Boss Paul Jewell is looking forward to his first game under the Portman Road floodlights but says he expects Reading to prove to be tough opponents (KO 7.45pm). Town are definitely without Mark Kennedy and Colin Healy, while a couple of unnamed players were facing fitness tests this morning.

Jewell said: “I know Reading are a good team, manager Brian McDermott’s done exceptionally well considering he only took the job last year.

“They’ve got a system of play, they’ve got pace in the team, they’ve got goalscorers and they’re playing with loads of confidence — they beat Everton in the FA Cup and scored five against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

“It’s going to be a tough game but it’s one that we’re looking forward to it because I think it’s my first midweek game under lights here.”

McDermott progressed through the ranks at the Madejski Stadium, starting as the chief scout before taking on roles as their U19s, then reserves coach before becoming manager, a progression not dissimilar to Jewell’s own at Bradford.

The Town boss says it’s not an easy route to take, but feels McDermott has more than justified his January 2010 appointment: “People forget he played at Arsenal and I think he was at Watford for a time, so he’s been in football for a while.

“He’s taken to management like a duck to water. He’s very low key, he’s very good. His teams have done really, really well and he’s getting the benefits — they’re in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and they’ve got a chance of getting in the play-offs.

“He’s done a huge job there and I’ve a lot of admiration for him because it’s not easy when you come through a club, people always want to bring somebody else in and you have to prove yourself a bit more than maybe a new manager has to, and he’s done that really well.”

Jewell says his Royals counterpart has a good squad, particularly in terms of his frontmen: “I think he’s got good players and the two strikers, Noel Hunt and Shane Long, are both aggressive. They’re not the biggest but they’re aggressive in the way they run, they’re hungry.

“They play to a system that suits them, the wingers have done well and they’re playing with confidence.

“If we had someone like Shane Long, who has scored 17 goals, we’d probably somewhere near the play-offs. But fair play to Brian, he’s getting the best out of him.”

The question marks regarding the fitness of one or two unnamed regulars makes second guessing Jewell’s side tricky. However, if everyone comes through their morning fitness test, the Blues boss is unlikely to stray too far from the side which beat Cardiff.

Darren O’Dea will come into the side for Mark Kennedy, who is likely to be out for the next two or three games with his hamstring injury, but unless there are further injuries, the backline will remain the same with Carlos Edwards at right-back, Damien Delaney and Gareth McAuley in the centre and Márton Fülöp, outstanding at Cardiff, in goal.

Skipper David Norris, two-goal hero Jimmy Bullard and Grant Leadbitter will be in the centre of midfield, again if fit, with Connor Wickham and Lee Martin likely to be in the wide roles. Jason Scotland looks set to continue as the lone striker.

Colin Healy is still out with his torn stomach muscle but could be back for Saturday’s game at Leeds, while Brian Murphy is a couple of weeks away from a return to full training after his broken ankle. Alan Quinn is continuing his recovery after undergoing a second operation on the groin injury he suffered in pre-season.

For Reading, who are in 10th place, six points and four places above the Blues, winger Jobi McAnuff is a doubt with an ankle injury, while right-back Andy Griffin could return from an achilles problem. Shaun Cummings has also missed out recently.

Skipper Ivar Ingimarsson is out with a groin injury along with central defender Alex Pearce, who has a thigh strain. Keeper Adam Federici is sidelined with a knee problem.

Over the years Town have had the edge over the Royals, winning 22 times (21 in the league), drawing nine (nine) and losing 15 (15).

Town fell to their first away defeat of the season at the Madejski Stadium in September as Reading sub Simon Church netted in the 86th minute with his first touch to give his side a 1-0 victory in a game which ended 10 v 10.

The Blues ought to have been in front by half-time with Jason Scotland missing when through on goal, while Luke Hyam and Reading’s Matt Mills saw red for second bookable offences in the second half.

The last time the teams met at Portman Road was in April when the Blues ran out 2-1 winners. Gareth McAuley and Jon Walters netted for Town with Gylfi Sigurdsson hitting a last minute consolation for the visitors. Earlier, Royals skipper Matt Mills was shown a straight red card for a two-footed tackle on David Norris.

Mills must hate playing against Town as in addition to his red cards in successive games against the Blues, the one-time Southampton trainee netted a last ditch winning own goal for the Blues when on loan at Coventry in 2004.

Connor Wickham was a schoolboy with the Royals academy until his serviceman father was posted to Colchester in 2006 and he joined the Blues’ youth set-up. Defender Darren O’Dea was on loan at the Madejski Stadium last season, making seven starts and one sub appearance.

Striker Kevin Lisbie, currently on loan with Millwall, also spent a brief loan spell with Reading when a Charlton player in 1999. No current member of Brian McDermott’s squad has previously played for Town, although former boss Roy Keane targeted defender Ian Harte last season.

At half-time Town will play Ely-based season ticket holder and TWTD reader Nigel Craft’s cover version of Barry Manilow’s Who Needs to Dream, which has been recorded to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Nigel’s Just Giving page can be found here.

Tonight’s referee is Danny McDermid from Hampshire, who has shown 81 yellow and five red cards in 24 games so far this season. McDermid will be refereeing both sides for the first time.

Squad from: Fülöp, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, O’Dea, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Eastman, Norris, Bullard, Leadbitter, Peters, Drury, Hyam, Martin, Wickham, Scotland, Priskin, Murray.

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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