Town boss Paul Jewell insists that nothing ought to be read into skipper Grant Leadbitter being left out of the 16 since his return from his groin injury. The midfielder's contract is up in the summer with no new deal yet in place and the £2.65 million 2009 signing from Sunderland's recent absence from the squad had led to speculation that he was set to be sold in January.

Jewell says that with only five subs available in the Championship there are always going to be players disappointed: “Grant and Josh Carson can count themselves unlucky.

“People play themselves into the squad [in training], but also, as a manager, you look at the game and think about what might pan out, what might be the best for you.

“It might have been better if Grant had been on the bench at Leicester as we might possibly have changed our system in the second half a little, but there you go.”

Jimmy Bullard replaced the injured Keith Andrews at the King Power Stadium and might be seen as the favourite to start alongside Lee Bowyer in central midfield at Reading with the Irishman likely to be sidelined for the remainder of his half-season loan from Blackburn.

Leadbitter, who turned down Town's initial contract offer early in the season having been the subject of a bid from Portsmouth in the summer, could well be back in the 16 even if he doesn’t return to the starting XI.

Photo: Action Images

bluelady added 13:55 - Dec 28 Jas same position as we were with Keane last season yet you defended him and said give him time, I'm not totally happy with jewell i just think your ability to twist everything into a negative when under keane you were so positive is rather tiresome and dull now ....... you are right this isn't about previous managers so for goodness sake move on and let go, your posts clearly show you habour a massive grudge. As for Jet time will tell. Healy was a decent risk by Keane, but Fullop, leadboots, prisken to name but a few were massive mistakes, as was letting David wright and others go.... and if you want to talk about past their prime signings the best ever for me has to be Ivan campo!!!!

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tractorboy2434 added 14:49 - Dec 28 Just a note of caution folks, we are not out of the woods and could quite easily slip back towards the bottom 3 if results go against us, players like Leadbitter, Drury, Priskin and Ellington are not going to save us, once Andrews is gone we have a struggle on our hands to get results so we will need some reinforcements pretty soon, if Jewell cannot deliver in January we are going to have a struggle to stay up and Jewell will then be history.

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geography26 added 14:59 - Dec 28 Sell him in January and bring in Kane Ferdinand and Paul Coutts!
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PauloJulio added 15:00 - Dec 28 Cant we p/x him for Andrews
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RegencyBlue added 16:32 - Dec 28 CornardBlue. Keane did indeed do his best to destroy this club aided by Magilton who arguably wasted even more money than Keane did. As for Jewell I have to say that whilst for a few games he had the team playing much better football than we ever saw under Keane most of the time its the same old dross. My main problem with him is that he's been here 11 months and still hasnt sorted out a proper defence. Its not rocket science and if I and every other Town fan I know can see there's a problem why cant Jewell? Much as I would like him to succeed with us the signs dont look good to me!

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RetroBlue added 16:33 - Dec 28 I really fear for us at Reading now that Andrews has gone. We have no one else to fill his role, to the same degree he does.
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heady added 16:59 - Dec 28 Keanish - i disagree with most of your comments... that's just your oppinion.
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Elwood added 17:28 - Dec 28 RegencyBlue: Keane did indeed do his best to destroy this club aided by Magilton who arguably wasted even more money than Keane did - Are you sure ? JM may have bought 1 or 2 duds but his more expensive purchases were Norris and McAuley, both first teamers under RK and PJ before let go for nothing (not JM's fault). He also bought Walters for 100K sold for £3m
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h32 added 17:47 - Dec 28 Fact is that after all is said and done - the last two (inc current) Managers have been a disaster. Jewell still has far more support than he deserves - but this only shows how sad, in terms of low level expectations, some of our supporters are. Amongst many other issues of amazement, how can ANYONE see Leadbitter as a team captain ????????? - Jewell's excuse, yes it has to be an excuse, is 'the role is not that important' - ABSURD STATEMENT - if ever there was one. Given more time I am convinced that JM would have made both managers look inadequate - allowing for his failings, and there were some, everyone could see he was 'learning the trade' - and doing reasonably well in so doing. What he did need was an old experienced wise head (with Ipswich pedigree preferably) to guide him - that's all. Obviously that choice was his - he didn't take that option, thus quite possibly one of his mistakes. Let's just hope that Leadbitter doesn't return to the team, as team captain anyway - but it seems that he is very much a 'Jewell man' - and WILL duly return to the role. Every chink of light we find seems to be extinguished - but let's hope for a better NEW YEAR, one way or another. Happy New Year to you all.

