Reading suspend Sonko and Fae

Reading have suspended their midfielder Emerse Fae and centre-back Ibrahima Sonko for two weeks following a breach of club discipline.

It had been reported that the pair refused to play in a reserve game against Tottenham on Monday, and the Reading manager Steve Coppell said: "As far as I'm concerned it's an internal disciplinary measure and it's been dealt with. I don't want to take anything away from the focus of what's important for us this week, and that is our game against Tottenham on Saturday. Everything else is just incidental."

Sonko and Fae had become frustrated at being overlooked by Coppell for most of the season, while the former did not return from a serious knee injury until October.

It is understood both players feared their international careers would be in jeopardy should they pick up an injury between now and the end of the season and were unwilling to take a risk they deemed unnecessary by playing for the reserves.

Coppell was adamant the pair's ejection from the squad, which will also save the club around £60,000 in wages, would not affect the other players on Saturday. He said: "It's no big deal, it's just a situation that arose. Something happened, I dealt with it internally and that's it, finished."

It would be no surprise however if both Africans moved on in the summer. Coppell added: "I want people here who are committed to the club not themselves."