Both seeking to bounce back from painful league defeats at the weekend, Reading and Ipswich Town square off at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.
The Royals went down to Exeter City 2-1 in their most recent League One affair, while the Tractor Boys came out on the wrong end of the scoreline in a seven-goal extravaganza with Leeds United.
Match preview
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Turmoil at Reading is not just limited to their off-field distractions, as during Saturday's trip to Exeter's St James Park, the Royals' shortcomings on the road bedevilled them once more as they suffered a second successive League One loss on rival territory.
Will Aimson's deft header broke the deadlock for Exeter before Harvey Knibbs restored parity for Reading in the third minute of first-half injury time, but Ruben Selles's side were ironically undone by a sweetly-struck half volley by Reece Cole in the third minute of second-half injury time.
With just five points to show from a possible 15 at the start of the campaign, Reading's bid for an immediate return to the Championship has already encountered some roadblocks, but few expected the Royals to put four unanswered goals past Millwall in the first round of the EFL Cup earlier this month.
A return to their Madejski headquarters should also give the Reading faithful some comfort, as Selles's men have enjoyed back-to-back wins over Cheltenham Town and Stevenage on their own patch without conceding, although they have not won three on the bounce at home in all tournaments since January.
Not since the 2019-20 season have Reading managed to progress as far as the third round of the EFL Cup, but a second-placed exit would be an improvement on their last two knockout campaigns, which ended at the first hurdle to Swansea City and Stevenage respectively.
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While Reading succumbed to an added-time strike in their most recent league affair, Ipswich Town managed to make the net ripple with mere seconds remaining during the visit of Leeds United, but Conor Chaplin's last-gasp effort was inconsequential as the Whites ran out 4-3 victors.
A Joe Rodon own goal had Ipswich in dreamland with seven minutes played, but a Leeds onslaught saw all of Georginio Rutter, Wilfried Gnonto and new arrival Joel Piroe breach the Tractor Boys' backline, although Nathan Broadhead gave the hosts a sliver of hope just before the half-time whistle sounded.
However, Luis Sinisterra restored the Whites' two-goal advantage, and Chaplin's smart finish came too late for Kieran McKenna's men to salvage anything from a pulsating second-tier scrap, as Ipswich's four-game winning run in all tournaments came to a bitterly disappointing end.
That triumphant sequence included a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers in the first round of the EFL Cup, but the Tractor Boys - who were losing semi-finalists in 1985 - have not got as far as round three since the 2015-16 season, where they were comfortably seen off by Manchester United.
As was the case with Reading, Ipswich were also dumped out in the first round of the tournament in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and Tuesday's match will mark the first meeting between the two clubs since the 2018-19 Championship season, where the Royals left Portman Road with a 2-1 triumph to their name.
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Team News
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Reading right-back Amadou Salif Mbengue has recovered from the injury that forced him off after just 18 minutes of their 4-0 thrashing of Millwall, but he only lasted 45 minutes of the recent loss to Exeter, as did striker Caylan Vickers.
While the duo's withdrawals appeared to be tactical, Selles was dealt a bitter blow with new arrival Paul Mukairu, as the Copenhagen loanee twisted his ankle just nine minutes after coming on at St James Park, and it is difficult to imagine the winger making a rapid recovery in time for the cup.
Eighteen-year-old defender Tyler Bindon will also miss the second round, having recently been hospitalised with a head injury, while fellow youngster Mamadi Camara - the scorer of Reading's fourth against Millwall - was also in the treatment room at the weekend alongside Lewis Wing.
As for Ipswich, goalkeeper Christian Walton is out for the long-term with a severe foot injury, while Janoi Donacien is nursing a groin strain and will not be available for the trip south either.
George Hirst (adductor) failed a late fitness test ahead of the weekend and is also touch-and-go for the EFL Cup, but on a brighter note, Cameron Burgess shook off an ankle complaint to start at the back at Elland Road.
Manchester United loanee Brandon Williams earned his first minutes for his new club off the bench in that 4-3 loss and could now come in for his full debut on the left-hand side, while young playmaker Omari Hutchinson - a temporary acquisition from Chelsea - may also return to the attack.
Reading possible starting lineup:
Boyce-Clarke; Yiadom, McIntyre, Abbey, Carson; Azeez, Savage, Elliott, Knibbs; Vickers, Ehibhatiomhan
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Slicker; Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Williams; Ball, Evans; Hutchinson, Chaplin, Broadhead; Ladapo
We say: Reading 1-2 Ipswich Town
What Reading have lacked away from the Madejski Stadium so far this term, they have often made up for in front of their own supporters, and an Ipswich side whose morale took quite the hit at the weekend should not have it all their own way.
Changes can be expected on the visitors' end in particular, but McKenna's troops have a glint in their eyes in front of goal right now and ought to secure a hard-fought win en route to round three.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
