Reading FC interim manager Paul Ince explained why Lucas Joao was not able to complete the full match in the Royals draw at Bournemouth.
Joao was withdrawn from the action with 15 minutes to play with Reading still searching for an equaliser, which eventually came from Tom Ince in the 83rd minute.
The substitution of Joao, who was replaced by Yakou Meite, was greeted by boos from the travelling Reading fans who in the main didn’t appear to agree with the bosses change after Joao had looked lively.
Ince explained after the match why Joao was unable to see out the entire 90 minutes.
“He has has covid so we have to be careful with him” said Ince.
“He hasn’t trained all week.”
The Portuguese forward has made a significant contribution in recent weeks which saw him awarded the PFA Player of the Month Award for February,
Ince commented on the fans reaction to the substitution: “Fans are fans. We want to stay in the league and we can’t be negative.
“That runs through everyone, the fans, the players, staff, all of us guys involved can’t be negative.
“Booing is negative. I love the Reading fans, I’ve only been here three weeks but they have to understand Joao had Covid.
“He was struggling to breathe.
“It was my decision to take him off, that’s what I get paid for.
“Irrespective of the score he was always coming off at the time because he was always going to struggle.
“He is our talisman and the one who will get us goals.
“As much as fans don’t understand that, that is the situation.
“I don’t want negativity, I want everyone to pull together and if we do, we will stay up.”
