Treble trouble for Royals
Reading have doubts over three players for the home game against promotion rivals Derby.
Midfielder Danny Williams missed Tuesday night's 4-2 win over Leeds with a knee problem and striker Pavel Pogrebnyak sat out with an ankle injury.
Winger Garath McCleary, who scored the Royals' opening goal at Elland Road, had to come off before half-time with a hamstring problem.
Defenders Wayne Bridge and Sean Morrison (both knee) are close to returning from lengthy lay-offs while midfielder Mikele Leigertwood (ankle), striker Jason Roberts (hip) and winger Jem Karacan (cruciate) remain sidelined.
Will Hughes is expected to return to the Derby squad.
Hughes missed the goalless draw with Bolton on Tuesday night with an ankle knock sustained during the defeat to Millwall the previous weekend but the England Under-21 international midfielder resumed training on Thursday and should be fit to face the sixth-placed Royals.
"We expect Will Hughes to be ready for Saturday's game," Derby head coach Steve McClaren told the club's official website. "He wasn't quite ready for the Bolton match. We didn't want to risk him and lose him for longer, which is why he wasn't involved on Tuesday."
Teenager Hughes will be pushing for a recall to the starting line-up along with the likes of Johnny Russell, Conor Sammon and Patrick Bamford, while on-loan West Brom midfielder George Thorne and recent signing Lee Naylor are also options for McClaren.
Source: PA
