Reading look forward to using Albion clash as barometer

The runaway Championship leaders Reading believe that their FA Cup replay with West Bromwich Albion tonight will provide a good yardstick for their Premiership aspirations.

"Last week's game at The Hawthorns was another great occasion for Reading Football Club," the club's director of football, Nick Hammond, said. "It provided a chance for us to lay a marker as regards how far we have come recently, and I think we emerged from the game with a lot of positives and a lot of credit.

"It was a different test to the game we had at Arsenal [in this season's Carling Cup when they lost 3-0] in that it was more of a level playing field, and that's no disrespect to West Brom."

Coppell is likely to make changes to his team for the home tie but Hammond insists this does not mean the League takes priority over the FA Cup. The West Bromwich captain Darren Moore is suspended for the replay after being sent off during Sunday's win at Wigan. Neil Clement and Kanu (both fractured cheekbones), Thomas Gaardsoe and Zoltan Gera (both groin) and Geoff Horsfield (hamstring) are ruled out.

Chris Sutton is poised to make his home debut for Birmingham tonight in the FA Cup replay with Torquay. The former Celtic player impressed in Saturday's 2-0 loss at Charlton. The Blues manager Steve Bruce has no new fitness worries with only Jamie Clapham (knee) and long-term injury victim Mehdi Nafti unavailable.

Matt Jackson looks certain to return to the Wigan side for the FA Cup replay against Leeds tonight as Stéphane Henchoz is suspended. The Austria international Paul Scharner is ineligible and their manager Paul Jewell is down on numbers with David Connolly absent with a hamstring problem and Henri Camara away on African Nations' Cup duty.

Leeds have no new injury or suspension worries and may recall David Healy and Rob Hulse to the line-up after they have played second fiddle to Robbie Blake and Richard Cresswell in recent matches.

But the defender Dan Harding will probably miss out with a foot injury, so Stephen Crainey should continue. Danny Pugh will be hoping for a start after his substitute appearance at Brighton on Saturday.