Injury Blow

Glenn Roeder describes Steve Lomas as "very doubtful" for the clash against Manchester United on Sunday.

"He had a scan on Monday and one thing is certain - he is very doubtful for Sunday's game," he says of Steve, who went off very early in the second half against Leeds at the weekend.

"He has got ligament damage but the early assessment is that if he doesn't make Sunday he will be okay for the following week.

"But he has twisted his ankle and he was limping on Monday."

He was replaced by Edouard Cisse, of whom Glenn enthuses: "Edouard did a very good job - he came on, fought for the team, and him and Michael got to grips with the centre of midfield.

"It is just a shame that the comeback wasn't complete with a fourth goal, because, as poor as the four goals that we let in through non-defending in the first half were, that disguises the fact that we still played some very good football in the first half.

"And when you look at the second half, we took the game by the scruff of the neck - which is what we need to do more often at home.

"Really it was one way traffic and the second half performance deserved a fourth goal for a point.

"But it is not running our way, it is another game we have lost by the odd goal, and it is very disappointing to say the least.

"Elementary defensive errors were being made that you would not expect to find anywhere in professional football and all four goals speak for themselves.

"I feel I stick up for my players at every single opportunity and defend them in every possible way but it is very difficult, if not impossible, to defend some of their decision making on Sunday.

"It is indefensible. You can't find an argument to defend some of the things we saw that led to those four goals.

"Every single one of those four goals was very, very, poor, and I can't say anything else other than that."