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STEVENAGE boss Graham Westley said his men are ‘looking forward’ to their Carling Cup match against Portsmouth this evening (Monday).

Boro welcome Pompey to the Lamex Stadium just two days after their 2-2 opening day draw with Macclesfield Town and Westley believes the arrival of the Championship side in a match to be screened live on television is ‘great for the club’.

“It’s going to be a terrific occasion,” Westley said. “It’s great for the football club, we’ve got a good profile for the game.

“Everything has been going on behind the scenes with Portsmouth but it’s a wonderful football club with a long history.

“They’ve got some terrific players, a very experienced and very capable manager and they’re going to be one hell of an outfit and it’s a game we’re all looking forward to.

“You love these opportunities to pit your wits against these better clubs and it’s going to be a terrific challenge for us.”

Boro are likely to be without John Mousinho (arm) and Jon Ashton (hip) for the game while their opponents for tonight’s match are down to the bare bones with manager Steve Cotterill having a squad of just 15 players.

Portsmouth do still boast a number of international players, however, including 29-year-old defender Aaron Mokoena who skippered South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.

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