It is eight points down on this identical juncture last season.
4. The draw specialists of the Premier League. More details
5. Won 25% of their home league games; four of 16 (against Aston Villa, Tottenham, Bolton and West Brom).
6. Lost the last three at St James' Park; never lost four home games in a row in a single Premier League season, and not suffered such a fate in top-flight football for 31 years, since between December 1977 and February 1978 when Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Ipswich all left Tyneside with maximum points.
7. Already done the double over West Brom, and hoping to do likewise to Aston Villa, as well as Portsmouth.
8. The four-match run-in after this is:- Liverpool (a), Middlesbrough (h), Fulham (h), and Aston Villa (a).
PORTSMOUTH
Going into this round of matches: 14th 37 points
1. Avoided defeat in seven of the last nine Premier League matches.
2. Won three of 18 top-flight games.
3. 19 points down on this same stage last season, when in the top six.
4. Without an away league victory in nine; drawn six and lost four since a 1-2 triumph over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 8 November 2008; their only maximum on 13 on the road.
5. Failure to win here will make it their longest winless run away from home in the Premier League, since they began life in this league with a 15-match sequence without victory away from Fratton Park between 23 August 2003 and 17 March 2004.
6. Scored exactly 2,000 league goals away from home; need to net two more to register 100 on the road in the Premier League.
7. Already lost home and away to Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. Arsenal, Wigan, as well as Newcastle could also do the double over them.
8. The next game after this is home to Arsenal on 2 May. Thereafter the run-in is:- Blackburn (a), Sunderland (h) and Wigan (a).
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Michael OWEN is the club's top Premier League scorer with eight goals.
If selected:-
Obafemi MARTINS will be making his 100th appearance in Newcastle colours.
If on the field from the outset:-
OWEN will be making his 250th Premier League start (Liverpool and Newcastle).
Shola AMEOBI will be making his 150th start for the Magpies.
PORTSMOUTH
Sylvain DISTIN and David JAMES are the only remaining players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Portsmouth's Premier League matches this season.
Peter CROUCH is the club's top scorer of Premier League goals with 11.
If selected:-
JAMES will be extending the Premier League appearance record to 545.
Victory for Newcastle, would secure a first double over Portsmouth in the Premier League. The Magpies last beat Pompey home and away in the same season in 1990-91 at second league level, and last achieve it in the top-flight in 1958-59.
Portsmouth gained their first Premier League victory at St James' Park in last season's corresponding fixture. It was also their first maximum in 23 league games on Tyneside over 58 years.
Portsmouth need to score once to total 100 goals against Newcastle in all competitions.
Portsmouth's highest scoring away league win was 4-7 on 15 November 1930; the 11 goals in the top-flight match is also their joint highest aggregate on the road.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Newcastle 27 wins, Portsmouth 21, Draws 17
Prem: Newcastle 4 wins, Portsmouth 2, Draws 5
at Newcastle only
League (inc PL): Newcastle 17 wins, Portsmouth 6, Draws 9
Prem: Newcastle 3 wins, Portsmouth 1, Draws 1
Newcastle United 1-4 Portsmouth
3 November 2007 - Ref: Chris Foy
Newcastle scorer: Campbell 16 og
Portsmouth scorers: Pamarot 8, Mwaruwari 9, Utaka 11, Kranjcar 71
Portsmouth 0-3 Newcastle United
14 December 2008 - Ref: Chris Foy
Newcastle scorers: Owen 52, Martins 77, Guthrie 89
Mike Riley (Leeds, Yorkshire)
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