Reading v Leeds preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports
Saturday 1 April 2017 21:31, UK
Reading hope to have Jordon Mutch, Liam Kelly and Paul McShane back for the visit of fellow Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 5.15pm.
Kelly and McShane have recovered from hamstring problems which forced them out of international duty with the Republic of Ireland. Mutch is also available following a hamstring injury, but boss Jaap Stam still has a lengthy list of absentees.
Deniss Rakels (ankle), Tiago Ilori (knee), Callum Harriott (hamstring) and Danzell Gravenberch (ankle) are all out.
Leeds head coach Garry Monk will assess striker Chris Wood, but hopes to have his top goalscorer available. Wood is doubtful after sustaining a knock during New Zealand's World Cup qualifying win against Fiji on Saturday.
Midfielder Kalvin Phillips is back in contention after serving a two-game ban, but defender Luke Ayling misses out as he completes his two-match suspension.
Sweden defender Pontus Jansson and Northern Ireland winger Stuart Dallas - two of six players on international duty last weekend - are both pushing for recalls to the starting line-up, the former after he was dropped for the recent win against Brighton.
Opta stats
The Royals are winless in five league games against Leeds (D2 L3), and have failed to score in four of those five matches.
However, Leeds have failed to score in four of their last five trips to the Madejski Stadium, scoring only in a 2-0 win in February 2015.
Chris Wood has scored against 18 different teams in league competition this season; the most in the Championship.
Indeed, Wood is the only player in the second tier to reach double figures for league goals in 2017 (13 goals).
Reading, who have enjoyed the second-highest amount of average possession in the Championship this season (60.72%), have conceded a league-high four goals from counter-attacks.
Prutton's prediction
There's a bit of needle between the managers and that's great. Jaap Stam has had a few words to say about Leeds' approach to the game and Yann Kermorgant questioned their reliance on Chris Wood.
Having said that, if you take 20-plus goals from any team that will have an effect.
Everyone has their own philosophy, though, and whether you are a purist or someone focused exclusively on results, it stokes it up a bit.
Ultimately, the result may be most important in relation to where the respective sides finish in the play-off positions. It should be an entertaining watch either way!
PRUTTON PREDICTS: 2-2 (Sky Bet odds 16/1)
