By Paul Holmes
September 27 2002

Portmsouth are given Paul Ritchie and Sergei Baltacha the chance to impress at Fratton Park. Both players are defenders and have been brought in by manager Harry Redknapp to ease a player shortage.

Ritchie has been brought in on-loan from Manchester City were he has been frozen out of Kevin Keegan's first team plans. Baltacha arrives on the South Coast on trial having been released from his contract by cash-strapped St Mirren. Baltacha was born in the Ukraine but is a Scottish Under-21 international after his father came over the UK to play for Ipswich and St Johnstone in the late 80's/early 90's. His sister is Britain's No 1 women's tennis player, Elena.