Reading may be struggling to pick up any points at Madejski Stadium this season, but they have lost just once on the road.
A 2-2 draw at Brentford last Saturday was the latest impressive display, but it is an arguably tougher test this time out at high-flying West Brom.
The Baggies are unbeaten since August and have not lost at The Hawthorns since the opening day of the season.
Team news
Reading are sweating on the fitness of multiple players ahead of the trip to the Midlands.
The two main worries are with strike duo Sam Baldock and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson. Both missed Tuesday night’s defeat to QPR with calf injuries after the Icelander pulled out in the warm-up.
Paul McShane and David Meyler should both be available while Garath McCleary and Callum Harriott are also fit again.
Long-term absentees Jordan Obita (knee), Dave Edwards (knee), Adrian Popa (ankle) and Omar Richards (hip/groin) are all out injured.
Yakou Meite is one yellow card away from a suspension.
West Brom will give a late fitness test to Matt Phillips on a muscle strain which has kept him out of the last three matches. Bakary Sako could be involved after signing from Crystal Palace.
Form
West Brom will look to make it seven league games unbeaten when they welcome Reading tomorrow.
Darren Moore’s men recovered from a slow start to storm to the top of the league last weekend, but a draw at Sheffield Wednesday earlier this week means they slip to fourth.
The Baggies are the top scorers in the division with 27, six more than anybody else.
Reading are 20th in the table, but have not lost on the road since defeat at Nottingham Forest on August 11.
What they said
Reading boss Paul Clement: “There’s no need for any big motivational talk for this one.
“The players have to be absolutely concentrated.
“West Brom were top going into the midweek fixtures. They score a lot of goals, for me they’ve got a Premier League team, a lot of confidence, a good stadium.
“It’s a big test.
“We have to play much better than we did on Tuesday if we’re going to get anything.”
West Brom boss Darren Moore: “This league is relentless and we know we’ve got yet another difficult game.
“The results Reading have had on the road have been impressive and they are not a team to be underestimated in the slightest.
“They come with their own strengths and their own way of playing and we’ve got to be at our very best to keep the home results coming.”
Previous meetings
Reading have not played West Brom since 2016 when they met in the FA Cup.
Darren Fletcher put the Baggies ahead at Madejski Stadium before goals from Paul McShane, Michael Hector and Lucas Piazon booked Brian McDermott’s men a spot in the quarter-finals.
Last time Reading won at the Hawthorns was also in the FA Cup, 3-2 in 2010 when Gylfi Sigurdsson scored an extra time winner.
Odds
High-flying West Brom are big favourites to heap more misery on Reading, priced at 4/7.
The Royals are available at 24/5 while the draw is 16/5.
Given Reading’s decent away form and the Baggies’ impressive run in front of goal, both teams to score at 8/11 looks good value.
