Johnson can be the best/setbacks for duo

Adams challenges Johnson to be the best
Tony Adams has told the Mirror that he believes Glen Johnson could be among the best right backs around, and can make that spot his own for England if he works a little harder on his defending.

No one can deny that he has improved dramatically as a footballer since he arrived from Chelski, but there is still room for improvement to make him even better - although the Pompey manager can see this improvement all the time: 'he's still a young man, he's still learning his trade.

'The more I work with him on the training pitch, the better I think he's going to become.

'The best form of defence is going forward isn't it, and he is strong going forward, but if he wants to play for his country on a regular basis, he's got to do both sides.'

I cannot praise the fella enough - he has grown as a player, and a person, since we signed him and really showed for England against Germany that he is international quality.

The better he gets the more you fear losing him, but so long as we continue to grow as a club then - assuming we do not need to sell - there should not really be any real need for him - and others - to go elsewhere in search of football, so all being well we will see him at Pompey for sometime to come!

Chances are we will also see him striking at goal more often, and with his left foot, now after his fantastic goal at the weekend.

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Defoe and Diarra out of Milan game
We are now only a few days away from our eagerly awaited uefa cup game against Milan - but unfortunately it looks as though we will have to do without key men Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra.

The England striker looks set to go under the knife to sure a calf problem, and will probably be out until the turn of the year with the Frenchman still struggling with his ankle problem, which will see him visit a number of specialists this week.

Defoe's absence looks as though it will mean John Utaka will have to start alongside Peter Crouch again against Milan as we have no one else - that is eligible - that could partner him, bar Kanu, and that pairing just is not going to work!

For all the hard work, effort and endeavour that Richard Hughes, Sean Davis and Papa Bouba Diop will put in, with all due respect the quality is not really there is it - although that said Hughes and Davis still have something about them that I think makes them the better pairing to be honest, and are decent footballers...

Better news though, Sol Campbell and Niko Kranjcar 'should' be fit to return, which is a bonus.

PLAY UP POMPEY!

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