Coppell reveals international worries

Reading manager Steve Coppell admits international weeks leave him not only feeling uncomfortable but also jealous.

The Royals’ preparations for Sunday’s trip to UEFA Cup qualification rivals Tottenham has been hampered by the absence of eight players called up for action by their respective countries.

Irish trio Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt and Shane Long helped Ireland beat Wales and Slovakia, Ivar Ingimarsson and Brynjar Gunnarsson racked up more caps for Iceland, while Seol Ki-Hyeon and Ulises de la Cruz had to travel even further to answer the call of South Korea and Ecuador respectively.

While those players returned unscathed, skipper Graeme Murty came back with a calf injury from his time with the Scotland squad and will almost certainly be unavailable for the White Hart Lane clash.

Coppell said: “To have eight away and one come back injured is probably about par for the course.

“It has never really happened to us before. We have had threes and fours away before but this time has been the most we have ever had and has been a little bit weird.

“Obviously it is a sign of the progress the club is making and the impact the players are making at Premiership and international level.

“But is just another opportunity for them to be injured as far as I am concerned. On international weeks I get really jealous. They are our players yet they are playing for someone else with a risk of being injured.

“As a player myself it really was the icing on the cake to play for your country but as a manager now, on the other side of the fence, it is uncomfortable.”

Reading will kick off in the knowledge that victory would take them above their hosts and should other results go their way they could even rise to fifth.

Spurs will be favourites to take the points, however, especially as striker Dimitar Berbatov is in such white-hot form at the moment, with seven goals in his last eight games.

Coppell added: “I haven’t seen much of him to be honest. He is obviously a good player but so is (Robbie) Keane and so is (Jermain) Defoe. You go through their whole squad and it is certainly one of the most attractive in the Premiership.

“This will be a chance for them to finish the season strongly. It is a big week for them because they have us on Sunday then Seville and Chelsea after that. There is a lot for them to play for.”

With Murty sidelined, record signing Greg Halford stands by to make his first start since making a £2m (€2.94m) switch from Colchester in January.