Kenny Jackett has used previous games in the Checkatrade Trophy to rotate his squad and give minutes to fringe players.
But he insists that Pompey will name their strongest side when they visit Bury for Tuesday night’s tie in the last four of the competition.
The winners will be heading to Wembley, where they will face either Bristol Rovers or Sunderland in the final.
And that prize – which would be the club’s first trip to the national stadium since 2010 – is reason enough alone for Jackett to be treating the contest seriously.
The Blues boss said: “We’ll be as strong as we can be on Tuesday and there will obviously be a resemblance to the teams we’ve had in the league.
"Getting to Wembley is a fantastic incentive for everybody and we have to do everything we can to make it."
“I’m pleased with what we’ve done in the cup competitions so far and we don’t want it to end now because we’ve come through a lot of matches.
“Getting to Wembley is a fantastic incentive for everybody and we have to do everything we can to make it.
“The opportunities to get there can be few and far between and they are special occasions at a fantastic stadium.
“Whenever you get the chance – as a player, coach or manager – then you have to go flat out to achieve that.”
Pompey’s opponents compete in the level below, but are pushing for promotion and unbeaten in 12 matches.
Jackett said: “It will be hard game against Bury because if you look across all four divisions, they’ve got one of the best home records.
“They’re having a really good season and we certainly aren’t underestimating the task, but we want to go there and win.
“This is a one-off game, although we’re looking to continue our improvement so we can finish this season strongly.”
Lloyd Isgrove, Bryn Morris and the sidelined Andy Cannon are all cup-tied, but Jackett does not have too many fitness concerns.
He said: “Omar Bogle has a tight hamstring, so we’ll be taking a look at how he is on Tuesday afternoon.
“But Nathan Thompson has trained over the past few days. He’ll be added to the squad and is fully fit.”