By Billy Stephenson
Robbie Neilson’s Milton Keynes Dons will be travelling down to Fratton Park on Saturday as they take on Portsmouth with both teams looking to grab their sixth win of the season.
MK Dons, who sit 14th in League 1, suffered a heavy defeat in their previous match, losing 4-1 at home to Bradford City, However, the squad was carrying good form before going down to the Bantams, winning their previous five matches.
On the other side of the pitch, Portsmouth enter the contest after managing to grab all three points in their previous tie, edging out Gillingham 1-0 away from home thanks to a strike from winger Matty Kennedy just 26 seconds into the second half.
Kenny Jackett’s side will be hoping for their third win on the bounce but will be without the services of top scorer Brett Pitman, and Jack Whatmough will also be in the seats missing this match. This creates a tough situation for the team on the south coast, though centreback Christian Burgess is back in contention.
Dons midfielder Aaron Tshibola will miss the game as he was sent off in the fifth minute in their 4-1 defeat on the weekend.
Speaking after the game, Neilson told the MK Dons website: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result (against Bradford) but I couldn’t ask for much more in terms of work-rate from those 10 players on the pitch and those who came off the bench.”
Last time the two teams met was back in 2013 where the points were shared in a 1-1 draw.