Portsmouth are flying high in the English Premier League at the moment and are actually in a good position to qualify for a UEFA Cup place. But Pompey have one more competition to look forward to in the coming weeks of the season and that is the FA Cup.

Portsmouth play the mighty Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the oldest competition in the world and although most would put their money on the Red Devils to win the tie. Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is not thinking along the same wavelength. Redknapp is taking the Cup competition seriously and has hinted that he might go on to rest star Nigerian striker Nwanko Kanu in Premiership matches precisely to keep him fresh and injury-free for the Cup clash with United.

Redknapp says:

After the Preston match, I think we’ve got to work hard this week on the training ground so that everybody understands their role in that system. There are a couple of new players coming in and I’m going to have to be careful with Kanu in the league.

If I lose him we’re going to be short. He might be one I will have to wrap in cotton wool for the next week or two and wait for the Cup.

I’ve got Baros and Defoe to come back for the league games, so I might have to be careful with Kanu – I can’t really afford to lose him as well.

He did well against Preston – he can hold it up for you, he’s got a good touch. The problem is getting behind people, we’ve got no pace, that’s the problem.

Kanu can hold it up on his own, but you need people to run beyond him. You are looking for runners really.

Portsmouth are to confront relegation favourites Sunderland and UEFA Champions League hopefuls Everton before they gear up against United in the FA Cup but it wouldn’t be wise for Redknapp to rest Kanu for those two matches where they can win points. After all, United are the favourites against them and dropping points in the league would only dampen their European hopes for next season.

Nwanko Kanu is being linked with a move away from Portsmouth to Down Under. The Nigerian international player’s agent, Samuel Okoronkwo, claims that the Australian club Gold Coast Galaxy have expressed a keen desire to sign the player in the summer. He says:

Kanu wants to play football and we would discuss Australia if things were not to work out with Portsmouth.

Kanu has been one of the most vital piece in manager Harry Redknapp’s jigsaw at Fratton Park but his contract remains in a not so healthy situation. In the summer,the club and the player failed to reach any concrete decision and although the 31-year old former Arsenal player says that he is happy at Fratton Park, he might just as well be tempted to play in the A-league.

Portsmouth are moving fast in the January transfer market. So much so that they are looking towards mainland Europe to compensate for a plethora of players who have left for the African Cup of Nations this month.

Sky Sports has reported that Pompey have signed Swiss youngster Danijel Subotic from Swiss club Basel for an undisclosed fee. The young striker impressed at a recent trial at Fratton Park and has been gladly embraced by Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp who has frantic about replacements in the wake of the departure of several key players on international duty.

Harry Redknapp told the club’s website:

He (Subotic) was recommended to us so we brought him over for a few days’ training and he did well. We’ve taken a gamble on him and hopefully he’s one for the future. We’ll just have to see how he goes.

He further added:

We need to get some people in but it’s hard. You look around and who is going to loan you anybody? The only place you might find a few is abroad. We need to strengthen out wide and up front in particular.

Portsmouth will be without John Utaka, Nwanko Kanu, Sulley Muntari And Papa Bouba Diop for the next 6 weeks as they have committed themselves to their respective nations in the African Nations’ Cup competition. Subotic becomes the first January signing for Portsmouth who are really blossoming this season.

Portsmouth are 8th in the English Premier League at the moment with 34 points from 21 matches and are just 2 points and 2 places off a UEFA Cup spot. This time Portsmouth are flying high and Rednapp is in no mood to see the wings clipped and is eager to splash out money to compensate for the players loss.

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