Nottingham Forest head coach Sabri Lamouchi says it was simply his “choice” not to include club record signing Joao Carvalho in the matchday squad against Reading.
The same also applied for defender Jack Robinson in the 1-1 draw at the Madejski Stadium, while on-loan trio John Bostock, Rafa Mir and Arijanet Muric have not featured for some time for the Reds.
But midfielder Alfa Semedo missed out after becoming a father a few days earlier, as the Reds were denied three points with the last kick of the game following Ben Watson’s goal in added time.
“It was absolutely different situations for them,” Lamouchi said of Carvalho, Robinson and Semedo.
“Alfa Semedo became a father two days ago, so he is with his wife and his daughter.
“Robinson and Carvalho, and Bostock, Mir and Muric, it was just a choice from myself.”
The visitors had been the better side in the first half against the Royals, but could not make that pressure count.
They found themselves on the back foot after the break, with the hosts hitting the post through Tyler Blackett.
When Watson found the net in the 96th minute, it looked as though victory had been secured.
But Reading went immediately down the other end and rescued a point as Tobias Figueiredo turned the ball into his own net.
"Only football can give you this emotion,” said Lamouchi.
"I think we should have scored one, maybe two goals in the first half. The second half Reading had one or two chances.
"After that at the end of the game, it's done, over - the game is finished. But it's not.
"I don't know what happened. This is the fate. We made one mistake. Maybe it's the emotion. We did the job for 95 minutes.
"One ball, one cross, one goal. This can happen. This is the fate.
"To travel to Reading, before, I'm happy with one point. We need now to enjoy the day off and forget this emotion. We must be positive and focused."
