Reading boss Steve Coppell defended his decision not to travel to Sunderland with Kevin Doyle.

Reading lost 2-1 and Coppell said: "It was probably a residue of our previous experience when he played two games for Ireland and then we had a trip to Bolton and by his own admission, he just had nothing left in the tank.

"I watched the two Irish games on TV and he played practically every minute and he played his heart out for his country in both games, in the final 30 minutes of the second game down to 10 men and he was ploughing a lone furrow up front.

"He got back at 2.30am on Thursday and then we were travelling on Friday.

"I wouldn't have changed that. That would be asking too much of him with the travelling involved."