CAPTAIN-elect Miles Addison wants Cherries to go for the jugular when they open their League One campaign at crisis-hit Portsmouth tomorrow.

Addison, handed the armband by boss Paul Groves for the League Cup tie at Oxford in midweek, is again expected to lead Cherries into battle at Fratton Park (3pm).

And the combative defender knows Cherries must look to take no prisoners as they attempt to heap more misery on their beleaguered south coast neighbours.

Addison told the Daily Echo: “We have got to be positive and professional right from the start. Looking in from the outside, Portsmouth is not a happy place at the moment and we have got to take advantage of that.

“We have got a few experienced heads and the manager has been on at us all week. He has worked at Portsmouth and knows what they will be expecting.

“But I am sure Michael Appleton (the Pompey boss) will be telling them they can win. We have got to combat that and we definitely feel we should be able to sweep them under the carpet.

“Fratton Park is a great stadium and their supporters are brilliant. They have always been like an extra man to Portsmouth and I am sure they will be in great voice. But, if we can kill them off early and be professional in the way we go about our business, then the game could be over before they start.”

Boss Groves, who spent four years on the backroom staff at Portsmouth between 2006 and 2010, knows there will be no room for sentiment on his return.

He said: “It is a difficult situation for their manager and his group of players. We need to be professional and do our jobs.

“I worked at the football club so understand the difficulties people are going through. But I work for this football club now and we have got a job to do.”

Asked whether the turmoil at Pompey surrounding their playing resources had made preparation difficult, Groves said: “There is little you can do because there are so many question marks over players and ins and outs. We have just got to concentrate on ourselves and that is enough in itself at this moment in time.”

Groves is hoping to have midfielder Eunan O’Kane available for selection following his midweek exertions with Republic of Ireland under-21s.

New signing Tommy Elphick could also be in contention to start, while Shaun MacDonald faces a race against time to recover from a calf injury.

Cherries: (from) Jalal, Francis, Addison, Zubar, Daniels, Grabban, Arter, Partington, Pugh, Thomas, Tubbs, Fletcher, Cook, Gregory, McDermott, O’Kane, Elphick, MacDonald, Wakefield, Flahavan.

Pompey: (from) Eastwood, Dumbuya, McLeod, Harley, Howard, Rodgers, Walker, Clifford, Williamson, Djilali, Compton, Harris, Magri, Webster, Wallace, Butler, Andersen.