Steve Bruce is ready to throw Benjani into tonight's must-win clash at Portsmouth. Mark Douglas reports.

BENJANI is ready to ride to Steve Bruce’s rescue at Portsmouth tonight – and consign the taunts of ‘the King’ to the dustbin.

The Zimbabwe forward is set for a full debut as Bruce shakes things up in an attempt to chisel a first away win since August and ease the pressure beginning to build on his position.

With Sunderland winless in 11 and in danger of being dragged into a relegation fight, victory over rock-bottom Pompey is absolutely essential.

It promises to be another tense and taut 90 minutes for the faltering Black Cats, but Benjani is not lacking for motivation as he steps out on his old stomping ground.

For a start there is the presence of his best friend Kanu, who could figure for the first time for the bottom club since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this month.

The man Benjani refers to as ‘the King’ is in regular conversation with his former team-mate and told the former Manchester City striker, with his tongue firmly in his cheek, he was joining a club that could get dragged into trouble with Portsmouth.

It is an opinion the likeable 31-year-old understandably takes issue with. Having seen the quality at Sunderland’s disposal he does not foresee a relegation scrap – but accepts the need to win is pressing. He said: “I have been very impressed by Sunderland, for sure.

“It is a surprise with the players we have we are not winning, but every team can struggle, it does not matter how good they are or what players they have.

“We are working very hard to get out of those struggles and to make sure we start winning games again. Hopefuly we will.”

While a “special occasion” for Benjani as an individual, the Portsmouth clash has taken on huge importance for Sunderland.

On paper it looks winnable, but the Black Cats were beaten on the same ground in limp fashion in the FA Cup last month and Sunderland have been woeful away from Wearside since their spirited draw at Old Trafford in October.

Bruce will be hoping his new recruits – who are all likely to play on the South Coast – breathe new life into a team suffocating under the pressure.

Benjani added: “I knew the Portsmouth game was coming quickly after I signed.

“I am looking forward to it, it will be a very special occasion. I played well for Portsmouth and it was a very special time for all of us who were at the club then.

“It was happy for us then, but when I see what has happened to the club I am sad, of course.

“You want your former team to be successful – I wish them the best of luck and really hope they get out of the problems they are in.

“There are players still there – David James, Kanu and Utaka. I speak to them all the time. I am always on the phone with ‘the King’ – Kanu.

“I have joked with him. I told him ‘You are going down’ and when I joined Sunderland he said ‘You will be with us! I said ‘No, no, no – it is not like that’.

“That will not happen. Seriously he is happy for me that I have a new club.”