Reading were victorious on their travels away to Rotherham United on the weekend. A scrappy goal forced over the line from defender Michael Morrison earned the Royals all three points.

Blackburn Rovers are in a torrid run of form at late, with no wins in their last six games. Matty James' second-half strike for Coventry City denied Rovers a victory, with the game ending one apiece.

The Royals are holding their own in the play-off places, as they currently sit fifth in the Championship, only three points away from dropping out of the play-offs.

Rovers are in dying need of a win, with them slipping down the table each week in recent matches. Earlier in the season, Blackburn was in the hunt for the play-offs. If they carry on, they could beat in a fight to survive. Currently, they sit 15th, only 11 points adrift from Rotherham who sit in 22nd, the final relegation spot.

  • Team news

Reading boss Veljko Paunovic may play the same team which faced Rotherham on Saturday, with no new injuries. 

Lewis Gibson and Yakou Meite were close to returning on Saturday, so it's unsure whether they will be fit for this one. 

George Puscas and Sam Baldock are alternatives for Lucas Joao if Paunovic decides to hand a rest to his star striker.

Tom Trybull could be in line for a recall in the midfield, and Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott could potentially be rested after playing 90 minutes against Coventry on Saturday.

Tony Mowbray will have to make the decision on whether he wants to mix the team up to try and find the key to victory. Tyrhys Dolan and Taylor Harwood-Bellis could come into the side.

  • Predicted lineups

Reading XI: Cabral, Yiadom, Morrison, Moore, Richards, Rinomhota, Laurent, Olise, Semedo, Ejaria, Joao.

Blackburn XI: Kaminski, Nyambe, Lenihan, Branthwaite, Douglas, Evans, Trybull, Dack, Elliott, Armstrong, Brereton.

  • Ones to watch

Lucas Joao - Reading

The Royals forward stands fourth in the goalscoring chart so far this season in the Championship, with 17 goals to his name. The powerful Portuguese is without a doubt the main threat for Reading, he's also helped with the creativity of goals, with five assists. 

Their next top scorer is Meite, who may potentially be in the squad, which would certainly help Joao when going forward. The attacker can sometimes be isolated up top, with the Royals struggling to score goals. In their last seven games, they've found the net five times. 

Harvey Elliott - Blackburn 

The 17-year-old loanee from Liverpool has been fascinating to watch so far this season for Rovers. He stands joint second in the assists chart this season, with nine to his name. 

The tricky winger loves to find a perfect pass and seems to be one of the players who much prefers assisting his team-mates rather than scoring. 

For England and Liverpool fans, they will love to see he's a star in the making, who will celebrate his 18th birthday next month. 

  • Previous meetings

In the reverse fixture, this game was an absolutely beautiful viewing, with a total of six goals, and four of them came inside the first 18 minutes. 

Meite scored after nine seconds to score the fastest goal in the club's history after he pounced on a defensive mistake. Blackburn was level two minutes later, with Adam Armstrong making the game equal after three minutes.

Michael Olise put the Royals ahead on the 15th minute, with Josh Laurent scoring three minutes later to make it three. Armstrong was back for more bringing the game back to life in the second half, but Joao finished off Blackburn in the final ten minutes, to win the game for Reading 4-2.

In the history of the two sides, Blackburn has come away winners nine times, with nine draws and Reading winning six times.

They've faced each other 13 times in the Championship since 2013, both teams beating each other five times, with three draws. It shows how competitive this fixture has been in recent years.

  • How to watch

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event to Sky customers. You can also watch the match by purchasing an iFollow match pass from either club's website. The game kicks off at 8 pm.