Bristol City winger Martyn Woolford has warned against the dangers of taking crisis club Portsmouth lightly in today's big npower Championship relegation clash at Fratton Park.
The financially-stricken south coast club have been placed in administration for the second time in as many years after failing to pay off debts of £4 million.
Not only have Pompey been docked ten points by the Football League, they have also been forced to loan four of their best players to rival Championship clubs in a desperate quest to fend off insolvency.
Now bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety, Michael Appleton's struggling team has failed to win any of it's last eight games and is deep in trouble.
Defeat at home to a City side that sits just one place and three points above the bottom three will almost certainly condemn Pompey to relegation to League One.
But Woolford – who was recalled to City's starting line-up for the 2-1 defeat by Cardiff after a spell on the sidelines – insists he and his team-mates cannot afford to under-estimate Pompey, who are expected to lose more players ahead of next week's transfer deadline for loan signings.
"You learn not to expect anything in this league," warned Woolford. "They are bottom of the league and I would like to think we will come away with a positive result, but the last thing we must do is turn up thinking we will turn them over.
"It never happens like that in the Championship and it is hugely important that we ignore what is happening at Portsmouth and just concentrate on our own game.
"They may have money issues and they may be losing players, but they are fighting for their lives down there and so are we. It is massively important that we don't take anything for granted.
"Just because they are struggling, does not mean it will be easy for us. Nothing ever is."
Administrator Trevor Birch has already sanctioned loan deals for key players Liam Lawrence, former City goalkeeper Stephen Henderson, Erik Huseklepp and Hayden Mullins and others look certain to exit Fratton Park in the coming days as Pompey fight for survival.
Given these unusual circumstances, Woolford claims it is difficult to know what to expect from today's opposition.
He said: "These are uncertain times for Portsmouth and we don't really know what to expect when we get down there. They are losing players and we don't really know what kind of team they are going to be putting out.
"Given the uncertainty at Portsmouth, the only way ahead for us is to focus on the things we can affect.
"We have to make sure our own performance is right and not allow other factors to influence our thinking.
"Of course, we have sympathy for them, because you don't like to see any club struggling like Portsmouth are. I hope they pull themselves out of the mess they are in, but we cannot be too sympathetic, because we have a game to win.
"It must be a nightmare for the players and their families and what has happened to them is unfortunate. I wish them all the best, but only after Saturday."
City's loan midfielder Sean Davis is likely to be ruled out by a thigh strain, while centre-back Lewin Nyatanga continues to be sidelined by a chronic ankle problem. Winger Albert Adomah is pressing for a recall to the starting line-up.
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