O'Hara misses Spurs game

Posted Saturday, October 17, 2009 by PA

Influential Portsmouth midfielder Jamie O'Hara misses his side's home clash with Tottenham as he is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Goalkeeper David James is expected to play despite sitting out England's clash with Belarus on Wednesday due to a knee injury.

Following reserve goalkeeper Asmir Begovic's loan switch to Ipswich, Antti Niemi and Jamie Ashdown are fighting for a place on the bench.

Papa Bouba Diop and Richard Hughes are back in full training following hamstring problems but will not feature, while Herman Hreidarsson is still recovering from a similar injury.

Ahead of the contest, Portsmouth manager Paul Hart paid tribute to Harry Redknapp for showing faith in him while he was out of work and bringing him to the club in March 2007.

Redknapp returns to Fratton Park on Saturday for the first time since he abruptly left to take charge of Tottenham almost a year ago.

Despite leading the club to FA Cup glory and the dizzy heights of eighth spot in the Premier League in 2008, Redknapp is not expected to receive a warm welcome on the south coast.

But Hart admits he is still friends with the man who brought him to the club to oversee Pompey's academy.

He said: "He invited me here when I was out of work. I wrote around to Premier League football clubs and said `without taking anybody's job, if ever a vacancy became available, could you consider me?'.

"I wanted to get back into youth development and Harry got on the phone first. I had two other fantastic offers after that and I turned them down because he showed that faith in me. I definitely made the right choice to come here."

Redknapp must decide whether to risk putting Wilson Palacios on the bench.

Palacios is due to fly in on Saturday morning to join the team after being forced by the Honduran junta to attend the reception after helping his country to a 1-0 victory against El Salvador which secured their place in the World Cup finals.

Ledley King is fit after recovering from a hamstring problem while long-term injury victim Jonathan Woodgate came through a practice game in midweek but will not be risked. Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has suffered pain and tenderness while trying to jog for the first time since breaking a leg and is likely to be out for longer than expected.

Redknapp has insisted Portsmouth supporters are "not a bunch of nutters" as he looks forward to returning to the club.

The Spurs boss has been blamed in part by some for the financial problems at the south-coast club, although he has refused any special security on his return.

Instead, Redknapp claimed his house in Sandbanks was being decorated by Portsmouth fans and that his grandson Harry still runs around in a Pompey shirt.

Redknapp said: "I see Portsmouth supporters every day at the petrol station driving down from where I live. I have people painting my house at the moment who are Pompey-mad. They're as good as gold.

"They're not lunatics. They're not a bunch of nutters. They are all being labelled as a bunch of maniacs. They're not. They are good people.

"You'll always have some big mouths there but it shows you what a good job I must have done that they are so upset that I left.

"Normally they are pleased to get rid of you when you leave. I went there when they were bottom of the league with the worst team we have seen in the Premier League. Whoever assembled that lot God only knows!"