Cedric Roussel received a big pointer last night that he could be making his first start in the Premiership against Watford at Highfield Road on Sunday.

The Belgian under-21 striker, played the first hour of last night’s reserve match against Leicester City, and was then pulled out of the action.

That is the usual tactic when players needed for the first team are coming back from minor injuries and it signals to the player that he is virtually certain to start the next senior game.

It would be 21 year old Roussel’s official debut. He went on as a substitute in the last few minutes against Newcastle United and then replaced Youssef Chippo in the 17^th minute at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

In between he scored his first goal in England after just 90 seconds of the reserve game against Southampton.

Roussel might have got on the score sheet inside two minutes of the start of last night’s reserve game. He took the ball round the goalkeeper, but then unselfishly laid it back to Gary McSheffrey who miscued his shot.

The Sky Blues, with Gary Breen and Mo Konjic in the centre of the defence, started brightly but were knocked back by two soft goals.

In the 8^th minute Graham Fenton, the former Aston Villa forward, supplied the low cross for the Greek international Theo Zagorakis to score. Then in the 13^th minute Fenton crossed again, this time for Barry Ferguson to head into his own net.

Fenton scored the third just after half-time when he ran through unopposed to flick the ball over the diving Steve Ogrizovic.