With just four games remaining in the League One season, Reading FC travel to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.
The Royals still sit dangerously close to the drop zone, but do have a six point buffer and a much superior goal difference to the teams around them.
Tyler Bindon’s late goal salvaged a well earned draw against in-form Lincoln City on Saturday which keeps Reading’s fate in their own hands.
Tuesday’s opponents sit just two places and five points above Reading in the table.
Matt Taylor took charge of the Gas in December and with five games left to play they sit far enough away from the relegation places to be comfortable.
Despite that, Bristol are on a run of six games without a win and haven’t scored a single goal in that time.
Their latest defeat came at the hands of promotion pushing Bolton Wanderers who netted two second-half goals to take a 2-0 victory.
Despite their faltering form in front of goal, Rovers forward Chris Martin is currently in fifth spot in the goalscoring charts with 15 goals from 36 games.
The 35-year-old striker had a short stint at Reading on loan in 2018 where he managed to score one goal in 10 appearances.
Martin was on the scoresheet when the teams met at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in November as his equaliser cancelled out Sam Smith’s opener in a 1-1 stalemate.
Ruben Selles has almost a clean bill of health among his squad. Sam Hutchinson is the only first-team player currently out with an injury.
Tom Holmes featured for Noel Hunt’s U23s side at the weekend and should be available for the first-team tomorrow night if selected.
Predicted Reading line-up: Pereira, Yiadom, Mbengue, Bindon, Dorsett, Savage, Wing, Knibbs, Azeez, Ehibhatiomhan, Smith
