Reading suffered a jolt ahead of the Premiership opener at Manchester United on Sunday when it was revealed that striker Leroy Lita will be out of action for at least three weeks due to a leg injury.

The 22-year-old picked up the injury stretching in bed, sounding ridiculous it may seem but Royals boss Steve Coppell feels the England U-21 international is “massively unlucky.”

“I knew this would be a point of ridicule," Coppell told Sky Sports News. "It was stupid it come out really.

"From what I've been led to believe he got injured just stretching in the morning. It's a point of laughter, but it's a serious business for him.

"He's going to be out for three or four weeks, or whatever it is. It is a legitimate injury caused in a way which, ordinarily, wouldn't affect anybody in the population anywhere, but he's been massively unlucky."