There might not be as many fans inside Fratton Park as usual for tonight’s match.
But Ben Close will still make the most of an opportunity to impress if he is selected in Pompey’s midfield.
The Blues host Fulham’s under-21 side in their opening group stage fixture of the Checkatrade Trophy.
And a relatively small attendance will not affect Close’s desire to stake a claim for a more regular spot in the team.
He said: “It’s another opportunity for us to put on a good show and hopefully get a positive result.
"The players won’t look at the competition the same way that some of the fans do."
“I’m eager to play in any game that comes around, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to impress the manager.
“The players won’t look at the competition the same way that some of the fans do because it gives those on the fringes a chance to get into the first team.
“It didn’t matter who we got in the group. We were always going to focus on ourselves and not worry too much about the opposition.
“We just have go out onto the pitch and do our thing – hopefully that will be enough to take us through.”
Close was an unused substitute for Pompey in their defeat at Oxford on Saturday and witnessed how much the standard has improved in League One.
He said: “The tempo of the game does seem to be faster at times – I think you could see that at the weekend.
“Chances do get taken more and you’ll find that you don’t get let off when you make mistakes. That’s the biggest difference.”