CHARLTON welcome Portsmouth to The Valley hoping to be the first team to beat keeper David James.

The south coast side have lasted 361 minutes without conceeding a goal - form which has seen them climb to second in the Premiership table.

Their last trip away from Fratton Park to Middlesbrough was live on Sky - as is this game -where goals from Benjani Mwaruwari, Svetoslav Todorov (who has since gone on loan to Wigan) and a brace from Kanu secured a 4-0 win.

Charlton's last home match was an eventful affair where Darren Bent's brace saw off Bolton Wanderers but not before Hermann Hreidarsson and Kevin Davies saw red.

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With seven Addicks in the treatment room and Hermann Hreidarsson still banned, boss Iain Dowie will have to show all of his skills of adaptation when selecting his side.

With Djimi Traore, Souleymane Diawara, Hreidarsson and Jonathan Fortune unavailable, defence is the problem area.

Young left-back Nathan Ashton has to be in with a shout of figuring at left-back after a prominent involvement in pre-season, though Dowie may consider switching Luke Young to left-back, leaving perhaps Osei Sankofa or Radostin Kishishev to fill the right-back spot.

This was how the Addicks ended the match at Stamford Bridge, with the Bulgarian back in the position in which he first featured as an Addick following his arrival in English football.

In the middle, Talal El Karkouri is the only available centre-half and although young Frenchman Kelly Youga comes into the picture, it is more likely Dowie will draft in Amady Faye.

In midfield, the rejuvenated Dennis Rommedahl look set to continue out wide on the right with Darrem Ambrose switching to the left with any duo of Matt Holland, Bryan Hughes and newcomer Omar Pouso occupying the central berths.

Up front, it's hard to see any changes to Darren Bent and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink.