CHRIS Hughton insists Portsmouth’s financial troubles will have no bearing on their performance at St Andrews tonight.

Blues take on the cash-strapped club knowing a win will take them into third place and just two points behind the automatic promotion spots in the Championship table.

Pompey’s players and staff are still waiting to receive January’s wages as the club have yet to receive a validation order from the courts to allow them access to their frozen bank account.

But Hughton believes that will not affect the way they approach the game and is sure that former Albion boss, Michael Appleton, will have them well up for the challenge.

“I don’t think it will affect them one little bit,” he said.

“What it might affect is perhaps the relationship they might have with the club but I think when you put a team out you’ve got a team that wants to win the game.

“Perhaps if they haven’t been paid they may feel aggrieved and so on.

“I don’t think you’ll see an example of that tomorrow, though, and you certainly didn’t see an example of that in their last game where it was a fabulous performance from them and a performance that was good enough for them to win quite comfortably.”

Hughton has had his own problems to deal with this season, but admires Appleton for the way he has rallied his troops since taking over the job.

“He’s done a great job,” he added.