Lee Bowyer will be hoping his team can shake off the curse of the Sky cameras when the Addicks take on Portsmouth at The Valley on Saturday evening.
This will be the first time Charlton have appeared in a live game since the opening day fixture at Sunderland.
After leading the table early on in the campaign,
Pompey have faltered recently and look destined for the play-offs. Saturday’s 5-1 win over Bradford City at Fratton Park ended a six match winless streak.
The visitors will be backed by a huge following of over 3,000 fans, who will be packed into the Jimmy Seed Stand.
Bowyer will have new signing, Josh Parker, available again after a bout of illness, and Krystian Bielik is expected to recover from the knock he took late on at Doncaster.
But Jason Pearce’s problematical ankle will again rule him out.
Kenny Jackett’s teams are physical, and play a direct style. Portsmouth have struggled to overcome the loss of midfield general, Ben Thompson, who returned to parent club, Millwall, in January.
And to win the game, the Addicks must win the physical battle as Bowyer explained:
“The run-in is always going to be hard because everyone is fighting for something. Portsmouth are a good side, they were in the top two for most of the season.
“It is going to be hard and it is going to be physical, like when we played them at their place. We have to match them physically, if we don’t, then we lose.
“Then we have to play our football. We have to start taking our chances.
“I’m not so worried because we are playing well and creating chances. If we weren’t playing well and creating chances then I’d be worried.
“It’s just a matter of time before we click again and start taking our chances.
“Other teams are defending for their lives and chucking their bodies in front of the ball, which they might not have done a month or two ago.
“It’s just difficult at the moment to win games. But it’s not just us, Portsmouth have found the same and so have Peterborough and Doncaster.
“The only two that have kicked on and kept winning are the top two – and that’s why they are there,” said Bowyer.
Charlton could look something like this:
Phillips; Solly, Bauer, Sarr, Purrington; Bielik, Cullen, Aribo, Williams; Taylor, Vetokele.
Subs: Maxwell, Dijksteel, Pratley, Lapslie, Reeves, Fosu, Parker.
Premier League whistler, Roger East, from Wiltshire will be the man in charge.
Charlton beat their visitors 2-1 when the two sides clashed at Fratton Park in December, and will be looking to complete the double over their rivals on Saturday.
TAGS: Charlton Athletic