Defender John Dreyer, is back in the City squad after recovering from a chest infection and he warns that tonight's Worthington Cup match against Reading could be a 'banana skin.'

As a Premiership club playing a team that is next to the bottom of the Second Division, City will be expected to win, but Dreyer said: "We cannot get carried away with their poor start to the season and expect just to turn up to get a good result.

"They have had a poor start while we are buoyant after getting a late equaliser against Spurs on Sunday, but we have got to be on our guard. I just hope that we can give a good professional account of ourselves. It would be nice to beat them because winning breeds confidence."

Dreyer, who is enjoying life in the Premiership, was disappointed to miss the Spurs match. He said: "Everyone wants to play in big televised matches, but the chest infection affected my training and I was not 100 per cent fit.

"I enjoyed the match and I think the lads kept going particularly well and deserved a point. I thought Les Ferdinand was awesome and I was obviously impressed with Ginola.

"It is fabulous to have this sort of player playing at our ground and I am loving every minute of it. Now I just want to get my place back although I think Andy O'Brien did well in my absence.

"Spurs had so much possession in the first 25 minutes and put us under a lot of pressure, but Andy stuck to his task well and came out on top. I am a great fan of his.

"Playing in the Premiership is a fabulous experience for us all and at this stage in my career it is the stuff that dreams are made of.

"When you think that just over two years ago we were battling to stay in the First Division you realise that the club has come a long way in a short space of time."

Although survival in the Premier-ship is clearly City's priority, manager Paul Jewell said: "The Worthington Cup is important for us. We take it seriously and we want to progress to the next round.

"We have picked up a few knocks, but this gives the players who have not been in the side a big opportunity and I expect them to do well.

"The match will prove to be a different kind of challenge to what we have experienced in the Premier-ship.

"People will make us favourites to win, but Reading will see it as a nice break from their league programme and they will be keen to test their ability against a Premiership side."

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