Pompey narrowly missed out on European football last season but still exceeded expectations at Fratton Park with a top-10 finish.

Boss Harry Redknapp has delved into the transfer market in the close season and hopes are high the new faces can better last term's exploits and secure a UEFA Cup spot.

However, with Fulham one of a number of clubs around them to have also splashed out over the summer, Stefanovic sees the encounter as an ideal opportunity to measure themselves against one of their rivals.

"It'll be a tough game but we're looking forward to it and we can see where we are at the moment," the defender said.

"Fulham will be a tough side. They have a new manager and good players but the most important thing is we can see where we are.

"Last season we overachieved. We've added a couple of players and if it's like last season it will be excellent but maybe with a bit of luck we can push for something else, maybe push for Europe."

Redknapp also highlighted the benefits of taking part in the four-team tournament in Hong Kong that also features Liverpool and Hong Kong FA Cup winners South China, believing it will help the new signings integrate more quickly with the rest of the squad.

"Trips like this are good because everybody gets to know each other a bit better, it's good team blending so I'm sure there'll be plenty of plusses," he said.

"John Utaka's only just joined us so he'll be involved. He can play in several positions, he can play through the middle or play wide so we'll see how it goes.

"Everybody will be involved. Most of the new players will be playing at some stage. You're going to need your substitutes and we'll make changes during the game.

"Sylvain Distin and (Hermann) Hreidarsson are Premier League players so they've settled in very quickly.

"Sulley Muntari's played in Italy and again, he's settled down quickly in training, and David Nugent's played in the Championship so I don't think it'll be too much of a problem for us. They've all mixed in well.

"It's a bit different to what we've been used to but it'll be a good exercise in making sure we keep the ball because if you give it away it'll be very tiring chasing around.

"It'll be the team that keeps the ball better that wins and that's what we want from our team so it'll be a good exercise for us."

Redknapp also feels the trip to Hong Kong is more beneficial than the slog of a pre-season Intertoto Cup campaign.

"Obviously we would have liked to have qualified for Europe last year through the UEFA Cup but the Intertoto Cup was never really something we considered and when this opportunity came up we were delighted to take it," he said.

"It's all opened up now. If you look at the Premier League, everybody's travelling. It's a whole new market in Asia.

"It's a great trip for us, a great experience, a good place to visit and we're very much looking forward to it."