Long-term injury victim Alan O`Brien was substituted after just 38 minutes of Swindon`s 4-1 reserve-team victory at Reading on Tuesday afternoon - but the midfielder insists it was purely a precautionary measure.

The Dublin-born 24-year-old was making only his second reserve appearance since sustaining a hamstring injury towards the end of August.

Having set up Billy Paynter for the Robins` second goal at the Madejski Stadium, he was soon forced off as he felt the effects of his return.

But he told Press Association Sport: "I came off as a precautionary measure. My hamstring was a little bit tight so I didn`t want to aggravate it.

"The game went well, I`m back up at near enough full pace now so I`ve got to expect to feel a little bit of something. My substitution was definitely a case of taking it safe rather than sorry. I don`t want to risk playing on and my hamstring getting sore or risk pulling it again. You have to be cautious with it."

Asked when Swindon fans can expect to see him back in first-team action, he replied: "Hopefully sooner rather than later. I`ve only had three days training, though. I`ve had a couple of run-outs now but there`s still a way to go. I need to get my fitness back and start feeling good and confident that my hamstring is alright."