IF THE weather permits tomorrow, Pompey will fully expect to beat a struggling Stoke side who have lost six matches on the bounce.

But Fratton manager Harry Redknapp was quick to refute the suggestion that former Pompey boss Tony Pulis' men would be pushovers.

"There are no easy games," he admitted.

"You have only to look at Brighton going to Wolves last week and getting a point.

"Anybody can beat anybody on any day. That's how football is.

"With Tony Pulis coming back to Fratton Park, he will want to do well and will have them up for the game.

"That will bring an edge to things, and I anticipate a tough game."

Pompey captain Paul Merson was concerned that the weather conditions might dictate proceedings - as they did against Leicester on their last home outing a fortnight ago.

"If we play to our capabilities it can be a good game for us," he said.

"If we can get the ball down and play, there's no doubt we can do well.

"But with adverse conditions it will even things up considerably and anything can happen."

Pompey are likely to have seen the last of defender Paul Ritchie, who is not expected to have recovered from a hamstring injury, sustained at Derby last weekend before his loan period from Manchester City expires in six weeks' time.

Fortunately, Hayden Foxe is back in the action, but it is still a 'three from three' back line choice for Redknapp, with Linvoy Primus, Arjan De Zeeuw and Foxe the only defenders available to him.

Aston Villa loanee Steve Stone is doubtful after tweaking his hamstring in training, but otherwise Pompey will choose from the same squad which overpowered Derby in the second half last weekend.

After Jim Smith's fond return to Pride Park, Pulis makes a much less sentimental return to Fratton Park.

Pulis (pictured above) had an unhappy nine-month spell as Pompey manager, which was terminated acrimoniously two years ago, with a settlement only finalised a few weeks ago.

Promoted through the play-offs last season, and now just two matches into Pulis' surprise tenure at the Britannia Stadium, the Potters are in freefall.

They have dropped into the bottom three after a disastrous run.

Since beating Ipswich at home at the end of September, Stoke have gone nine games without a win, conceding four goals in each of their last two outings at Rother-ham and Walsall.

After last Saturday's capitulation at home to fellow relegation candidates Grimsby, the Potters sit an astonishing 28 points behind Pompey.

They have only won once, at bottom club Brighton, in nine away outings.

On his arrival, Pulis told the Stoke fans: "The job as manager here has been looked upon as a poisoned chalice by certain people in the game.

"I am aware that the club has had four managers in the space of seven months and there is probably too much expectation here.

"We face an enormous battle to get the 50 points we need to avoid relegation and there is no money or scope on wages."

Potters striker Andy Cooke, signed from Burnley for £300,000 last December, has scored five goals this season.

But, last Saturday, Pulis preferred to hand former Mansfield man Chris Greenacre his first appearance up front along-side Tommy Mooney, who is on loan from Birmingham.

Pompey: (from): Hislop, Kawaguchi, Primus, De Zeeuw, Foxe, Harper, Stone, Taylor, Robinson, Diabate, O'Neil, Quashie, Merson, Todorov, Burchill, Pericard, Cooper.