Portsmouth are fifth in the league table with 25 points from 13 games and are currently on a four-match unbeaten run.
Next, Cowley’s side will entertain Karl Robinson’s Oxford United, who have picked up three points from their last five games and are in 19th place in the table.
However, the Portsmouth boss is of the view that injury has disrupted the beginning of the season for Robinson’s side and pointed out that with few of their players returning from injury, Oxford will be a different side.
Cowley stressed that Oxford have some top players in their squad and believes that his side need to put in their best performance to get a positive result from tonight’s fixture.
“I think to be fair to them, they had some injury problems at the beginning of this season and that’s probably disrupted them”, Cowley told BBC Radio Solent.
“Probably haven’t been able to play quite the shape or style they wanted to in some of their early games, but more recently they have got their key players back.
“And they won 4-2 when I watched them against Exeter”, he added.
“They played with a real rhythm and control, they dominated the ball, they carried a real threat in the transition and pressed them really aggressively.
“They have got some top players for this level.
“They are a good team and I would anticipate they will move up through the league very very quickly.
“So it will not be a game that we will take lightly.
“We know exactly how good Oxford are, and we will have to be at our very, very best if we want a successful result, but we’re under the lights at Fratton and there’s no better place to be.”
When the two teams last faced off in March, Portsmouth defeated Oxford 3-2.
