Mark Bowen has been speaking to the press as he readies his Reading side for this weekend's clash with Birmingham City at St Andrew's.

Last weekend saw the Royals bounce back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats, comfortably beating relegation threatened Barnsley 2-0 at The Madejksi.

They may have been beaten in the FA Cup since by Sheffield United, but as long as they can maintain their form in the league, there are sure to be plenty of happy faces around Berkshire.

It will be far from easy, however, against a Birmingham side who have not lost any of their last ten Championship matches, although the last four have all been draws.

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Here are the main talking points from the Reading boss' press conference ahead of this one.

He was quick to emphasise the importance of the clash, dubbing the match-up with Pep Clotet and co. just as important as their FA Cup matchup with the Blades.

Bowen also admitted that with just ten games to play now that players who have been more on the peripheries of the first-team are now really starting to knock on the door for their chance.

However, he said that can only be a good thing for him when it comes to picking his side, with plenty of chances to rotate if he fancies.

Keeping strong mentaly at this stage of the season is one of the hardest tasks for players, Bowen also said. With 45 matches already played in all competitions, there are still ten to go and keeping everyone focused can prove a challenge.