Sulaiman Al Fahim will watch Portsmouth play Fulham in bid to dispel takeover trouble talk

Prospective new Portsmouth owner Sulaiman Al Fahim will make his presence felt at the club's opening Barclays Premier League game against Fulham on Saturday.

• The club has been the subject of a protracted takeover attempt by Al Fahim all summer, leaving Fratton Park in limbo.
• But the Middle Eastern businessman is hoping to banish doubts about whether the deal will be completed.
• He said: ‘Taking over a club is a complicated process. Yes, it has taken longer than I would have liked, but it has to be done properly.
• ‘I think we will have a good season. Do you really think I would buy a club that I thought was going to be relegated?’
• Portsmouth’s manager Paul Hart became the latest Premier League manager to criticise the scheduling of international matches. This week’s fixtures came at a bad time for Hart, who has also been left with a depleted squad due to injuries.
• ‘I’m sure every manager is expressing the same bewilderment as to why this is happening in the week prior to the season,’ he said. ‘It just beggars belief. I don’t see the necessity.’