Bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth host Burnley in Saturday's early kick-off in the Premier League.
New Pompey boss Avram Grant saw his side lose under his control for the first time last week when they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Manchester United.
But the performance against United was far from dispiriting as they matched the champions for large periods of the match.
The Fratton Park side are currently three points adrift of fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers, who face Bolton this weekend in a huge six-pointer, but are a massive seven points from safety.
Defeat to Burnley would almost certainly give Avram Grant’s side an impossible mountain to climb. However, Burnley travel to the south coast still seeking their first away win of the season and they haven’t beaten Portsmouth in their last nine meetings. This is an opportunity that Pompey simply cannot pass up, especially as they face Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal this month.
Burnley manager Owen Coyle is confident his side's poor away form will eventually change. In stunning contrast to their results at Turf Moor, Burnley have yet to win on the road in seven matches away from Turf Moor and their inability to defend has been their downfall. They have already conceded an astonishing 25 goals on their travels but Coyle insists that playing positive football is the only solution to their concerns.
Burnley captain Steven Caldwell is suspended for the trip to Portsmouth on Saturday after his red card last week at West Ham.
Manager Owen Coyle will therefore have to change his defence for the first time in eight matches and is likely to drop Andre Bikey back from a defensive midfield position, which could pave the way for Kevin McDonald to come in. On-loan striker David Nugent is ineligible to play against his parent club.
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is missing influential defender Younes Kaboul.
The former Tottenham man serves a one-match ban for picking up five bookings, but Jamie O'Hara, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mike Williamson and Tommy Smith all return after being cup-tied for the Carling Cup clash with Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper David James is a doubt as he struggles with a calf injury, while the game probably comes too soon for Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) and Steve Finnan (groin), as both returned to training this week.
REVIEW:
Avram Grant's second league game in charge of Portsmouth ended with victory courtesy of second half strikes that brought down a wasteful Burnley.
Hermann Hreidarsson fired the South Coast club ahead after 65 minutes, thanks to a brilliant ball from substitute Kanu.
Dindane wasted a spot-kick after half an hour, but made no mistake when he sealed Pompey's third win of the season, and first under Avram Grant, from Jamie O'Hara's pinpoint cross after 83 minutes.
Portsmouth had conceded eight times in their last two games at Fratton Park, and with the visitors scoring eight times in their last three away games, it was unsurprising that Burnley were the more composed team, but indecision and wastefulness was their undoing in a game that they controlled.
Burnley looked to have survived the worst of it when referee Phil Dowd's terrible decision to award Pompey a first-half penalty was cancelled out by Brian Jensen's expert double save.
There was no contact from Wade Elliott when Hreidarsson went down in the penalty box, but Dowd, who had a great view of the incident, nevertheless pointed to the spot.
Dindane stepped forward instead of usual taker Boateng, and the on-loan hitman hit a lacksadaisical effort right at Jensen, who parried it away easily.
Dindane followed up with an equally tame header but the Dane gathered, as the Ivorian was roundly booed for his efforts by the home fans.
The second half started more positively for the home side, with a Boateng blast going close to opening the scoring, but the game soon followed the momentum of the first half, with the visitors swiftly regaining force.
Burnley continued to press forward, but, like the first half, found their final touches far from the refined precision of their neat build up play, and, like the opening 45 minutes, Portsmouth created chances of their own against the run of play.
Shortly after the hour Kevin-Prince Boateng, who had a sparkling game in midfield, played it through for substitute Kanu, who nudged it on for the overlapping Hreidarsson. The left-back’s low shot from an angle was too good for Jensen.
Portsmouth’s day improved further seven minutes from time, when a Jamie O’Hara free-kick found its way on to the head of Dindane, who nodded in powerfully past Jensen.
The victory takes Portsmouth temporarily away from bottom place, and sees Burnley, who have avoided defeat just once on the road this season, further reliant on their Turf Moore form to avoid slipping down the table. .