Kalifa Cisse is set to come in for the suspended Marek Matejovsky when we take on Newcastle this weekend.

Matejovsky serves a one-match ban for the red card he received against Blackburn last week, and Cisse is ready to take his place alongside James Harper.

Boss Steve Coppell told Reading World, "Cisse is the obvious replacement. He gives us more steel, especially for an away game like we've got this weekend.

"He's been doing OK, he played for the reserves midweek and you're just looking for an attitude and an approach.

"I was watching the reserve game with the Australian assistant manager, and he was saying how impressed he was with the entire team's attitude, which is very pleasing for the players and staff to hear."

Coppell remains less than satisfied with Matejovsky's enforced absence, saying, "He was unlucky. Having reviewed the video, you can understand why the ref sent him off. But there were so many inconsistencies in terms of what was a booking and what wasn't.

"Because of that, it's hard to be rational and draw a solid conclusion at the end of things.

"Marek's not an aggressive tackler, he's a snappy tackler. He sticks a toe in here and there, and if he mistimes it he can look clumsy but it's not vindictive.

"Naming names, there was Nelsen's challenge on Doyle in the first half, and one on Marcus which got him booked. I don't know what Marcus did wrong there.

"On the variations of challenges, he was unlucky."

Jimmy Kebe is still out for the Royals, and Coppell has the option of bringing Glen Little back into the fold if he deems he to be fit enough.