Town physio Dave Williams has called for football to introduce rugby style blood replacements. The Blues have been forced down to 10-men on a number of occasions this season due to the football authorities' new stricter policy on cuts.

On Tuesday Reading scored their equaliser while defender Jason de Vos was off the field receiving treatment for a cut above his eye. Williams told the club site that he feels the current rules are overzealous: "We could have bandaged it up or covered it over with tape and then stitched it up at half time.

"But the rules say that's not allowed now. It's designed to avoid cross-contamination of blood and was introduced with HIV in mind, although I would have thought hepatitis was more of a concern in that respect, and even with that you are talking about very low percentage chances.

"In rugby they are allowed to bring on substitutes while players are off being stitched up and that seems the obvious answer to me.

"Jason was off for six or seven minutes and that is a long time, but you can't speed up the treatment.

"You need decent lighting to work with if you are putting stitches in cuts around the eyes without using anaesthetic and that's why it can't be done pitchside."

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