Portsmouth’s Uefa Cup campaign has yet to get off the ground and neither did the team’s plane to Germany yesterday after the company that owned the aircraft went bust 4½ hours before the players and staff were due to embark for this evening’s group E match against Wolfsburg.

Flightline, a Southend-based charter company with six planes, went into administration at 10am. Although Thomson Sport, the club’s official travel provider, eventually found an alternative aircraft, it had to fly from Cologne to Southampton to pick up the squad, which arrived two hours late. The club wanted to fly via Brunswick, where the runway is too short for Thomson’s planes, which were used to take media and spectators via Hanover.

For Adams and his wealthy players, it was barely an inconvenience. For the 235 Flightline employees made redundant three weeks before Christmas, it was much more serious. For a club in Portsmouth’s reported financial difficulties, it must have been a chilling reminder of the possible consequences of the global credit crunch.

Flightline is the fourth company used by Barclays Premier League clubs to hit problems this season after the failures of XL, Markoss and European Aviation Air Charter. Portsmouth will hope that yesterday’s events were not a bad omen.

There was never a danger that Portsmouth would fail to arrive in Germany less than 24 hours before kick-off — which woud have contravened Uefa rules — and they had trained before setting off as Tony Adams sought to replicate normal working patterns. That was just as well because Portsmouth, who must win this evening to have a realistic chance of reaching the knockout phase of the competition, can ill-afford to start at a disadvantage against a team who could prove formidable opponents.

Wolfsburg, eighth in the Bundesliga and unbeaten at the Volkswagen Arena since April, have scored 27 goals in nine home games, conceding only six. Coached by Felix Magath, the former West Germany midfield player, they have won both their group games, beating Heerenveen, of the Netherlands, 5-1 and snatching victory in injury time away to Braga, winning 3-2. They need only a point to join AC Milan in qualifying.

Portsmouth must match Braga’s result this evening away to Heerenveen, who have yet to take a point, then beat the Dutch side at Fratton Park on December 17 to progress. Adams, who confessed that he is an admirer of German football and methods, despite a “very good” personal record against German club sides, will not concern himself with events in the Netherlands. “We’re fully focused on tonight,” he said. “We won’t be worrying about Heerenveen and Braga. That’s out of our hands.

“This is a very tough place to come. Their home record is very good. But the facts are that if we win our last two games, we’re through. But we can only play one at a time and we will try to win tonight.”

If Portsmouth manage to take the lead, Adams will hope that they prove better at holding it than they have in recent home matches, where Wigan Athletic, Hull City and AC Milan have scored late goals to take points. But Adams admitted that a desire to satisfy the club’s supporters may not have worked in their favour. “The fans demand a certain style at Fratton Park, but away from home we will not be so adventurous,” he said.

He is boosted by the news that Sol Campbell has travelled after recovering from a toe injury and is likely to start in place of Younès Kaboul, who received an ankle injury in the match against Milan. “Great news,” Adams said. “I need my best players on the pitch and I want Sol to play every game. He is a phenomenal footballer and we’ve missed him. It’s a question of team maturity. After a couple of matches where we’ve been done late on, his experience could have helped.”

Wolfsburg (possible, 4-2-3-1): D Benaglio — S Riether, Ricardo Costa, A Barzagli, M Schäfer — Josué, C Zaccardo — C Gentner, Z Misimovic, A Dejagah — E Dzeko.

Portsmouth (possible, 4-4-2): D James — G Johnson, S Campbell, S Distin, N Belhadj — N Kranjcar, P Bouba Diop, S Davis, A Traoré — P Crouch, J Defoe.

Referee: I Bebek (Croatia).