Reading vs Fulham. Sky Bet Championship.
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Watch live on Sky Sports Football Red Button and the Sky Sports app from 7.55pm on Tuesday; Kick-off is at 8pm
Tuesday 1 October 2019 09:52, UK
Reading face Fulham in the Sky Bet Championship on Tuesday. Coverage gets under way live on Sky Sports Football Red Button at 7.55pm; Kick-off is at 8pm.
Tyler Blackett is an injury doubt for Reading ahead of the visit of Fulham. The former Manchester United defender limped off during the first half of Saturday's draw at Swansea with a hip problem.
Lucas Joao is also struggling to be fit with a knock to his ankle. Defender Matt Miazga is set to return after being left out at the Liberty Stadium.
Fulham boss Scott Parker will make the short trip along the M4 with a clean bill of health. The Cottagers beat Wigan 2-0 on Friday night, giving them a day extra to recover.
Harry Arter could return to the starting line-up if Parker wants to inject some fresh legs, the midfielder having come off the bench twice since returning from suspension. Otherwise Parker is likely to keep changes to a minimum as Fulham look for back-to-back wins.
Jose Gomes' Royals seem to be missing the killer touch in front of goal of late - they haven't won a game since August 24 and just managed to salvage a point against Swansea last weekend, thanks to Andy Yiadom. Last month, they were ousted from the Carabao Cup on penalties by Wolves, beaten 2-1 at home to Blackburn, while Middlesbrough crept past them 1-0 after the international break.
Life back in the Championship started well for Fulham, though slowed down as August ended and September began. A Semi Ajayi goal denied them all three points in a 1-1 draw with West Brom at Craven Cottage after the international break, before a sucker-punch from Atdhe Nuhiu deep into stoppage time a week later produced the same result. The Whites got back to winning ways on Saturday, when Joe Bryan and Tom Cairney netted in a 2-0 win over Wigan.
Reading boss Jose Gomes: "Hopefully we will get the three points back at Madejski Stadium. We will face a very strong team, a good squad and some very good players.They have a top striker - who is very strong and who battles - and a good offensive dynamic. So we will see what happens.
"We need to recover now, after a long trip back from Swansea. Fulham played a day before us, so they have 24 hours more than we do to recover. But our medical staff and fitness coaches will help our players to recover properly. As I have said before, with the way that we have been working, I trust that my players can get the points we need to think about higher goals."
Fulham boss Scott Parker: "They've been a little bit up and down, I think that's clear. They got a very good result against Swansea, a last minute equaliser, which will obviously bring them some big confidence. It's a team that I think can cause anyone, on their day, some problems. Certainly going forward they've got some very good individuals. No doubt it will be a tough game for us. I think we know what's in store for us.
"It's a strange league in the sense that you can go and put some back-to-back wins together and before you know it you're right up there. I feel we're on a good run and that we're going in the right direction. There have been moments where we've been disappointing, but I think overall we've shown some real quality and control in games."
When Aleksandar Mitrovic starts for Fulham in the Championship, there's rarely a game that goes by where the Serbian frontman isn't spotted on the scoresheet. He drew a blank as Barnsley ground out a 1-0 win on the opening day, but, in typically ruthless fashion, he followed that up with eight goals in seven games for club and country.
Yet since his return from international duty, he's played 270 minutes of league football without so much as an assist to his name. With Tom Cairney picking up the baton as goalscorer across the last two games as well as the Whites avoiding defeat in September, it's not been the end of the world, but one can't help but wonder if Scott Parker's men might have taken more than five points from their three fixtures, however.
Including play-offs, Reading are unbeaten in their last six home league matches against Fulham (W3 D3 L0) since losing 2-0 in the Premier League in April 2008.
The last two Fulham managers to win away at Reading in a league match also managed England - Kevin Keegan in April 1999 and Roy Hodgson in April 2008.
Reading have lost three of their four home league games this season (W1), having lost just one of their last 10 in 2018-19 (W5 D4 L1).
Fulham have lost each of their last four league games in the month of October, conceding 14 goals in those games.
John Swift has been directly involved in 60% of Reading's 10 league goals this season, scoring two and assisting four.
David Prutton predicts: 0-1 (8/1)
