New-boy Bridge aiming to make instant impact

MANCHESTER City newcomer Wayne Bridge will have a point to prove on his debut at Portsmouth tomorrow.

The England left–back, manager Mark Hughes’ first purchase in the January transfer window, jumped at the chance to join the City revolution under their mega-rich Abu Dhabi owners.

"I thought I was going to get a lot more games at City than I had been for Chelsea," said the £10m signing from Chelsea.

"It just was not happening and it was probably the most frustrated I have been.”

City travel to the South Coast to take on a Portsmouth side steering a course through choppy waters.

Pompey, struggling to adjust to life after Harry Redknapp’s defection to Tottenham, are only three points clear of the relegation zone.

FA Cup winners and eighth in the Premier League last season, Portsmouth’s prospects looked bright when Redknapp brought in eight players during the summer, including Peter Crouch (Liverpool) and Younes Kaboul (Tottenham) for a combined total of £14million.

But now Redknapp has gone, the club is up for sale and star striker Jermain Defoe has quit to rejoin Tottenham after scoring 17 goals in 36 games for Pompey.

City’s season of disappointment hit a new low last Saturday when they lost 3-0 at home to Championship club Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

City have a golden chance to revive their fortunes tomorrow.

But they will have to go about their task without suspended midfield man Stephen Ireland and winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who is out for a month with a torn hamstring.