Reading boss Steve Coppell has hailed Portsmouth's Nwankwo Kanu as one of the Premiership's finest strikers ahead of tomorrow's match.

He said: "Kanu has been terrific this year, scoring goals and creating goals. In that 4-3-3 formation he is more or less the lone striker so it is a heavy burden.

"He is very much an intuitive player but the core of his game is holding the ball up. That is what every manager would love his striker to be able to do - to hold the ball up, withstand pressure from defenders trying to take it off you and bring others into play."