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.