Pompey manager Harry Redknapp has sent out a warning to his players, and in particular to the Premiership-dreaming Blues fans, ahead of tonight's home Second Division clash with Preston.

Redknapp, whose side are six points clear at the top, said: "At the start of the season I never expected us to be anywhere near this position.

"But there is still a long way to go, and I am not going to talk about the Premiership in October.

"It can all turn so quickly in this game, and even a week can change things.

"You only have to look at Wolves last season - ten points ahead with just a few weeks of the season left, and they didn't finish in the top two, and in fact missed out altogether."

Redknapp added: "We have two tough games this week and it will be difficult against Preston. They have only lost once away from home this season so we will need to be at our best again.

"I am hoping that Gianluca Festa will be fit, after missing Saturday's game at Burnley, but there is some concern about Lassie Diabate's hamstring which he damaged in that game."

For Paul Merson, right, the Preston game has extra significance.

"We have to win tonight to cement our position," he said. "Otherwise everything we've done against Burnley will go out of the window."

Pompey face Craig Brown's Preston in the third of their six-game run of tough games - with Leicester, Wolves and Derby to follow - and it's four points from six already after the 3-0 win at Burnley.

Pompey will choose from the same squad, with Aston Villa's Steve Stone making his home debut against a Preston side sitting well below halfway in the table with just three league wins.

Ex-Scotland boss Craig Brown is still coming to terms with the domestic game at Deepdale and North End's form is surprising given their impressive run to last season's First Division play-offs.

It's been a struggle but they have drawn five on the road, won at Derby and lost just once, 4-0, at Wolves.

Goalscoring hasn't been a problem, with Richard Cresswell (6), Ricardo Fuller (5) and David Healy (4) finding the net regularly.

Jamaican international Fuller was a Pompey pre-season target before moving to Deepdale, but will miss tonight's game through suspension.

Cresswell and Healy are doubts for Preston, with both completing only an hour of Saturday's 1-0 home win over Reading after returning from injuries.

Burnley manager Stan Ternent hailed Pompey as "the best team we have played this season."

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