Saturday sees a meeting of League One’s two most in-form clubs at Fratton Park.
Pompey have dropped just three points from their past six fixtures, while Charlton head to the south coast on the back of four successive victories.
It means the duo are currently sitting in fifth and sixth positions respectively – and aiming to close the gap on the top two.
And Kenny Jackett wants his troops to show their promotion credentials against a side he expects to also be challenging for success.
The Blues boss said: “Our players should be looking ahead with confidence because of what they’ve done recently.
“But, as a manager, I always try to look forward and we know that Charlton will be wanting to bounce back up after coming down from the Championship.
"Our players should be looking ahead with confidence because of what they’ve done recently."
“They’ve had some difficult circumstances with the ownership situation and I’m sure Lee Bowyer will have learnt a lot as a manager.
“A lot of sides are up there competing immediately following relegation and they’re certainly a big enough club to do just that.
“They’re already in the mix and have won four games on the trot, so they’ve found some form and we know it’s going to be a difficult game.
“But we want to keep our own run going and are looking to keep competing at the right end of the table.”
Jackett knows that he has to manage his squad carefully as they try to negotiate a busy run of fixtures.
He said: “It’s quite a settled side at the moment and we may have to make one or two tweaks along the way, while we need to be flexible in terms of formation.
“The training programme is a simple one around all the games and the players are in a good routine, although you never know how the virus is going to hit you.
“There are things that remain in our control, though, and we have to keep working hard to keep this squad fit.”
Michael Jacobs is currently sidelined with a knee injury, although a scan ruled out any serious problems.
Jackett said: “He’ll be out for around six weeks, but it could have been worse. There’s no long-term damage and no need for an operation.”