Venue: Madejski Stadium Date: Saturday, 6th April K/o: 12:45
Team News
New Reading manager Nigel Adkins has a near-full strength squad at his disposal as he prepares to take on former club Southampton. Jimmy Kebe and Jason Roberts, who are out for the remainder of the season, are the only notable absentees. Southampton duo Artur Boruc and Adam Lallana should be fit in time for the lunch time kick off; Boruc was substituted in the win over Chelsea due to complaints of dizziness, while Lallana missed out entirely with a groin injury.
Match Preview
Former Southampton manager Nigel Adkins locks horns with former club Southampton in this weekend's bottom of the table clash, and though his former employers are currently 12th in the table, they are by no means clear of the dreaded drop zone. But it is Reading who are in dire straits at present and Adkins faces mission impossible if he is to negotiate a way out of the bottom three for the rock bottom Royals. It's been more than two months now since they added to their tally of 23 points - eight fewer than at this stage of the 2007/08 season when they were last relegated from the Premier League. The omens don't look good and while Adkins would certainly love to get one over on the club that so unjustly sacked him back in January, the man himself would tell you the three points are worth more than any revenge he may hold in his heart. In reality, Adkins may have been hired with next season in mind - Championship football. He helped Southampton to successive promotions to the Premier League and may be required to achieve similar feats next season as Reading have all but abandoned any hope of staying up this term.
Likely Line-Ups
Reading Federici, Harte, Shorey, Mariappa, Pearce, McAnuff, Leigertwood, Robson-Kanu, McCleary, Le Fondre, Pogrebnyak
Southampton Boruc, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw, Puncheon, Schneiderlin, Ramirez, Lallana, Lambert, Rodriguez Source:
BBC