Zane Monlouis, an Arsenal loanee, has not been selected for recent teams because of the “balance of the bench,” according to Reading manager Ruben Selles.
The single January signing for Reading was the 20-year-old defender, who joined on loan until the end of the season after making an impression as the captain of the Arsenal Under-21 team.
It happened after players like Nelson Abbey, Nesta Guinness-Walker, and Tom McIntyre made the decision to leave, leaving the defensive line thinly manned.
The former England youth international made his debut in a five-minute cameo at Fleetwood Town, but he was not included in the matchday squad since February after giving up a last-minute equaliser at Highbury Stadium.
“I need to make the list and I think the players that are coming regularly with us are working hard,” Selles commented after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Barnsley. “I need to make a balance on the bench, and he was not there. He is training well but the other ones have been training with the same intensity and have given us everything during the season. I just decided on a different set-up for the bench.”
The youngster did start for Noel Hunt’s Under-21s in an impressive 3-0 win against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Hunt’s Young Royals are on track to finish in the top half, above the likes of Wolves and Middlesbrough.
