The FA Cup provides a break from league action on Saturday and, while Albion face lower league opposition at home, Reading are as high as lower league opposition can get. The Royals are seven points clear at the top of the Championship and a massive eighteen points clear of third-placed Leeds United. Wolves, who are just outside the play-offs in seventh place, are a full thirty points behind Reading.

Although some bookmakers refusing to take any more bets on them winning promotion, it seems that Royals boss Steve Coppell is taking no chances and is likely to rest some of his first team. A few of Reading's more well known players, such as top scorer, Dave Kitson, and Glen Little, could well be rested having picked up knocks recently. Leroy Lita, on the other hand, who scored seven goals in nineteen starts earlier this season, is just recovered from injury and seems likely to get a run out at the Hawthorns.

Bryan Robson's priorities are also with the league, and he too may choose to rest one or two players. He has been boosted by the news that Ronnie Wallwork, Junichi Inamoto and Zoltan Gera are all fit to play and, given the poor midfield performance against Aston Villa on Monday, I'd expect all three of them to play some part. On the downside, Neil Clement suffered a head injury against Villa and Gaardsoe has a hamstring problem, which leaves Davies, Moore and Watson the only candidates for central defence unless there is a new arrival before Friday evening. At the time of writing, it also remains to be seen whether Robson has been able to convince the Nigerian FA to allow Kanu to stay beyond Friday.

The match would also appear to offer an ideal opportunity to give Robert Earnshaw another chance, but that is perhaps unlikely given the news emanating from the Hawthorns today. Robson has accepted that Earnshaw would be allowed to leave if a suitable offer became available, and just as he has prevented Koumas playing for Cardiff this weekend, he may feel that it is worth preventing Earnie from becoming cup-tied. On the other hand, the coaching staff have also produced a DVD for the Welsh striker to explain the perceived weaknesses in his game, a tactic that worked with Inamoto earlier in the season, so there is obviously still a hope that he will choose to stay.

Whatever sides are put out, victory for the home side will not be easily achieved. Reading have been beaten just twice this season - once at home to Plymouth on the opening day, the other at Highbury in the Carling Cup. Since that defeat to Argyle, they have dropped just 12 points out of 81.

The FA Cup may not be a priority for Albion, and there is an argument that an early exit would keep the players fresh for the run-in, but defeat at home to a Championship side, runaway leaders or not, would certainly dent confidence. Moreover, with Premiership sides given free Saturdays for both the fourth and fifth rounds, there is a limit to how much impact a cup run would have, assuming replays can be avoided, and it's strange how a winning side seems unaffected by the additional demands of extra games.

Without the pressure of Premiership points at stake, Albion may be able to play with a little more freedom and hopefully play some of the good football we have seen glimpses of at the Hawthorns in the past month or so.

Assuming these are all fit/available, my team against Reading would be a 4-3-1-2:

Kirkland; Albrechtsen, Davies, Moore, Robinson; Greening, Wallwork, Inamoto; Kanu; Earnshaw, Ellington.

Subs: Kuszczak, Gera, Scimeca, Horsfield, Campbell.

Jon Want, 5th January 2006.