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Elwood added 17:53 - Dec 28 H32 - Would agree JM probably better than RK and PJ, but he did bring in an experienced head in John Gorman, just before he got the chop ! Were still paying the price for that.
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h32 added 18:02 - Dec 28 Elwood ...... no disrespect to the man, but John Gorman, in my opinion, was not the right man - in the event it was 'too little too late' as things turned out anyway. It's all water under the bridge now anyway - but just wanted to expand my point somewhat.
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bigfatjoe2 added 19:00 - Dec 28 I agree that Edwards would be better off playing in his rw role, but disagree that Jamie peters is the solution, jewell needs to start from the back stop us conceding goals then work forward. I do feel he is still cleaning up keanes mess, and is paying the price interms of not being given the funds as his predecessors were, ok jet has been terrible so far, bullard has not really shone yet, cresswell has been excellent, I think bowyer has been ok for a free, not many complained about chopra At the start of the season, Ellington nuff said but was free. I think u have to give jewell till the end of the season, just my opinion like I said sort out the defence then work from there.

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Keaneish added 19:17 - Dec 28 Indeed Heady, but I guess that's the beauty of football. A bit more eloquent than Kendubz! I'd also add that we still need another 5 or 6 players for our squad: GK, RB, CB, CB, DM and either a winger or striker.
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Tractastic added 19:21 - Dec 28 Great post Keaneish, I agree with your comments and its good to see such a post encouraging discussion. PJ needs to step up and Clegg step down in the New year. COYB.
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are_these_the_days added 19:41 - Dec 28 The full extent of Rks demolition of our club becomes more apparent all the time. The Rhodes, Walters and Garvan sales (yes I still believe Owen could be doing a good job for us), together with the waste of vast sums of money on the likes of Priskin and especially Leadbitter are still having a devastating effect, including an apparent reluctance on our benefactor to shell out similar vast sums of money. H32 - you are of course right about Leadbitter - this is Jewell's achiles heel -not only should he not be captain he should never have been in the team in the first place , something I have known right from the start when I was in the minority.

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ericgates added 22:19 - Dec 28 i agree keanish, but i think peters at RB and carlos at RM would work well as a partnership, not because peters is better at RB though. Carlos would do well at tracking back due to his time at RB, but play with more freedom also.
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slowerball added 01:08 - Dec 29 Nobody can pass the ball sideways or backwards like Grant... Sell.
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Tractorboy24 added 01:33 - Dec 29 These comments are hilarious, peters as our first choice rb, jewell has had enough time to change our fortunes, after 11 months, esp after 16 signings despite only 2 arriving in last jan. We've been spun the yarn about transition since royle left, however this is the first time I can see a light, not because of what's at the club now, but what I believe will begin to come over the next few transfer windows. The signings of bowyer, ingermarsson and the loanees weren't to get us up fast, but to steady the sinking ship. Granted the results haven't been good, but if keane can be given 18 months in the job, then surely jewell can be given just as much time to do his job?

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bluelady added 02:05 - Dec 29 Peters as right back, how many who think this went to the Northampton game? Tow words NO WAY!
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bobble added 04:35 - Dec 29 leadbelly no good
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walberswick added 09:13 - Dec 29 Nobody would pay any fee for Grant Leadbitter. Best to keep him on the bench and save on his appearance bonus. BTW with donkeys like Hutchings and Mcarthy training the first team, is it any surprise we are 19th in the table.
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yorksblue added 09:31 - Dec 29 Sell him to Forest. Their manager loved him enough to enquire whilst at Pompey. Surely Forest are in a better position (financially) than Pompey. Unless he's fallen out of love with him.
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ericgates added 12:45 - Dec 29 Bluelady - I didn't see Peters against Nothampton, but I did against Arsenal.
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h32 added 16:32 - Dec 29 walberswick - agreed.
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