Harry Redknapp has put the block on out-going loan-players at Pompey and told Walsall they can forget any notions of reuniting midfield maestro Paul Merson with exciting youngster Gary O'Neil.

Boss Redknapp last week gave his blessing to unbeaten Pompey's Scotland midfielder Kevin Harper joining Norwich for a month.

Now he has also allowed strikers Carl Robinson and Deon Burton to make temporary moves to Rotherham and Walsall respectively, as chairman Milan Mandaric tries to bring some financial balance to the most recent arrivals of Russian midfielder Alexei Smertin and striker Jason Roberts from West Brom.

But Redknapp, who made nine new signings in the summer, has insisted on trying to juggle with his remaining resources and still keep everybody content.

First Division Saddlers, having snapped up veteran playmaker Merson from Fratton Park, were hopeful of taking sorcerer's apprentice O'Neill, 20, as well.

But Redknapp, especially after losing former Liverpool star Patrick Berger for a month with a groin injury sustained against Arsenal, still thinks his squad is dangerously thin for the rigours of the Premiership.

"I'm told Walsall wanted Gary for three months but there's no chance of that," said Redknapp. "We need him here and I've decided to keep everybody we've got now.

"We are looking well-balanced now and we have Matty Taylor coming back after his heel injury. He'll be in the team as soon as he's ready.

"But now we've lost Patrik and that's a big blow to us because we has given us a great balance on the left.vMatty could have played that left-side role but he's still well away from full fitness and we are not going to rush him.

"Instead I've got to send somebody out there who is not a left-side player. We just don't have another one."

When Berger was injured after just 32 minutes of Portsmouth's magnificent 1-1 draw at Arsenal, Redknapp detailed Nigel Quashie to the left flank and brought on substitute Smertin, the £3.45million Chelsea buy who, in a bizarre deal, was sent straight to Pompey on a year's loan by new Stamford Bridge supreme Roman Abramovich.

Smertin, 28, could get his first Portsmouth start at home to Blackburn tomorrow, with Quashie remaining a wide-boy and O'Neil on the bench.

Redknapp also has former Blackburn captain Tim Sherwood back in action after three months out with an ear infection. The 34-year-old is also a candidate for at least the bench.

Nigerian striker Yakubu Ayegbini again looks likely to start up front alongside Teddy Sheringham, although Roberts is pressing hard for a place after scoring in the reserves in midweek.

Redknapp, proud of his team's unbeaten start to Premiership life and happy to dismiss reports that he is being lined up by Tottenham as a successor to under-fire Glenn Hoddle, said: "It can only get tougher even after a result like that at Arsenal.

"We've done outstandingly well but this Blackburn game will be as tough as well. They are a very strong outfit and I rate them a top-seven club again this season, even though they haven't had the results they should have had yet."