Portsmouth boss Graham Rix takes his struggling side into tomorrow's crucial clash with Wimbledon without a proven goalscorer.

Top marksman Peter Crouch picked up a fifth booking of the season in the Bradford defeat and is suspended with Mark Burchill, Lee Bradbury, Rory Allen and Luke Nightingale all injured.

Rix has busily been trying to bring in a striker on loan or in a permanent move but so far without any joy - that just leaves youngsters Steve Lovell and Rowan Vine as recognised frontmen.

His only other options appear to be pushing Robert Prosinecki further up into an attacking role or Kevin Harper or Courtney Pitt.

Jason Crowe and Carl Tiler are also suspended from the side that has now lost five consecutive games and eight in nine.

New captain Shaun Derry commented: "It's only the 11 who start on Saturday who can get us out of this predicament.

"I am positive that our time will come. We are the sort of individuals who can get us out of this. There were signs in our last two games that we have started to turn the corner. At Bradford it was evident in certain periods of the game and again against Wolves last week.

"Opinions have been expressed in certain quarters that the team is not good enough. Well all I can say to counter that is we were certainly considered by everybody to be good enough early on in the season when we were being talked about as promotion contenders.

"It just shows what an important factor confidence is. We believe that we are a good side. We have the quality - there's no doubt about that and having that belief in yourselves is vitally important when things are going against you."

Wimbledon have hit a decent vein of form, losing only one of their last five matches - and that was against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. However, they could be without striker David Connolly who is struggling with an ankle injury.

Uliano Courveille could be a surprise choice in the Pompey starting line-up after impressing in the reserves' match with Leyton Orient. He signed on a free transfer in the summer but has yet to make his senior debut.

Rix is hoping to solve one of his problems - in the centre of defence - by giving a trial to Austrian international defender Andreas Lipa. The 30-year-old left-sided central defender, born in Vienna, joins for two days from GAK where his form has seen him given international recognition and also gain UEFA Cup experience.