Reading v Hull City

Published on: 07 February 2020

Reading goalkeeper Rafael Cabral is set to return to the starting line-up against Hull CityFollow Saturday's live text coverage from 12:15 GMT

Reading boss Mark Bowen is likely to make changes again as they return to Championship action against Hull.

Six players were rested in midweek for the FA Cup fourth round replay win against Cardiff City from the previous league encounter against the Bluebirds.

Hull will have to wait to give a debut to new signing James Scott after the forward picked up an ankle injury.

Left-back Callum Elder is available after recovering from a calf problem which has seen him miss three games.

Reading manager Mark Bowen told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"We'll sit down with the staff and give it great thought about how we'll approach the game against Hull in terms of personnel.

"I've said to the players, I genuinely approach each games as it comes and put all my thoughts into that, so it's hard to anticipate any changes.

"Whoever I pick Saturday, I'll be honest that I'll be picking a side I believe can go and win us the game."

Hull City manager Grant McCann told BBC Radio Humberside:

"When we've been at our best is when we're defensively strong and we need to get back to that.

"We've all under-performed for the past four games so we have to make sure we get the team right.

"We have to get back to what we've shown for large spells of this season which is how hard we can work and how effective we can be.

"We've 16 games to go in the season to see how far we can go."

Match facts

    Reading have won just one of their past 11 league games against Hull (W1 D4 L6), a 3-0 win in September 2018. Hull are looking to complete a league double over Reading for the first time since the 2015-16 season, when the Tigers went on to win promotion to the top-flight via the play-offs. Reading are winless in five matches (D3 L2) since winning four in a row in December/January. Hull have lost each of their past four league games, last losing five in a row in October 2016 in the Premier League (six games). Reading have only lost four points from winning positions this season in the Championship, the joint-fewest of any side along with Fulham. Having lost Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki in the transfer window, the current top scorer this season in Hull's squad is Tom Eaves, who has scored four goals in 27 league matches.

Source: bbc.com

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