Kenny Jackett pinpointed Shrewsbury's mean defensive streak as he plotted their Fratton Park downfall.

Paul Hurst's team have conceded just 20 goals in 27 league games this season. Although that's seven more than Wigan have let in, it's the second best defensive record in the division by some distance.

Jackett knows they could be hard to break down for a Pompey team unbeaten at home since October but searching for their first win in four League One games.

He told the Pompey website: 'Shrewsbury have done fantastically well — in the league and cups. They have a strong squad and don’t give many goals away. They compete in every game and that’s a fantastic attribute to have in this division. There is good competition right through their squad.'

Shrewsbury won the earlier game between the sides - winning 2-0 at New Meadow two days before Christmas - and Pompey will be keen to get revenge and to reignire their bid for a play-off spot.

They go into the Fratton clash in ninth spot, five points behind sixth-placed Rotherham, who beat them at the New York Stadium last week.

One man keen to be involved is Gareth Evans, fit again after missing the last four games through injury.

Evans told the club website: 'We’ve had a run of tough fixtures and hopefully we can return to winning ways against Shrewsbury on Saturday. I think we’re still in a good position and if you’d offered us a top 10 place at this stage of the season back in the summer, we probably would have taken it.

'We’ll just take it game by game, stay professional and organised, and work hard to get the results we want.'

Shrewsbury have suffered one pre-match blow - goalkeeper Dean Henderson has been suspended for three games after an incident involving spectators in their defeat at Blackburn. He is set to miss the visit to Fratton.

Pompey could climb to eighth with a win; Shrewsbury will be looking to return to the top two, which they could do even with a draw.

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