Kanu racking up appearances

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Kanu, who could miss a vital chunk of Pompey's Premier League season in the African Nations Cup in January, has already started five matches this season for Redknapp's team after coming on as a substitute in the opener at Derby.

Redknapp said: "If Kanu doesn't play in 20 games he doesn't deserve another year, but he will play 20 games because he's good enough. And it is 20 appearances, too, not 20 starts. So he is going to get the games."

He added: "Apart from injuries, he has been starting all the time anyway. He didn't start at Derby but still came on."

After top-scoring with 12 Pompey goals last season, Kanu originally wanted the security of a new two-year deal, fearing that the African Nations Cup would take too much out of him.

But he settled for an appearances clause in the shorter contract which entitled him to an extra year and Redknapp admits: "Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday is too much for him.

"He takes a week to recover from matches sometimes but he is a player we very much depend on - especially when we play only one man up. He has the quality and experience to hold the ball and bring others into play as well as scoring himself."

Pompey did not do too badly without Kanu against Reading, when Zimbabwean Benjani Mwarurawi took over his role and hit a hat-trick.

Now he has overtaken Kanu with five goals to the Nigerian's total of three for this season and Redknapp confirmed: "Benji would not have played against Reading either had he not passed a fitness test on a thigh injury."

The treble has surely shaken off Benjani's reputation as a striker who cannot score. He notched only one goal in his first season with Pompey after a £4.4million move from French club Auxerre and scored only six in 31 games last term.