Published: Friday, 19th September, 2008 1:00pm

Bryn relishing Stoke return

by Anthony Smith

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Comeback trail: Brynjar Gunnarsson is set to return from an eight month injury lay-off in Tuesday's Carling Cup clash against his old club Stoke City.

BRYNJAR Gunnarsson will be forced to put his comeback on hold until next Tuedsday night when Reading travel to his old club Stoke City for a Carling Cup third round clash at the Britannia Stadium (7.45pm ko).

The 32-year-old midfielder, pictured, has been out since January after tearing a groin muscle in a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa.

The Iceland international then saw his progress set back by a couple of months after a training ground accident.

He finally returned to action on Monday in Reading reserves' 1-1 draw at QPR reserves. But his hopes of a swift first-team recall look to have been dashed following Royals' 6-0 mauling of Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship on Tuesday night.

It means boss Steve Coppell is almost certain to name a virtually unchanged side this Saturday at Watford - the club Gunnarsson left to join Reading in summer 2005 - with James Harper and youngster Jem Karacan in central midfield.

"I came through a reserves game on Monday so I should be available at the weekend," stated Gunnarsson. "But the team did rather well on Tuesday and the manager usually sticks with the same squad.

"However, we have a cup game next Tuesday and he likes to change his team so I hope to be involved in that and try and help us into the next round.

"Personally, it will be nice for me to go back to Stoke anyway and I'm really looking forward to it.

"I was there for three full seasons and we made the play-offs in each one and finally secured promotion to the Championship in my last year.

"I also played at Wembley in the Auto Windscreens Shield final and had some great times but the club has changed a great deal since I was there and the only people left are the kitman and the tea lady.

"They have great support up at Stoke. The fans really back their team and they always had the potential to go places."

Gunnarsson made 131 appearances and scored 15 goals for the Potters between 1999 and 2003. Boss Tony Pulis led them to a long-awaited return to the top flight last season and he made £5.5 million Dave Kitson and £2 million Ibrahima Sonko among his summer signings from Reading.

Whether the ex-Royals duo will be named in Pulis' side to face their former team-mates remains to be seen as both could be rested for the Premier League campaign.

But if Pulis is ready to ring the changes, so is Coppell by naming Adam Federici in goal and Leroy Lita and Shane Long up front with Dave Mooney on the bench.

The likes of Bobby Convey, Julian Kelly, James Henry and Kalifa Cisse are also likely to be in the squad.

"Kits and Sonks have both been involved in the Premier League so I don't know if they will come up against us," added Gunnarsson.

"It will be interesting to see if they do and it will be a bit strange to be competing against them on different sides. But even if they don't play it will be nice to go up there and see them again.

"Saying that, we're going there to win. Our only aim is to get into the next round."