Preview: Reading vs. Middlesbrough

Reading will move back into the Championship playoff positions if they beat Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening and other results go their way.

The Royals lost 3-0 to promotion rivals Wigan Athletic on Friday, which means that they have won just one of their last six matches.

Nigel Adkins's side currently sit seventh in the table, one point behind sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion with three games of the season remaining.

Middlesbrough's hopes of reaching the playoffs took a blow on Saturday when they lost 2-1 to struggling Millwall at the Riverside Stadium, their first defeat in six outings.

Boro have dropped to 13th in the standings and are seven points adrift of Brighton.

Reading will be without midfielder Danny Guthrie, who has been ruled out with a thigh strain. Mikele Leigertwood has served his one-match suspension and could return to the team in Guthrie's absence.

Boro manager Aitor Karanka will be without injured duo Mustapha Carayol and Kei Kamara, while defender George Friend will face a late fitness test after he missed the Millwall defeat with a knock.

Recent form

Reading: LDWLDL

Middlesbrough: DWWWWL

Possible starting lineups

Reading: McCarthy; Gunter, Bridge, Pearce, Morrison; McCleary, Williams, McAnuff, Obita; Pogrebnyak, Le Fondre

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos; Omeruo, Butterfield, Woodgate, Ledesma; Chalobah, Tomlin, Adomah, Whitehead, Leadbitter; Graham

Sports Mole says: 1-0