Alex look to silence Pompey chimes

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Crewe Alexandra hunt a third straight win on the south coast as they visit Portsmouth this weekend.

"It will give the squad a boost to have some players back" - Steve Davis

The Alex have recorded 2-1 victories against both Hartlepool United and Shrewsbury Town over the past six days and would complete an excellent week of activity for themselves if they can repeat the feat at Fratton Park.

Those chances certainly appear to have increased by having midfielder Abdul Osman and winger Byron Moore returning to their squad after missing seven games between them with ankle injuries.

Goalkeeper Steve Phillips and summer recruit Michael West are also back training but won't be involved this weekend. Otherwise, teenage winger Ryan Colclough is sidelined until the New Year with a broken jaw.

"We're a couple of points behind the target I set at the start of the season, so we're not far away," manager Steve Davis told BBC Radio Stoke. "Apart from Oldham and Brentford, we've given ourselves a chance to win every game we've played. It will give the squad a boost to have some players back. We do miss our better players when they're out."

Pompey are definitely without Mustapha Dumbuya, who is away on international duty with Sierra Leone, together with hamstring-victim Darel Russell, while Lubomir Michalik could also be required by Slovakia.

However, former Celtic defender Josh Thompson has returned to training and may well be involved.

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