Fratton Park
Saturday, 19 August
Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD
Portsmouth will start with new recruits Sol Campbell and Glen Johnson in defence and hand debuts to goalkeeper David James and striker Kanu.
While those four play, the quartet of Lomana LuaLua, Benjani Mwaruwari, Dean Kiely and Jamie Ashdown are injured.
Blackburn will definitely be without injured Antipodean duo Ryan Nelsen and Brett Emerton, while midfielder Tugay starts a three-match suspension.
Fellow midfielder Steven Reid is struggling with an ankle problem.
Portsmouth (from): James, Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Pamarot, Stefanovic, O'Neil, Mendes, Davis, Taylor, Todorov, Kanu, Benjani, Thompson, O'Brien, Hughes, Songo'o, Griffin, Jordan.
Blackburn (from): Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Savage, McCarthy, Reid, Bentley, Pedersen, Mokoena, Jeffers, Gallagher, Roberts, Douglas, McEveley, Gray, Kuqi, Peter, Enckelman.
# Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp (on the need to boost his squad):
"I thought my job this season would be the easiest one in the world.
"I went to bed dreaming of the players I could buy, the team I could field.
"But we still need at least four more players and we've got only two weeks to get them. We can't afford to wait until the next transfer deadline in January."
# Blackburn manager Mark Hughes:
"We've got a good squad this year and I'll have to use it.
"We hope to have a lot of games given progress in Europe which we hope that we will have.
"I'm going to have to use the squad possibly more than last year."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
PORTSMOUTH kick off their fourth Premiership campaign at home to Blackburn, but their top tier status has been getting ever more precarious.
The club with the lowest average gates in the top division, have finished 13th, 16th and 17th in their three previous endeavours at this level. Harry 'Houdini' Redknapp returned to Fratton Park at the beginning of December last year and needed all his powers of escapology to avoid the drop. An eight-match winless run was turned around, as Pompey registered six wins and two draws in their 10-match run-in. It was enough to see them home, one place and four points above the abyss.
Pompey are yet to achieve a home Premiership win over Blackburn in the Premiership.
BLACKBURN ROVERS have Uefa Cup action to look forward to, following their top six finish after a solid season under Mark Hughes.
The 1994-95 Premiership champions are setting out on their sixth consecutive Premier League season, needing to improve on discipline, having been shown the largest number of cards by any club in the highest League last term.
Rovers are unbeaten in four against Portsmouth (won three, drawn one). Their only Premiership defeat to the Hampshire club was 1-2 at Ewood Park on 27 March 2004. Teddy Sheringham and Yakubu secured the points for the visitors.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
PORTSMOUTH
Club stats
Fixtures
Last season: 17th 38 points
1. This is Portsmouth's 80th League season and 30th in the top tier.
2. Been crowned champions twice (1948-49 and 1949-50).
3. Gained just one point from League matches in which they failed to score last saeson.
4. Only the relegated clubs allowed the opposition to net first in more matches than Portsmouth's 22.
5. Kept five clean sheets. Only Sunderland fared less well with four.
6. Won 25 of 75 Premiership matches in the two spells under Harry Redknapp.
7. At 59, Redknapp is the second oldest manager in the highest League, behind 64 year old Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United.
8. Picked up one point from the first 12 available last season.
9. Managed one win from the opening 10 League matches, and two from the first 16 - 10 of which were lost.
10. This is the fifth season in a row Portsmouth are kicking off a League campaign at home (Football League and Premiership).
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Club stats
Fixtures
Last season: 6th 63 points
1. Finished in the top six of the Premier League, six times in 12 attempts.
2. One of four founder members of the Football League.
3. Embarking on their 67th season in the top flight, and sixth in succession in the Premiership.
4. Ended last season on a three match winning run, with clean sheets in all three.
5. Lost last season's opener at West Ham, and registered one win from the first six League games.
6. Had a player sent off in that inaugural fixture at Upton Park (Paul Dickov), and another in the third match (Lucas Neill in goalless home draw with Spurs).
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
PORTSMOUTH
Squad profiles
Ins and Outs
Gary O'NEILL scored the fastest goal of the 2005-06 Premier League season (33 seconds in the 1-3 win at Fulham on 1 April).
O'NEILL and Lomana Tresor LUA LUA were Portsmouth's joint top scorers last season with seven goals each. All LUA LUA's were in the Premiership, while O'NEILL netted six League goals.
If new signing Sol CAMPBELL plays from the outset, he will be making his 500th club career start.
BLACKBURN ROVERS
Squad profiles
Ins and Outs
Brad FRIEDEL was one of 10 ever presents in the Premiership last season - seven of which were goalkeepers.
Craig BELLAMY was Rovers' top scorer in the last campaign. Now a Liverpool player, BELLAMY scored 17 goals for Blackburn, 13 in the Premiership.
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Portsmouth 2-2 Blackburn Rovers
8 April 2006 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Portsmouth scorers: LuaLua 41, Todorov 78
Blackburn scorers: Bellamy 32, 62
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Portsmouth 21 wins, Blackburn 25, Draws 16
Prem: Portsmouth 1 win, Blackburn 4, Draws 1
HEAD TO HEAD at Portsmouth
League: Portsmouth 15 wins, Blackburn 7, Draws 9
Prem: Portsmouth 0 wins, Blackburn 2, Draws 1
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