StonehamPark
#Brighton-Nil
Huddersfield Vs Reading
Date: 21/02/2017
Kick Off: 19:45
Venue: John Smith's Stadium
Referees: Tony Harrington
Jonathan Hunt and Mark Dwyer
Christopher Kavanagh
3rd Vs 4th Place
Huddersfield welcome midfielder Aaron Mooy back for their home Championship clash with play-off rivals Reading.
Mooy was ineligible to face parent club Manchester City in the FA Cup, a game Town drew 0-0, and will slot back in.
Reading are set to welcome back defenders Paul McShane and Joey van den Berg from injury.
Skipper McShane has missed the last four games with a thigh problem and Van den Berg has been out with hamstring trouble since mid-January.
Reading assistant manager Andries Ulderink told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"Huddersfield look very fit and play some very good football with some very creative players.
"They can play different types of football, where they dominate the game but also on the counter-attack. But, we go there to play our own game and we're going for the win of course.
"We only focus on one game at a time. There are tough games right through the Championship as it's very hard to predict what's going to happen.
"We've got a very good squad and we've got depth, so we're ready for it."
BBC Radio Berkshire's Tim Dellor:
Reading and Huddersfield are two clubs who've never been far apart in the last couple of seasons.
Last season Huddersfield finished a point and two places worse off in the Championship table. Going into this game, Huddersfield are a point and a place better off than Reading.
They even met in the FA Cup last season, as well, and that was eventually settled in a replay. Last season was a struggle for both sides, but it has been a very different story this time round.
Whichever team wins will be third in the table after the game. Neither team has given up on automatic promotion, and both would need a dramatic capitulation in form to miss out on a play-off spot now.
Don't be surprised if these teams meet again in May, either in a play-off semi-final, or even at Wembley on 29 May.
Match Facts
- Huddersfield have won their past two home league games against Reading, netting three goals in both matches.
- Reading conceded two or more goals in each of their four meetings with Huddersfield in all competitions last season, but secured a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture this term.
- Huddersfield have won 10 of their past 12 Championship contests (D1 L1), scoring two or more goals in each of the last five.
- The Royals are unbeaten in six league games since losing consecutive matches against QPR and Derby (W4 D2).
- Since David Wagner took charge in November 2015, only three Championship teams (Brighton 123, Sheff Wed 108, & Leeds 98) have won more points than Huddersfield (97).
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