Cup Comebacks And Miss Outs

Reading winger, Bobby Convey should be fit and ready to play in the FA Cup third round game with Burnley on Saturday.

Meanwhile Ibrahima Sonko will not be fit to make the team for the clash.

Sonko explained that he would prefer to rest during the cup match to be back in time for Reading`s league encounter with Everton the following weekend:

‘I think I stretched my hip. It’s sore at the moment but we’ve got a couple of weeks before the next Premiership game which is good.”

Sonko also spoke of the importance of others in the squad getting a run out in his absence:

‘It will also give somebody else a chance who hasn’t played as much as I have this season.’

One of those somebodies will be Bobby Convey. The American star has not featured in a Reading line-up since Reading`s away tie to Portsmouth at the end of October.

Convey had recuperated in his homeland for sometime but is now ready to take to the field in Berkshire after all the time out with a knee injury.

But Convey may not be joined by fellow long term absentee, Dave Kitson. Despite talk of Kitson making a return to play in the FA cup clash, it seems the player`s chances of starting are still touch and go:
“Kits trained for the first time last week with the fringe players.

“I did consider making him and Bobby subs for West Ham.” Steve Coppell commented.
Kits will not be playing though unless he comes through training this week without any problems.

“I still think it is a big ask for Kits to come in. I would like to give him a reserve game first because I don`t want to risk that fragility, we`ll see how it goes.”

Captain Graeme Murty is being treated as touch and go case for a start due to the injury that kept him out of the West Ham game. His replacement in that game, Brynjar Gunnarsson, could also miss out after picking up a hamstring injury, but that seems unlikely.

Finally, John Halls will also not make the squad due to a recurring back problem, but fringe players such as John Oster, Sam Sodje, Andre Bikey, and Shane Long could all find themselves starting in light of all Readings uncertainties.