Reading FC welcome high-flying Bournemouth to the Select Car Leasing stadium this weekend as the Royals look to stop the Cherries’ unbeaten start to the season.
Scott Parker’s Bournemouth sit top of the Championship having not lost a game this season, a run stretching to 14 matches.
The current unbeaten start is a 60-year club record in which the Royals will aim to break on Saturday night.
It is also the second-most points of any Championship side has ever achieved after 14 games since 2004/05, and only three sides in that time have ever started the campaign with a longer unbeaten run.
Reading are coming into the game on the back of two defeats in four days against Blackpool and Blackburn which saw them fall down to 13th in the table.
A disastrous opening month to the campaign saw Veljko Paunovic’s side lose four of their first five games but since the international break, the Royals seemed to have turned the tide with a superb run picking up five wins in six matches.
However, their excellent form came to an end in the past two games as Paunovic’s side lost back-to-back games for the first time since August.
Injuries continue to plague the Royals squad as Femi Azeez re-joined the injury list after he limped off holding his hamstring against Blackburn.
Players such as Michael Morrison, Tom McIntyre and Yakou Meite are all also expected to be out injured as they continue their recoveries.
There was some better news on the injury front on Monday night as Felipe Araruna featured for U23s against Southampton for his first competitive action in more than a year.
Bournemouth are the toughest side the Royals could be facing right now and Parker has warned his team are still to reach their peak.
The Bournemouth boss said: “The constant message to this team is ‘processes’, understanding what we need to do, and I always say we have quality in this team, we have technical ability.
“We are going in the right direction and of course records are brilliant.
“It was another win on Saturday and we keep moving together but there are still areas we need to improve and get better at.”
The game kicks off at 8pm and will be played in front of the Sky Sports cameras as the Royals look to get back to winning ways.
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