ALAN Reeves says Jerel Ifil must learn to show greater nous' to prevent unnecessary suffering to his teammates, his manager, his club and ultimately his own career.

The 23-year-old comes back into contention for Saturday's clash with Chesterfield at the County Ground after completing his third suspension of the current campaign.

The defender has been red carded three times this season and clocked up eight bookings.

It leaves him top of the League One bad boys table and while there is no question of Ifil being tagged a dirty' player, Reeves also feels it would be wrong to simply put the defender's disciplinary record down to bad luck.

Ifil enjoyed 90 minutes for the reserves at Swansea City on Tuesday afternoon after completing the ban he was hit with following his Nottingham Forest dismissal.

Reeves hopes it marks the end of the player's unscheduled stints in the stands.

And Town's assistant boss says youthful inexperience' is no longer an excuse.

He said: "Jerel has games at senior level under his belt now.

"I don't think you can look for excuses.

"He has not showed enough nous in situations.

"What he has to realise is that the bookings and the red cards do add up in more ways than one.

"At first it might be one game you miss, then it can be two, now he's had to miss three games.

"It adds up and suddenly you find yourself missing up to what could be around a quarter of a season.

"That's no use for you as a player and nor does it help your teammates or your manager.

"If you're looking to progress in the game then your disciplinary record is something managers are going to study."

Reeves feels Ifil is blessed with the defensive attributes which should make a large chunk of the niggling' bookings unnecessary.

He said: "He's got such great pace that he shouldn't need to be diving in or going to ground when he doesn't need to.

"Still, he is back now, it gives the manager another option for Saturday and that's what you want at such an important stage of the season."