GRAHAM RIX has warned his side need to bounce back immediately from their biggest defeat of the season in tonight's Fratton Park clash against Nottingham Forest.

After seeing Portsmouth concede three goals for the first time in Sunday's evening encounter at Watford, Rix knows how important it is to get back to winning ways.

But as well as being disappointed with the manner in which they lost, he was also full of praise for his young side for the way they have battled thus far this season.

"The players have done really well this season for me and the club," said Rix. "I have got to be honest and say that Neil Barrett, Gary O'Neil and Nigel Quashie were all struggling to play on Sunday.

"We don't give teams a goal start most weeks and on Sunday we gave Watford a two-goal start.

"We didn't create a great deal in the first half but overall that is not the real Portsmouth and it has brought us down to earth with a bump.

"We have done really well but we have done nothing yet and have achieved nothing and if any of my players think they have then they are wrong.

"We cannot afford to take any game lightly but if you are not spot on week in week out you will get beaten.

"Tonight's game is now a very big game and we have got to get something out of it to get us back on track."

Nottingham Forest moved up to 14th in the table after a 3-0 win at Crewe at the weekend, but Pompey have more injury doubts going into the match.

Robert Prosinecki, Barrett, Quashie and Courtney Pitt are struggling to be fit but all are expected to make it.

Linvoy Primus will still be missing with hamstring problems while Justin Edinburgh is also ruled out with an Achilles injury.

Portsmouth have also denied any interest in West Ham's Bulgarian international striker Svetoslav Todorov who was signed by Harry Redknapp when he was Hammers boss.

Pompey: Kawaguchi, Harper, Crowe, Hiley, Zamperini, Pitt, O'Neil, Prosinecki, Barrett, Crouch, Bradbury, Vincent, , Quashie, Waterman, Lovell, Tiler, Tardif.

Forest: Ward, Brennan, Louis-Jean, Hjelde, Scimeca, Summerbee, Williams, Jenas, Prutton, Reid, Gray, Johnson, John, Roche, Thompson, Bopp.