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On the back of playing in two competitions, Reading turn their attention back to League One action when they host Barnsley on Saturday.
The Royals were eliminated by non-league Eastleigh in the FA Cup second-round before they beat Charlton Athletic in the EFL Trophy on Wednesday night in a penalty shootout.
On a run of successive league wins which lifted Reading off the bottom of the table, Ruben Selles’ side are looking to win three games in a row for the first time this campaign.
Standing in their way of trying to climb up the table and out of relegation danger are seventh placed Barnsley.
Last season’s beaten play-off finalists are hoping to make another push to try and make it back to the Championship and have made a relatively decent start after 18 matches.
The Tykes have picked up 31 points with nine wins, four draws and five defeats to them in the play-off places as things stand heading into Saturday.
Under new management this season after previous boss Michael Duff left to join Swansea City in the summer, Neil Collins is the man in the hotseat at Oakfield after taking up his first managerial role in England following seven years with Tampa Bay Rowdies in America.
After being kicked out of the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible player in their tie with Horsham, Barnsley had a week off from action.
Their last league outing saw them take three points against Wycombe Wanderers in the most bizarre of circumstances.
The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw before Wycombe keeper Harry Boyes flopped to the ground and in the process let the ball escape from his grasp, giving Barnsley strike Sam Cosgrove the easiest of tap-ins to help the Tykes to a 1-0 win in stoppage time.
Reading have a formidable record against Barnsley over the last decade and have been unbeaten against the Tykes in their last 10 meetings.
The last visit to Barnsley, in April 2022 ended in a 1-1 draw, while the Royals beat their visitors 1-0 when they last made the trip to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in October 2021 thanks to a John Swift goal.
Predicted Reading line-up: Button, Yiadom, Abbey, Bindon, Mbengue, Craig, Wing, Knibbs, Mukairu, Azeez, Smith
