Boss Adkins is a big fan of Eddie Howe’s Cherries who are still in with a chance of reaching the play-offs.

Royals are sixth in the Championship table and boast a five-point gap over four teams below - Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Ipswich and Bournemouth.

However, if Bournemouth end Reading’s outstanding six-match unbeaten away run - which includes five victories - it will blow open the promotion race.

Nevertheless, Adkins admits he has been hugely impressed with the in-form Cherries this season and he expects a difficult night ahead.

“It’ll be a tough game,” he declared. “Bournemouth are a good side and have got momentum like ourselves.

“They play from the back, the play through and they’re a massive threat, I love watching them.

“They’re hot on our heels so we know it’ll be tough - but we’ve got to make it tough for them.”

The Cherries have won seven of their last nine Championship games and head into tonight’s fixture on the back of four straight victories.

But Reading have been superb on the road themselves after picking up 16 points from the last six games.

Their latest success away from home came last Saturday in a 1-0 win at Charlton Athletic thanks to a Danny Williams second-half strike.

Adkins, whose side continue to struggle at Madejski Stadium after six games without a win, added: “We’re in the mix, we’ve been in there all season and the players have demonstrated spirit with the amount of games we’ve won away from home.

“At home we’ve drawn too many by conceding cheap goals. If you give bad goals away, you don’t win games, it’s as simple as that.

“In March we only lost one game, and we’ve won five and drawn one of our last six away. So we’ve got spirit, togetherness and we should look forward to what’s ahead. We’ve got confidence and we’ve got goal threats.”

Bournemouth won 2-1 at Madejski Stadium in December and will be looking to complete the double over the Royals this season.

Hope Akpan and Michael Hector remain injury doubts for the Royals ahead of tonight’s clash.