Aston Villa v Portsmouth

Martin O'Neill has backed Brad Guzan to become Aston Villa's long-term successor to fellow American Brad Friedel as he bids for more Carling Cup glory in tonight's quarter-final with Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Guzan has been used by Villa in the majority of their European and domestic cup matches since he signed from Chivas USA in the summer of 2008. He has made a favourable impression, most notably with four penalty saves against Sunderland, including three in the shoot-out, in the last round of the competition.

O'Neill said: 'Brad (Guzan) has come in and done wonderfully well for us anytime he has played for us. He puts himself under this big pressure to be performing at an incredible level in these one-off games.

'I don't want him to put a lot more pressure on himself by feeling, everytime he plays, that he has to make four or five marvellous saves. It is great if he does it but my own view is that he is a top quality keeper in the making and his performances have shown he is capable of doing that.

'Brad Friedel has proved himself a quality keeper in the Premier League for a long time. He is 38 now, won't be going on forever, and my own view is I wouldn't want to be having anyone else around other than Brad Guzan at this minute.

'In time I see no reason why he shouldn't be our keeper for a long, long time if everything works out.'

O'Neill will check on the fitness of left-back Stephen Warnock and midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker before finalising his side.

Warnock missed the 1-1 home draw with Tottenham at the weekend through illness while Reo-Coker suffered an ankle injury during the game which forced him to be substituted. Central defender James Collins is again ruled out through a combination of groin and thigh problems.

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant is refusing to treat the clash as just a break from their Premier League relegation fight.

Although the Fratton Park side are currently seven points adrift of safety and firm favourites to drop into the Championship, they have shone away from the pressures of league matches.

The former Chelsea boss said: 'To say the players will play without pressure is like saying Van Gogh will paint without the colours. Pressure is the name of the game and it's good that they know there is pressure.

While the Pompey boss admits Saturday's Premier League home clash with Burnley is more vital to the club, he sees the Villa game as an opportunity to take a look at some of his fringe players.

With Jamie O'Hara, Tommy Smith, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Mike Williamson all cup-tied, the ex-Israel national coach is ready to give other players their chance to shine.

He added: 'The players that play will want to win and prove themselves. It's an opportunity for the players not in the team to show they can be good for us, and I'm sure they will.'

Aston Villa (from): Friedel, Guzan, Luke Young, Beye, Dunne, Cuellar, Clark, Warnock, Milner, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Downing, Delph, Gardner, Ashley Young, Carew, Heskey, Agbonlahor, Delfouneso.

Portsmouth provisional squad: Begovic, Kaboul, Mokoena, Mullins, Kanu, Belhadj, Vanden Borre, Piquionne, Ben-Haim, Yebda, Dindane, Webber, Brown, Wilson, Ashdown, Hreidarsson, Utaka.