Steve Coppell will carry on putting his faith in Stephen Hunt to fill Reading’s vacant left-back role.

Royals’ boss is still on the look-out for a replacement for Nicky Shorey following his £3million move to Aston Villa.

Coppell was hoping to have someone in before tomorrow’s match at home to Plymouth, but that is now highly unlikely.

There has been contact with Arsenal over taking 18-year-old Kieran Gibbs on loan, but that was weeks ago and talks have, at the moment, stopped. He played seven games for Norwich last season during a loan spell.

Sheffield United’s Chris Armstrong is available and would jump at the chance to join Reading, but Coppell has rubbished reports of interest in Leicester’s Joe Mattock and Dagenham and Redbridge’s Scott Griffiths.

Coppell said: “Hunty has done terrific in the role. He’s a good player and good players can play anywhere. It may be that he takes to it and it might be a continuing experiment.”

Scott Golbourne, the squad’s only other specialist left-back, will return from a pelvic injury in the reserves’ game at Southampton on Monday (7pm).