West Brom vs Reading preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football Red Button
Watch live on Sky Sports Football Red Button and the Sky Sports app from 7.55pm on Wednesday; Kick-off is at 8pm
Tuesday 20 August 2019 22:58, UK
West Brom face Reading in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday evening, live on Sky Sports.
Coverage gets underway live on Sky Sports Football Red Button from 7.55pm, while kick-off is at 8pm.
Team news
West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic has hinted that he could make changes for the midweek visit of Reading to The Hawthorns. That could present a starting opportunity for West Ham loanee Grady Diangana, who scored twice in the 2-1 win over Luton at the weekend.
Pereira and Charlie Austin may also come into contention, but former Royals frontman Hal Robson-Kanu will not be involved. He is still suffering with back problems and will not return to training until later this week.
Reading impressively beat Cardiff 3-0 on Sunday and Royals boss Jose Gomes is likely to have the same set of players at his disposal for the trip to the Midlands on Wednesday evening.
However, Tyler Blackett's muscular injury rules him out, while there are still questions over Jordan Obita's return from a long-term knee injury - the 25-year-old hasn't featured for the first team since 23 September 2017.
Recent form
Another of the five teams on seven points after three games, West Brom are looking to keep up the pace in a Championship campaign, which looks significantly more open than in recent years. The Baggies beat Nottingham Forest on the opening day and drew with Millwall a week later, with on-loan striker Charlie Austin getting off the mark in the 2-1 Carabao Cup loss, also against the Lions. Two goals from second-half substitute Grady Diangana secured a 2-1 win over Luton on Saturday.
When Reading lost their opening two league fixtures - 3-1 to Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1 to Hull - it looked as though there were early signs of another season where the Royals were destined to finish in the bottom half of the Championship. They made life hard for themselves when it took penalties to beat League One Wycombe in the Carabao Cup, but starred on Sunday with a resounding, morale-boosting 3-0 win at home to Cardiff.
Talking point - Puscas starts with a bang
With a surname like that, big things are always going to be expected of you and George Puscas - no relation to Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas - has delivered almost immediately. The Romanian forward, who joined Reading for a club record fee from Inter Milan, gave Jose Gomes' men the platform to secure the eventual shootout victory against Wycombe with his first goal for the club at Adams Park, but the best - or a glimpse of it, at least - was yet to come.
As recently as two weeks ago, the 23-year-old could call the San Siro his home, but endeared himself to his new fans at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday when he netted a double in the 3-0 victory over Cardiff, the first of which was a sublime solo effort to hand the Royals a 25th-minute lead.
Latest highlights
Opta stats
West Bromwich Albion have won nine of their last 10 home league matches against Reading (W9 D1 L0).
Reading's last away win against West Brom came in February 2010 in an FA Cup fifth round replay, winning 3-2.
Following a run of six straight wins at The Hawthorns in all competitions at the end of last season, West Brom are winless in both of their two games on home soil this campaign, drawing and losing to Millwall.
Reading have collected just 19 points from the last 96 available in away Championship matches, winning just two of their last 32 such matches in the competition (P32 W2 D13 L17).
West Brom midfielder Grady Diangana scored two goals within his first six Championship minutes to earn his side a 2-1 win at Luton last time out; the first Baggies player to score a brace on their league debut since John Hartson, who did so against Hull City in August 2006.
During his sides comfortable 3-0 victory over Cardiff last time out, Reading striker George Puscas became the first Romanian to score a brace in an English league match since Adrian Patulea, who did so for Lincoln against Accrington in League Two in December 2008.
Prutton's prediction
David Prutton predicts: 1-2 (14/1)
