Coppell reveals Bikey frustration

Reading manager Steve Coppell is frustrated by how little he has seen defender Andre Bikey this season.

Cameroonian Bikey has only trained with Reading six times and played 10 minutes for them since pre-season began, because of international commitments.

Bikey was a late substitute on Saturday in the 2-0 defeat by Ipswich.

Coppell told BBC Radio Berkshire: "He's been on World Cup duty, Olympic duty. He came back from the Olympics and then he was away again."

"If my team need me, then I'll be here; if my national team needs me, I'm a professional so what can I do?"
Reading defender Andre Bikey

"Here we are almost two months into the season - three months of you include the pre-season - and he's trained with us on six days.

"He's an international footballer with his country and we've never seen him."

Bikey, 23, said there was little he could do about the situation.

He said: "If my team need me, then I'll be here; if my national team needs me, I'm a professional so what can I do?

"Now I'm here, I think only about Reading. I want to play and I want to help the team to get back up again."

Bikey added the team was very disappointed with the defeat at Ipswich.

"Not only did we lose the game but we didn't do what the gaffer said before the game.

"This league is different from the Premier League. The gaffer wanted us to play very direct football. He is very angry."

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