Wrexham will have the chance to move into the League automatic promotion places when they travel to Berkshire for Tuesday’s meeting with Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
The Red Dragons are currently in third place on goal difference, while the Royals are in eighth position in the League One table.
Match preview
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With 11 games left to play, Reading are sitting five points adrift of the playoffs after winning 15, drawing 10 and losing 10 of their 35 league matches this season.
The Royals have put together an eight-game unbeaten run since ending January with three consecutive league defeats, although they may feel they have left points on the table after drawing five of their previous seven matches.
In fact, they have seen three of their last four games finish all square, including their most recent outings against Exeter City and Crawley Town.
Noel Hunt‘s side played out a goalless affair with the Grecians, before they were held to a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s trip to Broadfield Stadium, where Crawley’s Panutche Camara scored a 90th-minute equaliser to cancel out Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan‘s first-half opener.
The Royals are now preparing for a tricky test against promotion hopefuls Wrexham, but they will be confident of taking something from the contest due to their strong home record, which has seen them win 11, draw three and lose three of their 17 home matches.
The opening goal could be crucial to Reading’s hopes of claiming maximum points, having won 10 of the 11 home league matches in which they have scored first this season.
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Wrexham are firmly in the hunt to secure a third consecutive promotion after they beat Rotherham United on Saturday to move level on points with second-placed Wycombe Wanderers, who had to settle for a draw in their meeting with Peterborough United.
Sam Smith, who joined Wrexham from Reading in January, scored the decisive goal in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Millers, representing a third win in four consecutive matches as well as a third straight clean sheet for Phil Parkinson‘s side.
The Red Dragons may have one eye on Saturday’s crunch match against Wycombe, but first, they will look to move above their promotion rivals by taking at least a point from their first away meeting with Reading since November 2001.
Wrexham enjoyed success in the reverse fixture in August, easing to a 3-0 home victory thanks to goals from Ollie Palmer, Elliott Lee and Andy Cannon.
They will fancy their chances of completing a league double after winning each of their previous five away matches in all competitions.
The visitors will be keen to strike first at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, having lost all four of their away league games where they have conceded the opening goal this season.
Team News
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The Royals are unable to call upon the injured quartet of Jeriel Dorsett, Harlee Dean, Michael Craig and Ben Elliott.
Amadou Mbengue is expected to be out until April with a knee injury, while Louie Holzman has joined the absentee list due to a fractured eye socket.
Chem Campbell and Jayden Wareham are pushing for starting opportunities after coming off the bench to play around half an hour on Saturday.
As for the visitors, they are without the services of Cannon, Luke Bolton, Callum Burton and Ollie Palmer due to injury.
Midfielder George Dobson is a doubt after he sat out Saturday’s win over Rotherham with an ankle injury he sustained in last Tuesday’s away clash against Huddersfield.
Smith has scored 11 of his 13 league goals this season as a Reading player, but he will be looking to get one over his former side when he features in Wrexham’s forward line.
Reading possible starting lineup:
Pereira; Abrefa, Stickland, Bindon, Garcia; Savage, Wing, Knibbs; Campbell, Camara, Wareham
Wrexham possible starting lineup:
Okonkwo; Cleworth, O’Connell, O’Connor; Longman, Rathbone, James, Lee, Revan; Smith, Rodriguez
We say: Reading 1-1 Wrexham
Wrexham will be keen to boost their promotion bid by claiming all three points in Tuesday’s away clash, but while they have won three of their last four league games, we think they will be held to a draw by a Reading side that have drawn five of their previous seven matches.
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