By Mark Sugar
February 18 2004

Steve Coppell was dealt a major blow this morning with the news that Steve Brown will miss the Gillingham clash with a knee injury,adding to Steve Coppell's injury problems.With Royals skipper Adie Williams missing,Icelandic star Ivar Ingimarrson wife due to go into labour,these aren't great times. Could Steve Coppell's job get any worse?The fans are on your back,your last performence being a very dissapointing match where you concead 5 goals and all in a poor fashion and then you have a 2 week break without a game,only for 1 of the 4 first choice defenders able to train.Well this is Steve Coppell's job as Reading manager and it gets harder by the day.

Losing Steve Brown is a major blow.Not only is the guy an honest professional,a decent defender with bags of experience but a fighter and a winner.Steve Coppell made the comment yesterday "Brown would play through the pain barrier if asked to".Well that option isn't available now as he sufferes from a swollen knee,the same knee that required surgery towards the end of year which saw him miss 2 months of the season.Royals supporters will be wondering what they have to do to see Adie Williams and Steve Brown put a decent run of games together.

This is terrible timing with the Gillingham clash only days away.Already Adie Williams is suspended,but also injured with a toe infection.Greame Murty is currently away with the Scotland squad and while everyone is delighted with his much deserved call-up,its essential he comes back to Reading from Cardiff in one piece and not injured like he did after the Scotland B International Vs Turkey B.Ivar Ingimarrson would seem an ideal replacement,but with his wife due to go into labour any time now then surely he can't be focused 100% on footballing matters and he may be called away at any time now.Only Nicky Shorey and Ricky Newman remain absolute certainties to start yet Newman has suffered with a lack of games meaning his match fitness isn't great while Shorey has had an average season by his standards.

Coppell must also face the prospect of having to risk Kevin Watson.Watson is rated "50/50" after a calf injury and with a number of games coming up in a short space of time,Coppell must now decide if he has to risk the midfielder or rest him in order to use him in this backlogue of fixtures.

But Steve Sidwell will definetely start despite not training on Monday.Sidwell was linked with moves away from the Madejski Stadium at the weekend,and admitted he was flattered to be linked with Scottish giants Rangers.

The lack of cover in defence is notable,and Coppell revealed to the Reading World camera's that the club were on the verge of signing former Wimbledon defender Mikele Leigertwood only for Leigertwood to choose Crystal Palace ahead of Reading.

These are worrying times for Reading and Steve Coppell,and can the magician Coppell work up another magic twick or is this the sign Reading will not be in the Division 1 Playoffs this season.

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